With the bye rounds now behind us and the home stretch in our sights, we've gone through each club's run to September and formed our 2024 AFL ladder prediction ahead of the final nine rounds of the season.
Our end-of-year standings could see one club - who isn't the currently favoured Swans - go undefeated from here on out, while three clubs currently residing in the top eight could miss out on finals altogether.
The competition currently has a second-placed Carlton outfit just eight points ahead of Melbourne, who sit outside the finals frame in ninth - making for an eventful and enticing run home for fans.
The Swans have one hand on the minor premiership, with the other seven finals spots potentially falling to all but three other clubs before the end of the year.
Currently on a 10-game winning streak, our predictor suggests that run will eventually snap for the Swans, with a trip north to face Brisbane in Round 19 perhaps the most likely avenue for a loss for the flag favourites.
But just one error in their run home should see John Longmire's side claim the minor premiership and host a qualifying final at the SCG.
The Lions, currently undefeated since from their past three matches, could very well go without a loss from here on out, with their clash with the Swans in Queensland and an MCG bout with Collingwood their biggest tests.
Brisbane look to be one of the biggest risers in the home stretch, potentially jumping from 10th on the ladder into the top four by the end of the season, while Hawthorn could outdo them as a potential top five outfit.
Of the sides currently in the finals picture, Geelong, Fremantle and Port Adelaide could make way for the Lions, Hawks and Demons, who are well in the hunt with nine rounds to go.
Several sides in the running for September will bank on favourable fixtures in their home stretch, with Essendon not leaving Melbourne until their final game of the season while St Kilda have eight of their last nine matches at Marvel Stadium.
Following their Round 16 matchup on the Gold Coast this week, Collingwood will play seven of the remaining eight games at the MCG - with a trip to Sydney to face the Swans in Round 22 falling in the middle of that patch.
The bottom of the league is set to be a tight fight also, with North Melbourne's improvement over the past month potentially seeing the Roos lift off the foot of the ladder and hand Richmond their first wooden spoon since 2007.
Percentage could be all that separates the two sides on the 17th and 18th rungs, while West Coast too could be right in the mix for the wooden spoon.
The week one finals matchups could very well see Essendon head to Sydney in a qualifying final, with Carlton hosting Brisbane in the corresponding draw after facing off in September last year.
The elimination finals could be between Hawthorn and Melbourne at the MCG, with GWS to host Collingwood in Sydney's west in what would be a rematch of last year's preliminary final thriller.
Here's our ladder predictor for the remainder of the 2024 AFL season.
1st. Sydney
Current Record:ย 13-1
Run Home:ย FREO (H), STK (A), NM (H), BRIS (A), WB (H), PORT (A), COLL (H), ESS (A), ADEL (H)
Predicted Record:ย 21-2
Estimated Percentage:ย 137.6%
2nd. Carlton
Current Record:ย 10-4
Run Home: RICH (A), GWS (A), WB (A), NM (H), PORT (H), COLL (A), HAW (H), WCE (A), STK (H)
Predicted Record: 19-4
Estimated Percentage:ย 116.9%
3rd. Brisbane
Current Record:ย 7-1-6
Run Home:ย MELB (H), ADEL (H), WCE (A), SYD (H), GC (A), STK (A), GWS (H), COLL (A), ESS (H)
Predicted Record: 16-1-6
Estimated Percentage:ย 121.5%
4th. Essendon
Current Record:ย 9-1-4
Run Home:ย GEEL (A), COLL (A), MELB (H), ADEL (H), STK (A), FREO (H), GC (H), SYD (H), BRIS (A)
Predicted Record: 16-1-6
Estimated Percentage:ย 106.0%
5th. Hawthorn
Current Record:ย 7-7
Run Home:ย WCE (A), GEEL (A), FREO (H), COLL (H), ADEL (A), GWS (A), CARL (A), RICH (H), NM (H)
Predicted Record:ย 14-9
Estimated Percentage:ย 97.5%
6th. GWS
Current Record:ย 8-6
Run Home:ย ADEL (A), CARL (H), RICH (A), GC (H), MELB (A), HAW (H), BRIS (A), FREO (H), WB (A)
Predicted Record: 13-10
Estimated Percentage:ย 107.7%
7th. Collingwood
Current Record:ย 8-2-4
Run Home:ย GC (A), ESS (H), GEEL (H), HAW (A), RICH (H), CARL (H), SYD (A), BRIS (H), MELB (A)
Predicted Record:ย 12-2-9
Estimated Percentage:ย 102.9%
8th. Melbourne
Current Record:ย 8-6
Run Home:ย BRIS (A), WCE (H), ESS (H), FREO (A), GWS (H), WB (A), PORT (H), GC (A), COLL (H)
Predicted Record:ย 13-10
Estimated Percentage:ย 100.0%
9th. Western Bulldogs
Current Record: 7-7
Run Home: NM (A), PORT (A), CARL (H), GEEL (A), SYD (A), MELB (H), ADEL (A), NM (H), GWS (H)
Predicted Record: 12-11
Estimated Percentage:ย 112.6%
10th. Geelong
Current Record:ย 8-6
Run Home:ย ESS (H), HAW (H), COLL (A), WB (H), NM (A), ADEL (H), FREO (A), STK (A), WCE (H)
Predicted Record:ย 12-11
Estimated Percentage:ย 102.1%
11th. Port Adelaide
Current Record:ย 8-6
Run Home:ย STK (A), WB (H), GC (A), RICH (H), CARL (A), SYD (H), MELB (H), ADEL (H), FREO (A)
Predicted Record:ย 12-11
Estimated Percentage:ย 99.3%
12th. Fremantle
Current Record:ย 8-1-5
Run Home:ย SYD (A), RICH (H), HAW (A), MELB (H), WCE (H), ESS (A), GEEL (H), GWS (A), PORT (H)
Predicted Record:ย 11-1-11
Estimated Percentage:ย 104.1%
13th. Gold Coast
Current Record:ย 7-7
Run Home:ย COLL (H), NM (A), PORT (H), GWS (A), BRIS (H), WCE (A), ESS (A), MELB (H), RICH (A)
Predicted Record:ย 9-14
Estimated Percentage:ย 99.4%
14th St Kilda
Current Record:ย 5-9
Run Home:ย PORT (H), SYD (H), ADEL (A), WCE (H), ESS (H), BRIS (H), RICH (A), GEEL (H), CARL (A)
Predicted Record:ย 8-15
Estimated Percentage:ย 93.5%
15th. Adelaide
Current Record:ย 4-1-9
Run Home:ย GWS (H), BRIS (A), STK (H), ESS (A), HAW (H), GEEL (A), WB (H), PORT (A), SYD (A)
Predicted Record:ย 6-1-16
Estimated Percentage:ย 97.0%
16th. West Coast
Current Record:ย 3-11
Run Home:ย HAW (H), MELB (A), BRIS (H), STK (A), FREO (A), GC (H), NM (A), CARL (H), GEEL (A)
Predicted Record:ย 4-19
Estimated Percentage:ย 77.7%
17th. Richmond
Current Record:ย 2-12
Run Home:ย CARL (H), FREO (A), GWS (H), PORT (A), COLL (A), NM (A), STK (H), HAW (A), GC (H)
Predicted Record:ย 3-20
Estimated Percentage:ย 73.0%
18th. North Melbourne
Current Record:ย 1-13
Run Home:ย WB (H), GC (H), SYD (A), CARL (A), GEEL (H), RICH (H), WCE (H), WB (A), HAW (A)
Predicted Record: 3-20
Estimated Percentage:ย 71.9%
