It might have taken until Round 17, but we can finally begin to rule some of the mid-table teams out of finals contention, and with September drawing nearer, each club's run home will be considered in all future editions of ESPN's AFL Power Rankings.
There has been a shake-up of the top four after Sydney shocked the Giants, while Melbourne's cash grab up in the Northern Territory may have ironically cost them a shot at a home final.
There was an 'eight-point' game on the weekend, with Essendon keeping their finals hopes alive at the expense of St Kilda's top eight spot, while a bit further down, the Dogs need to just keep winning if they still dream of playing in September.
The Hawks can now all but rule themselves out of the race - as can the wasteful Dockers - while Collingwood's bizarre season continued with a meaningless win over a stagnant Gold Coast outfit.
Interestingly, however, there are four matches this week between teams which are ranked next to each other - the Cats (1) visit Adelaide (2), Richmond (5) host the Giants (4), Melbourne (7) plays Port (6) at the MCG and Fremantle (13) face the Hawks (12) in Perth.
1. Geelong
Last week: 2 (up 1)
Round 17: defeated Hawthorn by 3 points
What's that? Geelong have surged top of the Power Rankings after beating a mid-table Hawthorn by just three points? In short, yes, but remember, the Hawks have beaten the Crows, drawn with the Giants and have beaten the Swans in the last couple of months - the other three sides in the rankings' top four. The Cats are second on the ladder with the third best percentage in the league, and their run home is encouraging to say the least. In addition to playing cellar-dwellers Carlton and Collingwood, the Cats also play three of their last four down at the Cattery (where they are undefeated this year).
Next: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval, Friday 7:20pm local)
2. Adelaide
Last week: 3 (up 1)
Round 17: defeated Melbourne by 46 points
Saturday night was a great result for the Crows, especially considering the Demons gave up a home game to host Adelaide in Darwin. A 46-point win was enough for them to stay top of the ladder, while the win also boosted their excellent percentage. The Crows have a mixed bag of matches to finish the year; three of the six are at home - though one will be a Showdown, and the last month will certainly test their mettle. After meeting the Pies at the MCG in Round 19, Adelaide will host the Power, travel to play the Bombers, host the rampant Swans and travel west to play the Eagles.
Next: Geelong (Adelaide Oval, Friday 7:20pm local)
3. Sydney
Last week: 4 (up 1)
Round 17: defeated GWS by 13 points
Could Sydney legitimately run the table after losing to Hawthorn in Round 10? After starting the year 0-6, the Swans could seemingly finish the year with 15 wins from their following 16 matches. After they took control late in their match against cross-town rivals GWS on Saturday night, Sydney must now enter premiership calculations. Their run home doesn't post too many problems either; of their remaining six matches, just two are against current top-eight sides, though both of those will be on the road (against Geelong and Adelaide).
Next: St Kilda (SCG, Saturday 7:25pm local)
4. Greater Western Sydney
Last week: 1 (down 3)
Round 17: lost to Sydney by 13 points
Let's get one thing clear, the Giants haven't fallen three spots on the back of a 13-point loss to the Swannies. Look at their past month of football: they've had just one win, played in two draws and have now copped a loss. Extend that by another week (when they lost to Carlton) and it's one win, two losses and two draws. It's not panic stations yet, as everyone understands they're undermanned and slowly regaining players, but this week's match against the Tigers just became vitally important for the Giants' top-two hopes. After the Tigers, GWS play the Dockers and Demons at home, the Dogs at Etihad, the Eagles at home and the Cats down in Geelong.
Next: Richmond (MCG, Sunday 1:10pm local)
5. Richmond
Last week: 6 (up 1)
Round 17: defeated Brisbane by 31 points
Richmond were made to work for the four points on Sunday, but the victory keeps them on track for comfortable top eight finish. Die-hards might have hoped for a bigger win against the last-placed Lions considering Richmond's middle-of-the-pack percentage, but in such an even season, take the win and run with it. The Tigers have somewhat of a tough run home, too. After they play the Giants in Melbourne this week, they travel to the Gold Coast, followed by games against Hawthorn at the MCG, Geelong at the Cattery, Fremantle in Perth and St Kilda at the MCG to round out the season. If Richmond are serious about a late surge for the top four, matches against the Giants, Cats and Saints are must-wins.
