With the home and away season now in the rearview mirror, our attention turns to September, and therefore, AFL finals.
Collingwood will enter the post-season as the hunted, having claimed the minor premiership after booking their top eight spot months ago.
Contrastingly, the likes of Carlton, GWS and Sydney secured their positions in the finals frame within the last few weeks of the regular season campaign, but will carry some good form into the final stretch of the premiership race.
St Kilda have been the quiet achievers this year, with Ross Lyon's return to Moorabbin lifting the red, white and black back into contention, while Melbourne, Brisbane and Port Adelaide have all gone better to book themselves a top four finish.
All eight sides have a reason to look forward to this finals series, but each club also has at least one weakness that could upset their premiership prospects.
Here we assess the reasons why each team can win the premiership, and the reasons why they can't.
Why they can...
Few teams divided public opinion last off-season like Collingwood did when it seemed they would either drop out of the eight, having lost their magical touch, or roll their way to a premiership as an improved version of last year.
The questions were answered quickly and profoundly by Round 1 this season, where the footy world realised the Pies' premiership credentials, having slammed all 2022 'fluke' discussions shut by overwhelming the reigning premiers in the Cats.
In every match, the Magpies bring an aura and unpredictability that few teams can combat.
It could start with a single passage of play where they attack the corridor with a wave of numbers, handballing their way to a dangerous forward 50 entry, and ignite the Magpie Army with a goal.
Their in-game momentum cannot be matched, especially at the MCG.
They have a profound capacity to manifest a winning environment thanks in large part to their colossal fanbase. Add that to their creativity and skill on the field, and watch as their momentum exponentially grows and overwhelms.
Their total character under Craig McRae, let alone their style of play, is made for finals, and has established them as premiership favourites.
There is a metaphysical component to Collingwood that can't be quantified, but it is an aura and subsequent confidence that has carried them to their current position, and may carry them to a flag.
McRae let it known to the Magpie Army himself after Round 24:
"Looking down the barrel... we're gonna need you from here on in and I know you can make a difference."
Why they can't...
The crucial question is... have the Magpies lost that unbeatable aura?
By Round 13, Collingwood were sitting pretty atop the ladder at 11-1 with the premiership seemingly in their grasp.
The King's Birthday match against Melbourne in Round 13 may prove to be the most important result of this home & away season in hindsight.
The Demons successfully quelled Collingwood's offensive corridor surge, taking the life out of the roaring crowd and stealing momentum from the irrepressible Magpie force.
It was fascinating to watch as repeat turnovers in the middle of the ground consistently led to Melbourne scores.
For 11 of their previous 12 matches, Collingwood found a way to embrace imperfection and creatively move the ball forward however possible.
Melbourne exploited this, attacking their imperfection to create turnovers and expose their forward-pressing defence.
Thorough analysis of this match revealed more flaws in Collingwood's system than seen in any match during McRae's tenure.
They have lost three of their 11 matches since, which has still kept them entrenched as minor premiers, but has put them under intense pressure come finals time.
Have they lost their mystical invincibility? And is that enough to diminish their premiership hopes?
We may find out this Thursday night.
Why they can...
Brisbane are the Golden State Warriors of the AFL.
Offensively, they are littered with more talent than just about anyone in the competition; Neale, McCluggage, Daniher, Cameron, Bailey, Rayner, and the list goes on.
Unfortunately, defence holds far more weight in the AFL than in the NBA, which may be why Brisbane aren't a four-time champion of the past eight years.
Still, the offensive power and home-ground advantage have the Lions as the clear favourite of any team to feature on grand final day, ideally not having to leave the Gabba until then.
They win the clearance and inside 50 battle more than any other side, and with the talent at their disposal, they can put on big scores quickly and against anyone.
The majority of their stars are not only in the prime of their career, but riped with a near half decade's worth of finals experience, including some premiership integrity brought by recruit Josh Dunkley.
They are yet to lose a home game this season and do not appear to be trending downward, so it is hard to see them bowing out before the big dance.
If they do make it, strange things tend to happen on grand final day...
Why they can't...
Clearly, that September experience also leaves them with a relatively poor finals pedigree.
In every finals year under Chris Fagan, Brisbane have been eliminated on disappointing terms.
They are adamant that their 'MCG hoo-doo' has faded, and, granted, their two performances against Melbourne provide some evidence of that, but the rest of the league is yet to be convinced.
Any type of loss in weeks one through three of the finals series would mean trouble for the Lions in what could be a fading premiership window. They'll be more focused on whether they can bring their best to the MCG on the last day of the season.
Why they can...
Port Adelaide are stacked with more lethal kickers than any other team in the competition.
Dan Houston, Kane Farrell, Ryan Burton, Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and even Trent McKenzie can lace out just about any target within 60 metres with a low-arcing, pinpoint drop punt that slices opposition zones with ease.
This hallmark destroyed weaker oppositions during the season; see their nine-goal opening term in Round 12 vs Hawthorn.
