ANOTHER round of upsets has added even more spice to the run home, with a new ladder leader, the premiers' reign all but over and another perennial contender looking shakier than ever.
Melbourne has tumbled from the top of the ladder after its surprise defeat against Greater Western Sydney, with the Demons looking suddenly shaky up forward.
Richmond has fallen out of the eight after its loss to Gold Coast and will have to pull off a monumental comeback to mount a realistic charge for a fourth premiership in five years.
Meanwhile, West Coast's issues with winning away from Perth have become a major problem after a thrashing at the hands of Sydney.
LADDER PREDICTOR Where will your club finish?
And what about the Saints? Could they really surge back into contention on the back of two wins on the trot?
Check out your club's finish to the season below.
Gold Coast, Adelaide, Collingwood, Hawthorn and North Melbourne have not been considered.
1. Western Bulldogs
48 points (12 wins, three losses), 147.6 per cent
After Melbourne's loss to the Giants and their own comfortable win over over North Melbourne, the Dogs are back on top of the ladder and their fate is almost entirely in their own hands. Keep winning and a top-two spot is theirs - but it's easier said than done. Next week's clash against the Swans looks a massive danger game on paper, while successive matches against the lowly Suns and Crows should keep the win column ticking over. The round 20 clash against the Demons could yet decide the minor premiership, while none of their final three opponents - Essendon, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide - will be pushovers. - Jonathan Healy
The run home
R17: Sydney @ Marvel Stadium
R18: Gold Coast @ Metricon Stadium
R19: Adelaide @ Mars Stadium
R20: Melbourne @ MCG
R21: Essendon @ Marvel Stadium
R22: Hawthorn @ UTAS Stadium
R23: Port Adelaide @ Marvel Stadium
2. Melbourne
48 points (12 wins, three losses), 128.5 per cent
Melbourne has lost its position as the pace-setters in the League, with a costly defeat to Greater Western Sydney potentially putting the side behind the eight-ball in the race for the minor premiership. Four of its final seven games are against top-eight teams, while as things stand it is also facing three interstate trips and a journey down the highway to GMHBA Stadium. Still, at the very least, it should give Simon Goodwin's side the perfect opportunity to tune up for the finals. Away games against Port Adelaide, West Coast and Geelong could define its season. - Riley Beveridge
The run home
R17: Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval
R18: Hawthorn @ MCG
R19: Gold Coast @ Metricon Stadium
R20: Western Bulldogs @ MCG
R21: West Coast @ Optus Stadium
R22: Adelaide @ MCG
R23: Geelong @ GMHBA Stadium
3. Brisbane
44 points (11 wins, four losses), 134.7 per cent
The Lions’ win over Adelaide on Saturday has them in a strong position to finish in the top four, especially with such a good percentage. Brisbane also has a fairly easy draw over the next month, with winnable games against St Kilda, an increasingly fragile Richmond, Hawthorn and Gold Coast. Winning these matches could set Brisbane up for a serious crack at a top-two finish and a home qualifying final. - Luke Michael
The run home
R17: St Kilda @ Gabba
R18: Richmond @ MCG
R19: Hawthorn @ MCG
R20: Gold Coast @ Gabba
R21: Fremantle @ Gabba
R22: Collingwood @ Gabba
R23: West Coast @ Gabba
4. Port Adelaide
44 points (11 wins, four losses), 124.4 per cent
Following its 34-point win over Hawthorn, Port Adelaide has snatched its top-four spot back from Geelong after the Cats briefly overtook the Power. The Power's percentage rose slightly by 2.2, enough to overtake Geelong but not create a considerable break. A Thursday night blockbuster against a slightly wobbly Melbourne awaits, and there are plenty of opportunities ahead to bank four points against the likes of St Kilda, Collingwood, GWS, Adelaide and Carlton. - Sarah Black
