HAWTHORN

Record: 11-7; third
Last five: LWLLW
Formline: Hawthorn suddenly finds itself back in third spot on the ladder after comfortably accounting for fierce rival Essendon by 63 points on Sunday. The convincing win helped the Hawks avoid losing three on the trot but couldn’t completely disguise the shaky form of Alastair Clarkson’s side over the past six weeks. Hawthorn was 8-4 through the season’s first 12 rounds but has gone 3-3 during the past month-and-a-half.

SYDNEY SWANS

Record: 10-8, seventh
Last five: WWLWW
Formline: The Swans, once again, are likely to be the team no one wants to meet in September. Paul Roos’ side made it four wins from the past five outings with a 48-point victory over lowly Melbourne on Sunday. But it was the way Sydney went about its business that was most impressive – with 12 goalkickers and only one major coming from Barry Hall. The Swans have only lost twice in the last six weeks – to Geelong away in round 13 and against West Coast at Subiaco in round 16.

ADELAIDE

Record: 9-9, 11th
Last five: WLLLW
Formline: Positively teetering a week ago, the Crows are now well and truly back in the finals hunt thanks to a thrilling eight-point showdown triumph against Port Adelaide. Adelaide’s final margin probably should have been bigger – Neil Craig’s men kicked 9.19, including 3.10 up to half time. The Crows’ past four defeats have come against West Coast, St Kilda, Fremantle and Essendon – all of which have shown patches of good form during the last two months.

GEELONG

Record: 15-3, first
Last five: WWWWW
Formline: There isn’t a lot to say about the Cats’ form that hasn’t already been said. Geelong’s 70-point weekend win over hapless Richmond was its 13th on the trot. In the five weeks prior to clinically disposing of the Tigers, the Cats put paid to five rivals – Sydney, Essendon, Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle – with legitimate finals aspirations.

The run home for the other finals contenders (from top to bottom):

Geelong: Adelaide, Kangaroos, Port Adelaide, Brisbane Lions.

Kangaroos: West Coast, Geelong, Carlton, Western Bulldogs

Port Adelaide: Carlton, Hawthorn, Geelong, Fremantle

West Coast: Kangaroos, Richmond, St Kilda, Essendon

Hawthorn: Brisbane Lions, Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Sydney

Collingwood: Richmond, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide

Sydney: St Kilda, Brisbane Lions, Collingwood, Hawthorn

Essendon: Fremantle, Carlton, Richmond, West Coast

St Kilda: Sydney, Fremantle, West Coast, Richmond

Western Bulldogs: Melbourne, Adelaide, Hawthorn, Kangaroos

Adelaide:  Geelong, Western Bulldogs, Brisbane Lions, Collingwood

Fremantle: Essendon, St Kilda, Melbourne, Port Adelaide

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.