It is a quality which can be their point of difference in September where they may look to kick over the heads of Harris Andrews, Jake Lever, Darcy Moore and the like to generate scores with minimal possession off half-back.
With opposition focus likely going to their midfield maestros Butters, Jason Horne-Francis and Rozee, the Power could thrive off the back half run and kicking from their lethal legs in Houston, Farrell and Burton.
This weapon is no secret to any contender, but still must be quelled if Port Adelaide's forward surge is to be stopped.
Why they can't...
One of the consequences of possessing this weapon is the sacrifice of their defensive stocks, which is clearly not at a premiership level.
After Aliir Aliir, there is not a single defensive-minded backman on their list who is a household name or notorious contest winner.
Lachie Jones is a young and promising fan-favourite, but is unproven.
Tom Jonas is in and out of the side and not capable of halting the bigger bodies of Joe Daniher and Charlie Curnow.
Miles Bergman is a developing interceptor fresh off a breakout season but again, doesn't add size to a backline begging for some.
This has been the elephant in the room all season for Port Adelaide, and will likely end their campaign when an opposing key forward kicks five and is the difference between the two sides.
It is for this reason that the Power would break all conventions should they win the premiership, or even make the big dance.
Why they can...
'Benchmark' is a term that fluctuates based on form, but for the last three seasons, Melbourne are one team everyone has brought their best against.
Every off-season, the public observes all the system-based training and hefty workload Melbourne go through to be the well-oiled machine they are.
Under Simon Goodwin, they are a team most people trust to perform each week.
They don't shy away from revealing their method on the field; it is contest and defence.
With Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney and Christian Petracca at the forefront, they win more contests than they lose and with Max Gawn, Steven May and Jake Lever behind them, they steal the ball back more than anyone.
They have a genius method of forcing long dump kicks to where Gawn swallows everything and when their opponent tries something else, their smalls go to work at ground level to win the ball back closer to goal.
With Bayley Fritsch back in action, the Demons add the offensive firepower they were missing for seven weeks during the season.
The margins are tighter than perhaps we've ever seen, but Melbourne could be the safest bet to win it from here.
First, we wait and see what happens against Collingwood on Thursday night.
Why they can't...
The consequence of being the benchmark of the last three years is the inclination for opponents to study and focus deep attention on the Demons.
Melbourne may be the most exploited team of any contender.
Each week it seems there is a side fresh with a new plan to beat Melbourne, one that attempts to quell the impact of their big three interceptors in Gawn, May or Lever.
If the opponent can halve a contest with Gawn in the middle of the ground and win it at ground level, they will either chain a string of handballs or short kicks forward and sideways instead of booting it in long, where May and Lever reside.
The method sounds obvious, but is difficult to execute, given Melbourne's strength when the ball is kept in tight confinement.
Brisbane shocked the nation with their semi-final defeat of Melbourne last year, but they did it by simply keeping the ball away from these three and capitalising each time they got past them.
The Demons may be far improved from their 2022 product, but the opposition tactic has stayed the same; don't let Gawn, May and Lever into the game.
Why they can...
While everyone agrees it's a near-impossible mission to win it from outside top four, everyone also agrees (or should agree) that Carlton are clearly a top four, if not a top two side, since Round 14. And the mission has been done before.
They have finally realised their identity as a team; the school yard bullies of the competition.
Despite only finding form at Round 14, Carlton are the number one side for contest and clearance differential for the season as a whole.
They own stoppages. When they're on, there's no match for the collective brute force and outside class of Patrick Cripps, George Hewett, Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra.
It's a simple game plan: win the ball at the source and send it deep to the best forward in the league, Charlie Curnow.
Yet, it still works a treat when they have the hunger to win.
It's also a method that works on any ground in any state, they are not restricted by the confines of smaller grounds or exposed by the width of larger venues.
In finals matches, contest is king, and right now, Carlton are the contest kings of the comp.
Why they can't...
We must not forget, however, that Carlton have clearly proved themselves as one of the more unreliable sides of the AFL, given their routine failures in the biggest moments.
Granted, they have rarely looked like a competent side in recent years, but when they do, they always manage to break the hearts of their fans in some fashion.
Round 23 last season was simply tragic, even neutral observers could sympathise the pain felt by the Blue Baggers as the grim reaper closed in on its finest kill.
Their success has provided much to celebrate, but if we're honest, there is every chance that it's all just a cruel ploy from the football gods to raise their hopes to an all-time high, before crushing them with a kick on the siren to lose a prelim.
Why they can...
This would be one of the most unbelievable drought-breaking premierships in sports history, approaching the realm of Leicester City's Premier League triumph in 2016.
Not even the Bulldogs of 2016 could compete with such a feat, given some of the names on that list including Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Jake Stringer, Matthew Boyd, Dale Morris, Liam Picken, Tom Liberatore and others.
