With only four minor rounds to play, the race for the final eight appears to be back to 11 teams.

And the jostling for spots in the top six - and in particular the top four - seems set to continue all the way to the last games of the regular season.

Current ladder leader Sydney will hold top spot if it wins three of its last four games, but faces top-four hopefuls Collingwood, Hawthorn and Geelong in the next month.

Adelaide probably needs to least two more wins to be secure in the top four, while if the Crows win every game they will be a contender for top spot and should be secure in the top two.

Collingwood will need to beat Sydney on Saturday night (in Sydney) if it is to challenge for top spot but even if they lose, the Magpies are likely to remain in the mix for second spot.

The winner of Friday night’s game in Perth between Geelong (6th) and West Coast (5th) will stay in the fight for a top-four berth but the loser will then be under pressure from a group of teams chasing the remaining top eight positions.

Mathematically, St Kilda and Carlton can still climb into the eight but would almost certainly need to win all their remaining games, while relying on other results.

The top two teams secure games at home in the first week of the finals, with the minor premiers playing the fourth-ranked team and the second team taking on third.

Win or lose, the top two sides also play at home in their next game, whether it is the semi-final or preliminary final.

The run home:
Sydney (15 wins, 3 losses):  Collingwood, Western Bulldogs (away), Hawthorn, Geelong (away)
Adelaide (14-4): Fremantle, Brisbane (away), Melbourne (away), Gold Coast
Collingwood (14: 4): Sydney (away), North Melbourne, West Coast Eagles (away), Essendon
Hawthorn (13-5): Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, Sydney (away), West Coast
West Coast (12-6): Geelong, Port Adelaide (away), Collingwood, Hawthorn (away)
Geelong (12-6): West Coast (away), St Kilda, Western Bulldogs, Sydney
North Melbourne (11-7): Essendon, Collingwood, Fremantle, GWS (away)
Essendon (11-7): North Melbourne, Carlton, Richmond, Collingwood
Fremantle (11-7):  Adelaide (away), Richmond, North Melbourne, Melbourne

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