1. Greater Western Sydney
42 points (10 wins, three losses, one draw) 119.3 per cent
Leon Cameron won't have the Giants looking any further ahead than Saturday in Tasmania, where the Hawks are never an easy out. But we are and consider this the start of our petition to the AFL to have the round 23 rematch between the Giants and Cats played on a Monday night down at Geelong in a marquee standalone match to close out the season. You have the flexibility, so use it.
The run home
Rd 16: Hawthorn (University of Tasmania Stadium)
Rd 17: Sydney (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 18: Richmond (MCG)
Rd 19: Fremantle (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 20: Melbourne (Manuka Oval)
Rd 21: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: West Coast (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 23: Geelong (Simonds Stadium)
2. Adelaide
40 points (10 wins, four losses) 135.5 per cent
Not all that convincing in stages on Saturday, but you suspect Don Pyke would have been pleased with how the Crows responded when challenged by Carlton. That's also two wins from two MCG visits this year with another still to come. A few other non-Victorian teams would love as many trips to the home of football.
The run home
Rd 16: Western Bulldogs (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 17: Melbourne (TIO Stadium)
Rd 18: Geelong (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 19: Collingwood (MCG)
Rd 20: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 21: Essendon (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: Sydney (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 23: West Coast (Domain Stadium)
3. Geelong
38 points (nine wins, four losses, 1 draw) 113.3 per cent
Usually a draw means percentage no longer counts for anything but there is every change the Cats will be dueling the Giants for a top-two berth come the end of the season, so percentage might yet come into play. The season finale between them should really be something, but the Cats have a stack of big games coming up in the meantime, starting with the Crows on the road in three weeks.
The run home
Rd 16: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 17: Hawthorn (MCG)
Rd 18: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 19: Carlton (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 20: Sydney (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 21: Richmond (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 22: Collingwood (MCG)
Rd 23: GWS (Simonds Stadium)
The Giants and Cats played out a thrilling draw. Picture: AFL Photos
4. Richmond
36 points (nine wins, five losses) 112.2 per cent
The Tigers are in the top four and deservedly so. They have played better for some of their wins this year, but the one over Port was hard to beat for grit and determination. The Saints will test them at Etihad on Saturday, but the Giants clash at the MCG a fortnight after that will be most illustrative.
The run home
Rd 16: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 17: Brisbane Lions (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 18: GWS (MCG)
Rd 19: Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium)
Rd 20: Hawthorn (MCG)
Rd 21: Geelong (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 22: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 23: St Kilda (MCG)
5. Port Adelaide
32 points (eight wins, six losses) 131.7
Applying the logic that Port can't beat any teams inside the top eight, we have the Power likely to win five of their remaining eight games. The losses, of course, will be to West Coast next week, Melbourne in round 20 and the Crows a fortnight after that.
The run home
Rd 16: West Coast (Domain Stadium)
Rd 17: North Melbourne (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 18: Melbourne (MCG)
Rd 19: St Kilda (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 20: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 21: Collingwood (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 22: Western Bulldogs (Eureka Stadium)
Rd 23: Gold Coast (Adelaide Oval)
Can the Power still make the finals? Picture: AFL Photos
6. Melbourne
32 points (eight wins, six losses) 110.8 per cent
In hindsight, not a totally surprising result against the Swans given the three consecutive six-day breaks that preceded it. The next challenge for the Demons to negotiate is a four-week block that includes trips to Darwin, Canberra and Hobart. Not that this will faze them given how well they have already played in Adelaide and Perth this year. But they likely might have to get through some or all of that stretch without key midfielders Nathan Jones, Jack Viney and Dom Tyson.
The run home
Rd 16: Carlton (MCG)
Rd 17: Adelaide (TIO Stadium)
Rd 18: Port Adelaide (MCG)
Rd 19: North Melbourne (Blundstone Arena)
Rd 20: GWS (Manuka Oval)
Rd 21: St Kilda (MCG)
Rd 22: Brisbane Lions (MCG)
Rd 23: Collingwood (MCG)
7. West Coast
32 points (eight wins, six losses) 102.6 per cent
As good a win as the Eagles have had all year and the flight back to Perth would have been festive on Saturday evening. But nothing will likely come too easily for West Coast for the rest of the season save, perhaps for when the Brisbane Lions come to town in round 19.
The run home
Rd 16: Port Adelaide (Domain Stadium)
Rd 17: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 18: Collingwood (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 19: Brisbane Lions (Domain Stadium)
Rd 20: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 21: Carlton (Domain Stadium)
Rd 22: GWS (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 23: Adelaide (Domain Stadium)
8. St Kilda
32 points (eight wins, six losses), 98.8 points
One of the gutsiest wins of the Alan Richardson era elevates the Saints back into the eight and deservedly so. Maddie's Match against Richmond next Saturday night will be a beauty – meaningful off the ground and critically important for both clubs on the ground. It could go either way, which you could say about every match for the Saints between now and the end of the year.
