Ten teams don’t fit into eight finals places, and this is the sharp reality for Essendon, Melbourne and Geelong heading into the last round of the 2024 AFLW season.
In the race for that last spot in the eight, there are also potential implications on the top four, and it all starts on Friday evening.
The Cats must jag a win over Adelaide on Friday to remain in contention, and should that happen, the Crows could very well drop out of the top four. Fremantle could earn the double chance itself in this case, with a win over the Western Bulldogs in the final match of the round.
To kick off Saturday’s games, Melbourne could keep its own season alive with a win over Collingwood – which would end Geelong’s hopes.
This will then put all the pressure on Essendon come Saturday evening.
With Melbourne’s win, the Bombers are expected to beat traditional rival Carlton to maintain their current finals position, breaking the Demons and Cats’ hearts in the process.
Port Adelaide has been tipped to reach its first finals series, with a sixth consecutive win in the last round of the season, while an expected Richmond loss to the Hawks has it giving up the home ground advantage come finals.
