1. Hawthorn

56 points (14 wins, three losses) 123.9 per cent

Took care of business at the MCG on Sunday, beating Richmond by 70 points and with Adelaide's stumble the night before, the Hawks moved two games clear on top of the ladder with five games remaining. They took some time to get going on Sunday in their first game back at the MCG in 50 days, but they also served a stark reminder to the rest of the competition – the path to the premiership runs through the Hawks on their home deck. 

The run home
Rd 19: Carlton (Aurora Stadium)
Rd 20: Melbourne (MCG)
Rd 21: North Melbourne (MCG)
Rd 22: West Coast (Domain Stadium)
Rd 23: Collingwood (MCG)

2. Greater Western Sydney

48 points (12 wins, five losses), 136.3 per cent

Too hard, too fast and too talented for Port Adelaide in the second half on Sunday and the reward for a tremendous win was a jump from seventh on the ladder (before the game) to second and a firm grip on the double chance. The Giants should win their next four, but second place at the end of the season could come down to the round 23 finale against the Kangaroos at Etihad. If that's not deserving of Friday night status, I'm not sure what is. 

The run home
Rd 19: Richmond (Manuka Oval)
Rd 20: Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium)
Rd 21: West Coast (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 22: Fremantle (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 23: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)

3. Sydney Swans

48 points (12 wins, five losses), 134.0 per cent

The Swans finally won a close one and the victory moved them back into double-chance territory. But there are no gimmes in their next four games starting with Sunday at Subiaco where Matthew Pavlich plays his 350th game. The Dockers and their fans will be souped up for that one. 

The run home
Rd 19: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 20: Port Adelaide (SCG)
Rd 21: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: North Melbourne (Blundstone Arena)
Rd 23: Richmond (SCG)

• Nine things we learned from round 18

4. Geelong

48 points (12 wins, five losses), 133.2 per cent

Things are looking up for the Cats, whose most difficult part of the home and away season might now be behind them. From here they get the banged up Bulldogs, the below-par Bombers, Richmond (who they seemingly haven't lost to since the days Billy Goggin was roving to Polly Farmer), the hapless Brisbane Lions and finally Melbourne, with nothing to play for. Lock them in for the top four and probably the top two. 

The run home
Rd 19: Western Bulldogs (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 20: Essendon (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 21: Richmond (MCG)
Rd 22: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 23: Melbourne (Simonds Stadium)

5. West Coast

48 points (12 wins, five losses), 132.7 per cent

The form ladder looks good, with five straight wins, but the manner with which the Eagles laboured to overcome Melbourne doesn't inspire a heap of confidence about the remaining five weeks and their hopes of a double chance. They'll need to win at least three from here to be in contention, which means beating one of the Giants, Hawks and Crows. Hawthorn at home in round 22 might be their best bet.

The run home
Rd 19: Collingwood (MCG)
Rd 20: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 21: GWS (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 22: Hawthorn (Domain Stadium)
Rd 23: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)

• Who impressed for your club in this weekend's state leagues?

6. Adelaide

48 points (12 wins, five losses), 128.7 per cent

Before Adelaide fans get too despondent at losing their first game in more than two months, sit back and look at the draw. The four percentage points dropped at Geelong on Saturday night will be more than recouped over the next fortnight against bottom pair Essendon and the Brisbane Lions, and they should overcome Freo and West Coast as well. The Showdown clash in round 22 is the big one. History tells all the time that form counts for next to nothing against Port. It might come down to whether the Power still have anything to play for.

The run home
Rd 19: Essendon (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 20: Brisbane Lions (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 21: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 22: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 23: West Coast (Adelaide Oval)

7. Western Bulldogs

48 points (12 wins, five losses), 119.0 per cent

The loss to the Saints was calamitous and it will take all of Luke Beveridge's magic – and more – to get the Bulldogs physically and emotionally ready to take on the Cats in Geelong. The final four games after that seem winnable, but Beveridge's playing stocks are nearly at breaking point.

The run home
Rd 19: Geelong (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 20: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 21: Collingwood (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: Essendon (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 23: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)

8. North Melbourne

44 points (11 wins, six losses), 111.9 per cent

Important win for the Kangas to snap a five-match losing streak. They started well and the game was played on their terms thereafter. And while the talk until now has been that the Kangas are the team most likely to miss the eight, the other side of the coin is that they're a game off second. Boomer gets all the focus this week, but the job for Brad Scott's men is to take care of the business at hand. Milestone aside, the Saints clash will be a beauty.

The run home
Rd 19: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 20: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 21: Hawthorn (MCG)
Rd 22: Sydney Swans (Blundstone Arena)
Rd 23: GWS (Etihad Stadium)

9. St Kilda

36 points (nine wins, eight losses) 91.7 per cent

That's now seven wins on the trot at Etihad and at 9-8, the Saints have a positive win-loss ratio this late into the season for the first time since 2011. First Geelong and now, the Bulldogs, the Saints are relishing the chance to knock over top four teams. Two games and a decent percentage out of the eight, they need to keep winning. Lose to the Kangas and the dream is probably over for 2016, but they won't die wondering. It should be some game. 

The run home
Rd 19: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 20: Carlton (MCG)
Rd 21: Sydney Swans (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: Richmond (MCG)
Rd 23: Brisbane Lions (Etihad Stadium)

• After the siren: Saints set sights on Boomer's party

10. Port Adelaide

32 points (eight wins, nine losses) 108.1 per cent

Three games out with five to play, its looks tough now for the Power, the most consistently inconsistent team in the competition. With it all to play for, at home, they went to sleep in the third quarter against the Giants and were made to pay. It was 30 minutes of football that will keep recurring in Port Adelaide nightmares all summer. The Power need to go 5-0 from here to crash the finals, a task that seems beyond them, considering they have yet to win more than two in a row all year. 

The run home
Rd 19: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 20: Sydney Swans (SCG)
Rd 21: Melbourne (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 22: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 23: Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium)

11. Melbourne

28 points (seven wins, 10 losses) 100.8 per cent

Melbourne won every stat that mattered on Saturday – except for the scoreboard and the losing streak to West Coast at Domain Stadium is now 14 years. The loss put paid to any sort of hope of the Demons mounting an unlikely finals bid, but in 12 months time they win that game comfortably.

The run home
Rd 19: Gold Coast (MCG)
Rd 20: Hawthorn (MCG)
Rd 21: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 22: Carlton (MCG)
Rd 23: Geelong (Simonds Stadium)

12. Collingwood

28 points (seven wins, 10 losses) 89.9 per cent

The numbers suggest the faintest of finals hopes, but we can put a fork through the Pies for 2016. They talked up a fierce opening to the game against North on Friday night, but then yielded a five-goal lead in the blink of an eye. That's three years straight out of the finals for the Magpies meaning Nathan Buckley will be coaching for his football life in 2017. 

The run home
Rd 19: West Coast (MCG)
Rd 20: Richmond (MCG)
Rd 21: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: Gold Coast (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 23: Hawthorn (MCG)

13. Richmond

28 points (seven wins, 10 losses) 85.4 per cent

Thanks for joining us in 2016, Tigers. See you next year.

The run home
Rd 19: GWS (Manuka Oval)
Rd 20: Collingwood (MCG)
Rd 21: Geelong (MCG)
Rd 22: St Kilda (MCG)
Rd 23: Sydney Swans (SCG)