Next: GWS (MCG, Sunday 1:10pm local)
6. Port Adelaide
Last week: 7 (up 1)
Round 17: defeated North Melbourne by 70 points
Remarkably, Port Adelaide are just one win behind GWS on the AFL ladder. The Power are fourth without having beaten a legitimate contender, but with their superior percentage (second to only Adelaide), they'll be confident of wrapping up at least one home final considering their pedestrian end to the year. Port have three home and three away games remaining, but with one of those away games being against the Crows in Adelaide, it means the Power play four of the last six at their home ground. The last three are all incredibly winnable and could shape Port's finals series, with matches against Collingwood (home), the Dogs (away) and the Suns (home) to conclude season 2017.
Next: Melbourne (MCG, Saturday 2:10pm local)
7. Melbourne
Last week: 5 (down 2)
Round 17: lost to Adelaide by 46 points
Financial situation aside, surely the Demons decline to extend the contract they signed to play in the Northern Territory post 2018. Melbourne were demolished by the Crows, but had this match been played at the 'G, it could have been a very different result. If future seasons are going to be just as hotly-contested as 2017, home advantage becomes vital and selling matches is a sure-fire way to squander one's opportunities. To finish the year, Melbourne play Port at the MCG, the Kangaroos (in Tasmania), the Giants in Canberra and St Kilda at the MCG before a couple of easier games against Brisbane and Collingwood to finish the year.
Next: Port Adelaide (MCG, Saturday 2:10pm local)
8. West Coast
Last week: 9 (up 1)
Round 17: defeated Fremantle by 30 points
West Coast are not only eighth in the rankings, they're also eighth on the ladder after a 30-point win in the Derby on Sunday. While solid, the win wasn't as convincing as what many would have hoped for, and could almost have been disastrous had Freo converted their patches of dominance onto the scoreboard. With a mediocre percentage heading into the last month and a half of footy, finals are still on the cards but not guaranteed for the Eagles; they'll need to pick up the pace against Collingwood, Brisbane, St Kilda and Carlton before a gruelling fortnight consisting of an away game to Greater Western Sydney and a home closer against the ladder-leading Crows.
Next: Collingwood (Etihad Stadium, Sunday 3:20pm local)
9. Essendon
Last week: 11 (up 2)
Round 17: defeated St Kilda by 61 points
Last week, we described the Dons as a 'curious case', and they've certainly lived up to that tag again after their win over the Saints. Essendon were irresistible, moving the ball freely and scoring at will against a side which did exactly the same thing to Richmond not a week prior. Importantly for the Bombers, the win keeps them in touch with the top eight, and with the league's sixth-best percentage, it is wins like these which could mean the difference come Round 23. With games against the Kangaroos, Blues, Suns and Dockers nestled in among tougher fixtures against the Dogs and the Crows (both at Etihad), the Bombers could yet be finals bound.
Next: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium, Saturday 1:45pm local)
10. St Kilda
Last week: 8 (down 2)
Round 17: lost to Essendon by 61 points
It's fair to say that St Kilda have performed a full '180' in a matter of just two weeks. After completely pantsing Richmond, the Saints reversed the form to go down to the Bombers by 61 points under Friday night lights - leaving coach Alan Richardson bemused to say the least. A big loss like that makes it a little tougher for the Saints; currently ninth on the ladder, they're just one win ahead of the Bombers now but Essendon's superior percentage means Friday's loss could become very costly in coming weeks. The Saints have a tough month of footy, too, with back-back road trips to the SCG and Adelaide Oval (to play the Power) before playing West Coast at Etihad Stadium and Melbourne at the MCG.
Next: Sydney (SCG, Saturday 7:25pm local)
11. Western Bulldogs
Last week: 12 (up 1)
Round 17: defeated Carlton by 20 points
For the Bulldogs, it doesn't matter how they win, so long as they just keep winning. With eight victories and eight losses, the Dogs sit 11th on both the ladder and in the rankings, and they're probably the lowest side which could still (realistically) make finals. They're just one win out of the eight, but their percentage isn't good enough, meaning they'll need to catch up by a further two matches to stand any chance of featuring in September. Their task is made harder by the fact they'll have to beat GWS, Port and Hawthorn in the last three weeks (with the Port game to be played in Ballarat).
