Fremantle could come away from Round 24 with more than just four premiership points should they see out their home and away campaign with a win over Port Adelaide.
The two clubs will battle in Perth in the final full weekend of August, with both sides currently right in the finals mix and likely to at least be in reaching distance come the last nine-game block of a 207-game fixture.
The Dockers - currently perched on the fourth rung of the AFL ladder with five matches remaining- have some way to go before securing a September return given they sit just 10 points ahead of 13th place.
Port Adelaide sit in that bracket of clubs, being two points off Fremantle in seventh, with a loss this Friday to Carlton potentially seeing them fall as low as 11th by the cessation of Round 20.
Between their bouts with the Blues and Dockers, the Power face Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide to make up their run home, with the latter perhaps the most daunting despite it being their only contest not against a club in the thick of the finals logjam.
With Port Adelaide's finals prospects potentially coming down to their season finale against Fremantle, who may also enter the game with much on the line, the contest is shaping to be one of the most anticipated in the concluding few weeks of a congested campaign.
But an added layer to the clash is the ramifications the result will have on Fremantle's draft hand, with the Dockers holding onto Port Adelaide's first-round pick following a deal between the two parties last off-season.
Currently valued at Pick 12, should the Power slide as low as 13th on the ladder, the Dockers would walk away from the deal with a top six selection. They could land the final blow to Ken Hinkley's pursuit for a spot in the finals frame when the two clubs meet in Round 24.
In the one result, the Dockers may cement themselves a top four finish and an early draft pick to see out their home and away season. Fremantle couldn't take advantage in the corresponding fixture between the two clubs in Round 5, falling to the Power by three points at Adelaide Oval.
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A win for the Power in Round 24, which could keep their season alive, may also mean the Dockers' potential Pick 6 selection slides back beyond Pick 12, with a deep finals run making it closer to the late teens.
But Port Adelaide's demise isn't the only downfall Fremantle will be praying for over the final five matches, with the Dockers also holding Collingwood's first-round selection after a 2023 deal that saw them reluctantly part ways with Lachie Schultz to the reigning premiers.
However, unlike Fremantle's potential knockout punch for the Power, the Magpies have done most of the damage themselves this season - sitting in 13th position with eight wins from their 18 matches.
With their run home arguably as hard as that of Port Adelaide's, Collingwood could be the ones to hand Fremantle Pick 6, while the Power's selection may not trail by much on the draft board. A near-perfect situation might unfold for Fremantle, who could book themselves a second chance come September while also pocketing two top 10 draft selections.
The aforementioned Showdown could be a match Fremantle fans look forward to most, with Adelaide potentially putting themselves in a spot to usurp Collingwood's in 13th and doubly lower the Power's standing with a win over their cross-town rivals. The Crows currently sit six points off the Magpies and have the time to surpass the reigning premiers before the season is over.
Gold Coast join Fremantle in holding strong hopes for a particular rival's fall, with the Suns in possession of the Western Bulldogs' opening draft pick for November's intake - currently Pick 10.
The Dogs could fall as many as four spots on the ladder by the end of this week, which would see the Suns then holding Pick 6 for the time being. Luke Beveridge's side are scheduled to face Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in the next three weeks - three sides which also have Port Adelaide over the home stretch, proving to be key contributors in how the draft order is shaped.
The Western Bulldogs' final fortnight sees them face North Melbourne and GWS, with the latter to come in Round 24 and could very likely be the difference between a top six pick and a selection in the teens for the Suns.
The Carrara club has their own role to play in damaging the Dogs' rise, being one win off the ninth-placed contenders and able to leap past them on the ladder in the final few weeks.
Gold Coast have a third first-round pick for the opening night of this year's draft, which was passed on from North Melbourne from their compensation package. That selection will remain at 20th overall until free agency compensation and draft bidding likely push it back further.
The Swans secured the other end-of-first-round pick from the Roos, with that selection held at Pick 19.