Realistically, it's hard to fathom, but if any coach could suffocate opponents enough to win four low-scoring, backline-flooding scraps, it's Ross Lyon.
No team is under less pressure in this finals series than St Kilda, who boast the most inexperienced list of any finalist.
Mattaes Phillipou, Mitch Owens, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Cooper Sharman and Marcus Windhager make up a talented and youthful core of key players who should be looking to relish any finals experience they can.
Finals footy may provide a platform for these players to perform out of their skin under the brightest lights in a side many picked to finish bottom four.
If the Saints can do what they've done all season long - keep themselves close in a low-scoring affair - the youthful exuberance and adrenaline of this playing group could cause panic for desperate opponents.
Why they can't...
Unfortunately, the shock value of a potential St Kilda run only exists because of its significantly poor likelihood.
The Saints can stop any team from piling on big scores in a flurry, but they do not have a distinct edge over any finalist, with Sydney as the only possible exception.
Their midfield rotation is outclassed by each opposing contender, as Jack Steele and Brad Crouch carry the load inside with few veteran options joining them.
Their forward line can often rely on Max King dominance but is helped by Tim Membrey's inclusion, though this does not form a world-beating front six.
The defence is solidly led by All-Australian duo Callum Wilkie and Jack Sinclair, but may still be vulnerable against the dominant taller forward lines in the eight.
Their offensive transition can also rely heavily on Sinclair's brilliance, which, if halted by a tag, could ask troubling questions to an inexperienced side.
Why they can...
In his many interviews after being named All-Australian captain, Toby Greene made it clear that he believes this is the best side he's played in.
Under Adam Kingsley in his first year at the helm, GWS have surpassed the expectations of everyone with a run of form through the back half of the season that could scare opponents in a finals campaign.
They have recent grand final experience and a list not too dissimilar to 2019, with the retained players of that side all in career-best form.
Lachie Whitfield, Harry Himmelberg, Josh Kelly, Brent Daniels, Toby Greene, Stephen Coniglio and Callan Ward have all maintained, or improved upon the form that carried their side to a historic grand final berth four years ago.
Only now they are rejuvenated and humming as a unit in what was meant to be a rebuilding year.
They play with an instinctive chaos similar to Richmond during their dynasty and they gain more territory than any team in the competition.
They also boast the kind of personnel required to win big finals, with Toby Greene as the best general forward and Sam Taylor as the best key defender in the league.
Add Jack Buckley, Lachie Ash, Tom Green, Toby Bedford, Connor Idun and Harry Perryman on the outskirts, and we see that this list is clearly capable of doing damage against the best.
Why they can't...
The reason why it's unlikely would be the same even if they were to finish the home & away season as minor premiers.
At the end of the day, the Giants exist as an expansion club with little-to-no external fanfare driving them forward the way Collingwood's fans or even St Kilda's fans do.
While it's an abstract factor, it absolutely matters. Just ask them whether it mattered during the 2017 preliminary final against Richmond.
Should they manage to make another preliminary final, they will have to compete with the opponent itself, as well as the ruckus fanbase of a Collingwood or Carlton or other.
It's a brutal disadvantage, but a hurdle they nearly cleared until the final game of 2019.
They'll look to go one better in this finals series and their first challenge lies this Saturday afternoon at the MCG against the Saints.
Why they can...
The football nation knows the capacity of Sydney at their best and, if they can string a run of momentum after last week's refresher, they could be the dark horse contender of the lot.
They made it to the final game of last season and while they have since lost some key figures of that side, their winning method has not changed.
Their point of difference is their ability to force the ball into dispute where they can win it at ground level.
They're the number one ground-ball team in the league and have uncovered one of the best offensive weapons in the competition this year.
Errol Gulden was projected to break out in 2023, but was not expected to be an undisputed All-Australian wingman with a likely shot at a top five Brownlow finish.
They can win the flag if they are able to transcend their contest game from the home & away season into the finals and feed the likes of Gulden and Braeden Campbell on the outside as they surge forward.
At full strength, their team defence is strong enough to hold up most opposing forward lines, and versatile enough to inflict damage the other way through the likes of Nick Blakey and Jake Lloyd, giving them plenty to work with in a potential finals run.
Why they can't...
In essence, the Swans are not as good as they were last year.
They've suffered a severe loss of size and experience with the absence of Lance Franklin, as well as Paddy McCartin and Sam Reid.
They are now officially led by their young brigade, with Gulden, Chad Warner, James Rowbottom, Logan McDonald and Nick Blakey as their focal points across the field.
Dane Rampe, Callum Mills, Luke Parker and Isaac Heeney still perform as primed players, but have taken a back-seat to the younger Bloods this year.
This is still a quality list of talent that would excite fans had they managed to finish higher on the ladder, but a path to a grand final that features Carlton at the MCG, before either Melbourne or Collingwood away, then Brisbane or Port Adelaide away, is too much to ask.