The run home
Rd 16: Richmond (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 17: Essendon (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 18: Sydney (SCG)
Rd 19: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 20: West Coast (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 21: Melbourne (MCG)
Rd 22: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 23: Richmond (MCG)
9. Sydney
28 points (seven wins, seven losses), 108.0 per cent
How could you not be excited by Sydney's barnstorming run from 0-6 to touching distance of the top eight? On current form, there is no better team in the competition. But the Swans' finals fate probably rests on away games against GWS, Hawthorn, Geelong and Adelaide. Win two of those and they play finals. The derby clash in two weeks will be a beauty.
The run home
Rd 16: Gold Coast (SCG)
Rd 17: GWS (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 18: St Kilda (SCG)
Rd 19: Hawthorn (MCG)
Rd 20: Geelong (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 21: Fremantle (SCG)
Rd 22: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 23: Carlton (SCG)
10. Western Bulldogs
28 points (seven wins, seven losses) 96.6 per cent
If this wasn't such an even season, we'd be just about putting a fork through the Western Bulldogs for 2017. But they are almost playing for their season Friday night away to the Crows in Adelaide. What does Luke Beveridge have left in his bag of tricks?
The run home
Rd 16: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 17: Carlton (MCG)
Rd 18: Gold Coast (Cazalys Stadium)
Rd 19: Essendon (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 20: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 21: GWS (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: Port Adelaide (Eureka Stadium)
Rd 23: Hawthorn (Etihad Stadium)
11. Essendon
24 points (six wins, eight losses) 101.8 per cent
Dreadful loss to the Brisbane Lions on Sunday after leading by 27 points early in the final quarter. The Bombers could easily win more than they lose from here and their best footy is sublime. But good teams don't get overrun by the Lions. Not yet anyway.
The run home
Rd 16: Collingwood (MCG)
Rd 17: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 18: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 19: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 20: Carlton (MCG)
Rd 21: Adelaide (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium)
Rd 23: Fremantle (Etihad Stadium)
12. Gold Coast
24 points (six wins, eight losses) 89.0 per cent
Hopes are still flickering and as long as Gary Ablett is racking up 30 touches a game and if Tom Lynch's return to form is more than a one-week phenomenon then the Suns will be competitive this week. Rocket Eade returns to his old stomping ground this week and would give anything to spoil the Sydney party.
The run home
Rd 16: Sydney (SCG)
Rd 17: Collingwood (Metricon Stadium)
Rd 18: Western Bulldogs (Cazalys Stadium)
Rd 19: Richmond (Metricon Stadium)
Rd 20: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 21: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 22: Essendon (Metricon Stadium)
Rd 23: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
13. Hawthorn
24 points (six weeks, eight losses), 82.5 per cent
Cyril Rioli is the bellwether at the Hawks. If he comes back, the Hawks then would think they're a chance at playing finals; if not, they'll put him on ice till next season and keep playing the kids, which has served them very nicely the last two weeks. For the record, he's still four to six weeks away as his PCL heals slowly. In the meantime, the Hawks are surely a sneaky chance of beating the Giants in Tassie next week.
The run home
Rd 16: GWS (University of Tasmania Stadium)
Rd 17: Geelong (MCG)
Rd 18: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 19: Sydney (MCG)
Rd 20: Richmond (MCG)
Rd 21: North Melbourne (University of Tasmania Stadium)
Rd 22: Carlton (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 23: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium)
Hawthorn's finals hopes are alive and kicking. Picture: AFL Photos
14. Fremantle
24 points (six wins, eight losses) 80.3 per cent
Freo is in a bit of a free fall now, and a loss away to 17th-placed North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium next Sunday could draw the curtains on the season. But if Michael Walters can keep putting on a masterclass of small-forward play as he did on Sunday against the Saints, then you'd want to keep watching the Dockers.
The run home
Rd 16: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 17: West Coast (Domain Stadium)
Rd 18: Hawthorn (Domain Stadium)
Rd 19: GWS (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 20: Gold Coast (Domain Stadium)
Rd 21: Sydney (SCG)
Rd 22: Richmond (Domain Stadium)
Rd 23: Essendon (Etihad Stadium)
15. Collingwood
20 points (five wins, nine losses) 97.1 per cent
It's down to winning every game from here for the Pies, which won't be happening in 2017. They might not even be a "good ordinary side" as Jack Dyer used to say.
The run home
Rd 16: Essendon (MCG)
Rd 17: Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium)
Rd 18: West Coast (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 19: Adelaide (MCG)
Rd 20: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 21: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 22: Geelong (MCG)
Rd 23: Melbourne (MCG)
16. Carlton
20 points (five wins, nine losses) 82.1 per cent
We're down to mathematical chances only for the Blues. Close enough, but not quite yet good enough is the best way to describe them after losses to top-eight clubs Richmond and Adelaide the last fortnight. They need to score more heavily.
The run home
Rd 16: Melbourne (MCG)
Rd 17: Western Bulldogs (MCG)
Rd 18: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 19: Geelong (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 20: Essendon (MCG)
Rd 21: West Coast (Domain Stadium)
Rd 22: Hawthorn (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 23: Sydney (SCG)
