7. North Melbourne
40 points (10 wins, four losses), 116.6 per cent
No team needed the bye more than the Kangas, who set such a hot pace early, before dropping four of their last five games. They resume with an away clash with West Coast and still have four more games against top eight clubs to come after that. The buffer they bought themselves with their 9-0 start is gone, but they'll be happy to have midfielder Daniel Wells back for this week and hopefully thereafter. He has become their barometer.
The run home
Rd 16: West Coast (Domain Stadium)
Rd 17: Port Adelaide (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 18: Collingwood (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 19: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 20: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 21: Hawthorn (MCG)
Rd 22: Sydney Swans (Blundstone Arena)
Rd 23: GWS (Etihad Stadium)
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1. Hawthorn
44 points (11 wins, three losses) 119.6 per cent
The Hawks find themselves a game clear on top of the ladder by doing nothing more arduous this weekend than flopping on the couch and cheering home the Western Bulldogs. But the quest for the four-peat resumes in earnest now with back-to-back road trips to bogey team Port Adelaide followed by the Sydney Swans, both on a Thursday night. Win one and a top four finish is likely; win both and they should finish top two.
The run home
Rd 16: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 17: Sydney Swans (SCG)
Rd 18: Richmond (MCG)
Rd 19: Carlton (Aurora Stadium)
Rd 20: Melbourne (MCG)
Rd 21: North Melbourne (MCG)
Rd 22: West Coast (Domain Stadium)
Rd 23: Collingwood (MCG)
2. Geelong
40 points (10 wins, four losses), 139.2 per cent
A cracking Friday night game at home to the Swans coming up this week and that's good news for the Cats. They go better against their fellow top eight clubs than they do the bottom 10. At their best, the Cats could run the table from here, but even one or two stumbles should still get them into the top four. The Cats also benefit enormously from getting a second free hit at Essendon for the year, something no doubt the clubs around them would wish they have.
The run home
Rd 16: Sydney Swans (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 17: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 18: Adelaide (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 19: Western Bulldogs (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 20: Essendon (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 21: Richmond (MCG)
Rd 22: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 23: Melbourne (Simonds Stadium)
3. Greater Western Sydney
40 points (10 wins, four losses), 138.6 per cent
It is hard to see the Giants being dislodged from the top four by the end of the season. They would appear to start favourites for every game from here with the exception of the round 23 clash with North Melbourne, which even at this early stage shapes as either the club's debut Friday night football appearance or perhaps, depending on what is at stake, the Monday night game the AFL is considering to close the season. The Giants enjoy beating up on poor teams and they face several of those before the end of the season.
The run home
Rd 16: Collingwood (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 17: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 18: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 19: Richmond (Manuka Oval)
Rd 20: Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium)
Rd 21: West Coast (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 22: Fremantle (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 23:North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
4. Sydney Swans
40 points (10 wins, four losses), 137 per cent
Little wonder coach John Longmire had his face buried in his palm as the seconds counted down at the SCG on Saturday evening. The last-second loss to the Western Bulldogs was catastrophic in terms of ladder position and for their penance, the Swans simply must win at least one of their next two against the Cats and the Hawks to remain in top four contention. Their draw is reasonable after that, but the next 12 days are massive.
The run home
Rd 16: Geelong (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 17: Hawthorn (SCG)
Rd 18: Carlton (SCG)
Rd 19: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 20: Port Adelaide (SCG)
Rd 21: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: North Melbourne (Blundstone Arena)
Rd 23: Richmond (SCG)
5. Adelaide
40 points (10 wins, four losses), 128.6 per cent
We don't do power rankings here at AFL.com.au but if we did, there's no guessing who'd be No.1 with a bullet. The Pride of South Australia has won six straight games and the Crows get you with sturdy defence, ballistic ball movement through the middle and multiple avenues to goal. They're equal second on the ladder and would be top if not for that last-gasp Paul Puopolo goal back in round five. If you don't think they're premiership material, look at their remaining eight games and see where the losses are. Maybe the Cats away in round 18 and perhaps the Showdown in round 22, where form counts for nought. They're flying.
The run home
Rd 16: Carlton (MCG)
Rd 17: Collingwood (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 18: Geelong (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 19: Essendon (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 20: Brisbane Lions (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 21: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 22: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 23: West Coast (Adelaide Oval)
6. Western Bulldogs
40 points (10 wins, four losses), 118.6 per cent
A slashing win at the SCG for the second straight year breathes new life into top four hopes at the kennel that were starting to flicker. The Dogs have a challenging draw to come, including the rapidly improving Gold Coast in Cairns and a season-ending clash with Fremantle, which might be Matthew Pavlich's farewell game. So while the win in Sydney was gold, they simply can't afford to falter from here.
The run home
Rd 16: Richmond (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 17: Gold Coast (Cazalys Stadium)
Rd 18: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 19: Geelong (Simonds Stadium)
Rd 20: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 21: Collingwood (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: Essendon (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 23: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
8. West Coast
36 points (nine wins, five losses), 134.8 per cent
The Eagles have their work cut out for them. The Kangaroos and Hawks are among the visitors to their Domain fortress before the end of the year, while GWS and Adelaide are among their road trips. They also travel twice more to the MCG to face Carlton and Collingwood. To finish top four they'll need to win out at home and win at least a couple on the road. We need to be convinced they have that in them.