Next: Gold Coast (Cazaly's Stadium, Saturday 4:35pm local)
12. Hawthorn
Last week: 10 (down 2)
Round 17: lost to Geelong by 3 points
If the Western Bulldogs are the lowest team which can still make the finals, then Hawthorn are the highest ranked side which can't make the finals. Ultimately, it was the draw with GWS and the weekend's narrow loss to Geelong which have ended the Hawks' finals hopes. With matches against the Swans, Tigers and Dogs among their last six, Hawthorn looks done and dusted. Credit to them, however, as they were completely written off by many a couple of months ago.
Next: Fremantle (Domain Stadium, Saturday 5:40pm local)
13. Fremantle
Last week: 13 (no change)
Round 17: lost to West Coast by 30 points
It was Fremantle's poor kicking which sealed their fate for 2017. At three-quarter time in the Western Derby, the Dockers had kicked 3.13 to West Coast's 9.6 - registering more scoring shots than the Eagles only to trail by 29 points. It sums up Freo's season, really. They looked the goods in the middle part of the year, only to let themselves down and rule themselves out of contention. They may struggle to win more than one more game for the rest of the year, too, with matches against the Hawks, Giants, Suns, Swans, Tigers and Bombers to finish the season.
Next: Hawthorn (Domain Stadium, Saturday 5:40pm local)
14. Collingwood
Last week: 16 (up 2)
Round 17: defeated Gold Coast by 15 points
Yet again, it seems, Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley can take a deep breath after his side squeezed out a 15-point win over Gold Coast. While Collingwood's September dreams are well-and-truly over, there were some good signs. The Pies were able to control the ball out of the middle against the AFL's best centre clearance side, while Darcy Moore kicked another two goals in another step forward for his career. They're not without a chance this week, the Pies, when the up-and-down Eagles come to town.
Next: West Coast (Etihad Stadium, Sunday 3:20pm local)
15. Gold Coast
Last week: 15 (no change)
Round 17: lost to Collingwood by 15 points
Gold Coast slipped into the bottom four on the ladder this week with another disappointing home loss - this time to Collingwood. However, it's unfair to judge the Suns in the same way we do for the Pies, as Gold Coast only started their list clean-out in last year's offseason, drafting in some talented young kids who will take time to develop. On a positive note, Jarryd Lyons continues to show why he's one of the recruits of the year, while Tom Lynch and Peter Wright kicked five between them after a few dry weeks.
Next: Western Bulldogs (Cazaly's Stadium, Saturday 4:35pm local)
16. Carlton
Last week: 14 (down 2)
Round 17: lost to Western Bulldogs by 20 points
After being a relatively healthy side for most of the year, injuries have caught up with the Blues, who were undermanned in their loss to the Bulldogs. It may seem harsh, but it was probably this young side's worst loss since the Port Adelaide debacle earlier in the year, but it shows just how far they've come when you're talking about a 20-point defeat to the reigning premiers. As has been the case in previous years, the Blues have some tough decisions to make about their list going forward; for many, these last six weeks are about saving careers.
Next: Brisbane (Gabba, Sunday 4:40pm local)
17. North Melbourne
Last week: 17 (no change)
Round 17: lost to Port Adelaide by 70 points
There isn't much to say about North's 70-point loss except the recruiting team has a truckload of work to do to lure out-of-contract Giant Josh Kelly to Arden Street. Once again, it was the usual suspects who were among the Roos' bests - Ben Cunnington (33 touches) and Ben Brown (three goals) led the way, but contributions from experienced heads like Todd Goldstein (zero marks, 22 hit-outs to Paddy Ryder's five marks and 37 hit-outs) were well down. The Roos are going to need to be bold this offseason.
Next: Essendon (Etihad Stadium, Saturday 1:45pm local)
18. Brisbane
Last week: 18 (no change)
Round 17: lost to Richmond by 31 points
After last week's capitulation at the hands of Geelong, a 31-point road loss to the Tigers wasn't a bad effort from the Lion cubs. Brisbane didn't fade away in the last quarter, kicking six goals to Richmond's seven, showing that they can run-out games against good opposition. Josh Schache and Eric Hipwood were good for two goals each, while Alex Witherden (28 touches) and Dan McStay (10 marks) were also impressive. The Lions have a real chance to snag a win this week when Carlton visits the Gabba, as the Blues are injury-plagued and down on confidence.
Next: Carlton (Gabba, Sunday 4:40pm local)