Running home after round 9, who will make the top eight and finals, North Melbourne minor premiers, analysis, match, latest news

With one final round of the AFLW season remaining in the home and away season, the battle for the home qualifying final, double chances and the all-important eighth place is at its peak.

The top favorite is almost certain to claim its first minor premiership, while only one of the three teams can tie the top eight this weekend in what should be an epic finale.

Below, foxfooty.com.au looks at the final weekend of football before the finals and what it looks like for your team.

Watch every game of the NAB AFL Women’s Premiership season live without ad breaks during play on Kayo. New to Cayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

1. NORTH MELBOURNE (9-1-0, 299.5%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Gold Coast at Arden Street

The Kangaroos look almost certain to secure the minor premiership this weekend against 17th-placed Gold Coast. Clearly the best team this season, Darren Crocker’s side are now in pole position to make up for last year’s grand final heartbreak – and they could go all the way without missing a game this season.

2. Hawthorn (9-1, 192.7%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Richmond at Punt Road

Win and the Hawks will secure the top two places in this season’s finals, a remarkable turnaround in form for their third season in the AFLW. Lose and their fate in the home qualifying final will be decided by the Lions, who play two hours before Hawthorn take to the park against sixth-place Richmond. Like their men’s team, the Hawks have shown rapid growth in 2024 and are genuine premiership hopes at the end of the finals. In addition, the Brown and Gold could win the McClelland Trophy this weekend, an award given to the club with the best season for both men and women combined.

3. BRISBANE (8-2, 184.7%)

Remaining games

Week 10: St Kilda at Moorabbin

Brisbane’s 68-point win over Sydney on Sunday night all but ended a double chance of reaching this season’s finals. Only a shock defeat to St Kilda and two wins against Adelaide and Fremantle saw them slip out of the top four, and a Dockers win would have been a big one. Craig Starcevic’s side could finish second if Hawthorn lose against Richmond this weekend; but this seems more unlikely than probable. Last season’s premiers appear to be in a good position to practice back-to-back games.

4. ADELAIDE (7-3, 179.8%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Geelong at GMHBA Stadium

Coming off an eight-point defeat to table-topping Kangaroos last Friday night, the Crows must still qualify for the final with a double chance – but there are no guarantees against in-form Geelong, who beat Brisbane just two rounds ago. The Crows don’t actually go lower than sixth with the defeat, but if they are to truly clinch their fourth AFLW premiership, you feel they need that double chance.

5. FREMANTLE (7-3, 133.7%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Western Bulldogs at Fremantle Oval

Fremantle’s back-to-back wins now entitle them to a double chance – but if the win over the Bulldogs this weekend is anything less than that, they will have to hope Adelaide lose to the Cats by a noticeable margin. this means that their percentage is lower than that of dock workers. The last time the Purple Army played the Bulldogs in S7 was over two years ago and lost by three points. If history repeats itself, they could drop as low as seventh if both Richmond and Port Adelaide win.

6. RICHMOND (6-1-3, 144%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Hawthorn on Punt Road

The eleven-hour chase for a double chance is still ongoing in Tigerland despite a draw with Essendon last week. Ryan Ferguson’s side will know on Sunday afternoon whether their top four hopes are still alive if they pull off an upset win at Hawthorn. If the Crows lose to Geelong and win against Richmond, it will all depend on whether Fremantle win later that evening. In fact, they shouldn’t fall below seventh place – and they certainly won’t be able to miss the final, even if they lose badly.

7. PORT ADELAIDE (6-4, 120.5%)

Remaining games

Week 10: GWS at Alberton Oval

The Power’s 2024 season got off to a slow start but they did well to progress to the final by almost two feet – thanks largely to their five-game unbeaten winning streak. They have finished 15th and 17th in their first two seasons in the AFLW and this looks set to be their first finals series – barring an incomprehensibly big defeat to GWS. And The monster beats both Essendon and Melbourne.

8. ESSENDON (5-1-4, 94.3%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Carlton at Ikon Park

The Bombers’ draw with Richmond last week made the final round of the home-and-away season very interesting. Win and they play the final. Lose and they could absolutely fall out of the top eight if Geelong or Melbourne win (with the latter needing a big win). Their percentage makes them particularly vulnerable to the Cats, but there is a world in which Essendon would still get eight if they (and Geelong) lose but Melbourne win. This weekend will by no means be a walk in the park against Carlton, but they should be favorites to take their destiny into their own hands.

9. MELBOURNE (5-5, 75.1%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Collingwood at Ikon Park

The Demons’ one-goal loss to Hawthorn at the weekend significantly reduced their chances of reaching the final. Fortunately for them, their percentage must won’t matter this weekend – unless the Bombers draw with Carlton and the Dis win. Melbourne need to pick up four points against the bottom-of-the-table Magpies, but unfortunately they need the Bombers to sneak past the Blues to have any chance of qualifying for the finals .

10. GEELONG (4-1-5, 111.4%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Adelaide at GMHBA Stadium

Geelong’s chances of finishing in the top eight at the end of the season home and away depend entirely on an Essendon defeat or a Melbourne draw/loss. They also take on the Crows Blinds on Friday night and will need a win to at least temporarily move into eighth place until the Bombers and Melbourne play. Ironically, it was the Cats’ two-point defeat to the Demons in the opening week of the season that could come back to bite them and, conversely, give Melbourne the points they need to make it on their own.

11. ST KILDA (4–6, 103%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Brisbane to Moorabbin

The Saints are officially out of the finals race after a heartbreaking one-point defeat to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday and have now lost six of their last seven games.

12. WEST COAST (4–6, 67.1%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Sydney at Henson Park

The Eagles are officially out of the finals race after a fourth straight loss over the weekend.

13. WESTERN BULLDOGS (4-6, 63.4%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Fremantle at Fremantle Park

The Bulldogs have not been in the finals since the end of week seven, but have won two games in a row since then.

14. CARLTON (4–6, 51.3%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Essendon at Ikon Park

The Blues’ finals hopes ended last weekend after losing to the Bulldogs by 33 points, but a win this Saturday night could spoil the party for eighth-placed Essendon.

15. SYDNEY (2–8, 62.9%)

Remaining games

Week 10: West Coast at Henson Park

The Swans’ last win came in week four against cross-town rivals GWS, but unfortunately they have been several games out of the finals race.

16. DHW (1-1-8, 68%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Port Adelaide, Alberton Oval

The Giants’ only win came in the first round against the Bulldogs and, like their rivals Sydney, they were out of the finals competition for several weeks.

17. GOLD COAST (1-1-8, 60.3%)

Remaining games

Week 10: North Melbourne at Arden Street

The Suns have played a lot of close games this season, but unfortunately, almost none of them have been successful. Their only win this season came against the Swans two weeks ago, with the club’s season ending in a very different way to their fifth-place finish in 2023.

18. COLLINGWOOD (1-9, 45.5%)

Remaining games

Week 10: Melbourne at Ikon Park

The Magpies’ only win came against Gold Coast in week five, a change from last season where they won 50 per cent of their matches.