The run home
R17: Melbourne @ Adelaide Oval
R18: St Kilda @ Marvel Stadium
R19: Collingwood @ Adelaide Oval
R20: GWS Giants @ Manuka Oval
R21: Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval
R22: Carlton @ Adelaide Oval
R23: Western Bulldogs @ Marvel Stadium
5. Geelong
44 points (11 wins, four losses), 123.4 per cent
The Cats will have all eyes on Port Adelaide's date with Melbourne on Thursday night as they push for a spot in the top four. A loss for the Power, or a heavy defeat for the Demons, will see the Cats move up – provided they beat Carlton at the MCG. A trip to face Fremantle looms as a tricky assignment in round 18, while the Tigers will be a challenge particularly if their season is still on the line. While the round 20 game against North Melbourne may present as an ideal chance to rest a veteran or two, the Cats will need all the percentage they can get as they sit in a battle of five teams for the double chance. - Mitch Cleary
The run home
R17: Carlton @ MCG
R18: Fremantle @ Optus Stadium
R19: Richmond @ MCG
R20: North Melbourne @ Blundstone Arena
R21: GWS Giants @ GMHBA Stadium
R22: St Kilda @ GMHBA Stadium
R23: Melbourne @ GMHBA Stadium
6. Sydney
36 points (nine wins, six losses), 114.5 per cent
The Swans put the foot down against the Eagles to run away to a 92-point victory and create more distance between them and the chasing pack. With the three teams just outside the top-eight losing this week, the Swans are now two wins and a healthy 14 percentage points clear of Richmond in ninth. A mouth-watering clash with Western Bulldogs comes next, then four matches against teams striving to push into the top eight. If any of those four finals hopefuls extend their season beyond the home and away rounds, it looks unlikely to be at the Swans' expense. - Martin Pegan
The run home
R17: Western Bulldogs @ Marvel Stadium
R18: GWS Giants @ Giants Stadium
R19: Fremantle @ SCG
R20: Essendon @ Marvel Stadium
R21: St Kilda @ Marvel Stadium
R22: North Melbourne @ Marvel Stadium
R23: Gold Coast @ SCG
7. West Coast
32 points (eight wins, seven losses), 95.3 per cent
Two horrible losses in a row have surely put the Eagles' top-four hopes out of reach and even leaves their finals place at risk. Those thumpings mean the Eagles' percentage also comes into play, as it has plummeted from 107.9 per cent after round 14 to 95.3 per cent now – lower than ninth-placed Richmond and 11th-placed Essendon. The Eagles will hope to bounce back in the coming weeks with four matches against opponents from the bottom six, but will have to improve dramatically – especially away from Optus Stadium – to be competitive in their last few matches. The outcome of those clashes with Melbourne, Fremantle and Brisbane looks set to decide whether the Eagles earn a seemingly crucial home final. - Martin Pegan
The run home
R17: North Melbourne @ Optus Stadium
R18: Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval
R19: St Kilda @ Optus Stadium
R20: Collingwood @ MCG
R21: Melbourne @ Optus Stadium
R22: Fremantle @ Optus Stadium
R23: Brisbane @ Gabba
8. Greater Western Sydney
30 points (seven wins, seven losses, one draw), 97.1 per cent
Count this as an opportunity grasped for Greater Western Sydney, which took advantage of Richmond's surprise defeat to Gold Coast on Thursday night and subsequently leapfrogged the reigning premiers on the ladder. Providing the club can get back into New South Wales in the near future, it also has a relatively cosy run home. Leon Cameron's side is due to play three of its final seven games at Giants Stadium, and one in Canberra, plus it also gets finals rivals Sydney, Port Adelaide, Geelong and Richmond on its home deck. It's time to take more of these chances. - Riley Beveridge
The run home
R17: Gold Coast @ Giants Stadium
R18: Sydney @ Giants Stadium
R19: Essendon @ Marvel Stadium
R20: Port Adelaide @ Manuka Oval
R21: Geelong @ GMHBA Stadium
R22: Richmond @ Giants Stadium
R23: Carlton @ Marvel Stadium