The run home
Rd 16: North Melbourne (Domain Stadium)
Rd 17: Carlton (MCG)
Rd 18: Melbourne (Domain Stadium)
Rd 19: Collingwood (MCG)
Rd 20: Fremantle (Domain Stadium)
Rd 21: GWS (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 22: Hawthorn (Domain Stadium)
Rd 23: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
9. Port Adelaide
28 points (seven wins, seven losses) 110.9 per cent
Since round four, Port has lost two games in a row, followed by two wins on the trot. Wash, rinse, repeat. On that basis the Power are good things to beat Hawthorn on Thursday night, given they knocked over Richmond this weekend and the Hawks twice last year. But they're going to need to string together several more consecutive wins – and quickly – if they want to bridge the eight-point between them and the top eight. At their best, they're good enough, but they don't bring the requisite intensity anywhere near often enough. A loss to the Hawks coupled with a win by West Coast over North and the Power will be three games out of the eight after next weekend. Their next meaningful game after that might be the mooted 2017 season opener in China.
The run home
Rd 16: Hawthorn (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 17: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 18: GWS (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 19: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 20: Sydney Swans (SCG)
Rd 21: Melbourne (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 22: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 23: Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium)
10. Melbourne
24 points (six wins, eight losses) 101.7 per cent
Melbourne's fleeting finals hopes were all but snuffed out by the loss to Adelaide on Sunday. The second quarter was brilliant, but the rest of the game showed the Demons not to be at finals level just yet. But here are some goals for the rest of the season:
1. Beat Hawthorn for the first time since 2006.
2. The same with St Kilda.
3. Win a game at Domain Stadium for the first time since 2004.
4. Beat Fremantle next week, so that Paul Roos has bragging rights over best mate Ross Lyon for, you know, the rest of his life.
That's how you sell hope and they're necessary steps for a team that should aim to play finals in the next two years.
The run home
Rd 16: Fremantle (TIO Stadium)
Rd 17: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 18: West Coast (Domain Stadium)
Rd 19: Gold Coast (MCG)
Rd 20: Hawthorn (MCG)
Rd 21: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 22: Carlton (MCG)
Rd 23: Geelong (Simonds Stadium)
11. Collingwood
24 points (six wins, eight losses) 90.3 per cent
We're into the realm of 'mathematical possibilities' now and the Pies remain in touch after laboring to a pair of wins over Fremantle and Carlton. They're out of town for the next fortnight against GWS and Adelaide and unless they win both, they won't be mentioned in this weekly feature for much longer. But at least we have the Travis Cloke soap opera to give us our Collingwood fix until the end of the season.
The run home
Rd 16: GWS (Spotless Stadium)
Rd 17: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
Rd 18: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 19: West Coast (MCG)
Rd 20: Richmond (MCG)
Rd 21: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: Gold Coast (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 23: Hawthorn (MCG)
12. Richmond
24 points (six wins, eight losses) 86.9 per cent
It was this round two years ago when Richmond started its barnstorming, nine-win run that ended in an improbable finals berth. But the Tigers are miles off it this year, and they know it. They're no chance to knock off the Western Bulldogs next week and a fortnight after that they face the Hawks and the Giants. That should officially do it for 2016.
The run home
Rd 16: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 17: Essendon (MCG)
Rd 18: Hawthorn (MCG)
Rd 19: GWS (Manuka Oval)
Rd 20: Collingwood (MCG)
Rd 21: Geelong (MCG)
Rd 22: St Kilda (MCG)
Rd 23: Sydney Swans (SCG)
13. St Kilda
24 points (six wins, eight losses) 85.9 per cent
Good, old St Kilda. Just as the Saints finished basking in perhaps the best win of the Alan Richardson era, they mailed it in against Gold Coast. If anything, it showed that the Saints aren't yet ready for September, but at least the good news is that they have finished travelling for the year. Six of their remaining eight games are at Etihad where they have become hard to beat, so the Western Bulldogs, North and the Swans will tread warily there before the end of the season.
The run home
Rd 16: Essendon (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 17: Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 18: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 19: North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 20: Carlton (MCG)
Rd 21: Sydney Swans (Etihad Stadium)
Rd 22: Richmond (MCG)
Rd 23: Brisbane Lions (Etihad Stadium)
14. Carlton
24 points (six wins, eight losses) 81 per cent
Congratulations Carlton. Eight games to go and you're still a mathematical chance of making the finals. That itself speaks volumes for the coaching of Brendon Bolton. But with four top eight teams on the fixture in the next four weeks, the Blues won't be featuring here for much longer.
The run home
Rd 16: Adelaide (MCG)
Rd 17: West Coast (MCG)
Rd 18: Sydney Swans (SCG)
Rd 19: Hawthorn (Aurora Stadium)
Rd 20: St Kilda (MCG)
Rd 21: Brisbane Lions (Gabba)
Rd 22: Melbourne (MCG)
Rd 23: Essendon (MCG)