9. Richmond
28 points (seven wins, eight losses), 100.6 per cent
Things have suddenly got very tricky for the reigning premier after shock losses to St Kilda and Gold Coast in the past fortnight. The Tigers' upcoming duel with Collingwood is simply a must-win. Although it has a relatively comfortable final month – on paper at least – Richmond has to improve dramatically, and soon, to lock in a top-eight spot. - Michael Whiting
The run home
R17: Collingwood @ MCG
R18: Brisbane @ MCG
R19: Geelong @ MCG
R20: Fremantle @ Optus Stadium
R21: North Melbourne @ MCG
R22: GWS Giants @ Giants Stadium
R23: Hawthorn @ MCG
10. Fremantle
28 points (seven wins, eight losses), 92.2 per cent
The Dockers let a golden opportunity to move into eighth spot slip with their loss to Carlton and it will be a mission to get that spot back now, especially with their poor percentage. A likely win if that home game had been played at Optus Stadium, Fremantle must move on quickly and beat Hawthorn in Tasmania before a difficult run against four teams in the top eight in five weeks. Losing key forward Matt Taberner for a month is a significant blow, with the Dockers' wayward goalkicking a major issue again. Can likely only afford to lose one more game. - Nathan Schmook
The run home
R17: Hawthorn @ UTAS Stadium
R18: Geelong @ Optus Stadium
R19: Sydney @ SCG
R20: Richmond @ Optus Stadium
R21: Brisbane @ Gabba
R22: West Coast @ Optus Stadium
R23: St Kilda @ Marvel Stadium
11. St Kilda
28 points (seven wins, eight losses), 83.7 per cent
The Saints are back in the hunt for the top eight after surviving a late scare against Collingwood on Sunday. The next three weeks will truly test their credentials, though, with clashes scheduled against Brisbane at the Gabba, Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium and West Coast at Optus Stadium. St Kilda will need to come out of those three games with at least one win and then probably claim their other four games to push themselves into the top eight, with their poor percentage also a factor. - Callum Twomey
The run home
R17: Brisbane @ Gabba
R18: Port Adelaide @ Marvel Stadium
R19: West Coast @ Optus Stadium
R20: Carlton @ Marvel Stadium
R21: Sydney @ SCG
R22: Geelong @ GMHBA Stadium
R23: Fremantle @ Marvel Stadium
12. Essendon
24 points (six wins, nine losses), 98.7 per cent
Stumbles from Richmond and Fremantle leave Essendon within six points of the top eight despite Friday night's loss to Geelong. The next two matches against Adelaide and North Melbourne are must-wins if they're to be any chance, while back-to-back games against Sydney and Greater Western Sydney loom as eight-point games already. This season 11 wins might be enough to sneak in, but they'll need to clinch the 50-50 games. The Bombers are fixtured to play the next five matches on their home deck at Marvel Stadium where they're 3-1 this season. - Mitch Cleary
The run home
R17: Adelaide @ Marvel Stadium
R18: North Melbourne @ Marvel Stadium
R19: GWS Giants @ Marvel Stadium
R20: Sydney @ Marvel Stadium
R21: Western Bulldogs @ Marvel Stadium
R22: Gold Coast @ Metricon Stadium
R23: Collingwood @ MCG
13. Carlton
24 points (six wins, nine losses), 93.0 per cent
The Blues kept the finals door ajar with their win over Fremantle, notching back-to-back wins for the first time since round four. Six points adrift of eighth spot, they have significant ground to make up, but a nice run of games against teams outside the top eight could help them generate momentum. They must first get past Geelong at the MCG, but there is energy in the Blues' game style again and they shape as a dangerous opponent. Have probably left it too late, but mathematically still alive. - Nathan Schmook
The run home
R17: Geelong @ MCG
R18: Collingwood @ MCG
R19: North Melbourne @ Marvel Stadium
R20: St Kilda @ Marvel Stadium
R21: Gold Coast @ Marvel Stadium
R22: Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval
R23: GWS Giants @ Marvel Stadium
