Australian Football

Round 22

Premiership Season 2013 - Round 22 Review

Total Crowd 277,600 (Avg 30,844)

Round 22 saw Hawthorn guarantee itself a top-two finish and a home first-week final but the other three position in the top four, and last place in the finals remains very much up in the air after the AFL declared that Essendon would not be allowed to participate in September action after the club was found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.

Collingwood started the round off by recording a big win over arguably the most disappointing team of 2013, West Coast. The Pies remain in sixth place and will host a home final in the first week of September, although their opponent has not yet been determined. Indeed it still remains an outside possibility that West Coast could slip in to eighth place.

On Saturday Adelaide kept its chances of playing finals football alive by thrashing Melbourne at the Crows' last ever match at Football Park, while North Melbourne squandered a chance to move into the top eight, yet again giving up a sizeable lead - this time against Hawthorn - to lose another close encounter.

At Kardinia Park Geelong made light work of fellow top-four side Sydney and strengthened its credentials as a premiership chance. The Cats sit in second place and will guarantee themselves a home final with a win over Brisbane at home next Satrurday.

Saturday night saw one of the most amazing matches of recent history, with Essendon defying form, external pressure and logic to pip the Blues by six points at the MCG. The win was almost a final act of defiance by the Bombers, who received official word from the AFL that they would be barred from partaking in finals this year. Bizarrely, despite the loss, the Blues moved into the top eight on Tuesday as a result of the penalty and can guarantee themselves a place in the finals with a win over Port Adelaide at the final ever AFL match at Football Park on Saturday.

The Power copped the wrath of the rampaging Dockers at Subiaco on Saturday night but a guaranteed a seventh-placed finish. They will play either Richmond or Collingwood in week one of the finals.

Sunday saw St Kilda break an eight-match losing streak, with the Saints finishing 46 points to the good of Gold Coast at Docklands, and Richmond treat GWS players as little more than witches as they trounced the Giants by 121 points at the Sydney Show Ground.

In the round's final match, Brisbane put on a display of sublime football in the first half against the Western Bulldogs, only to be almost reeled in and lose. In the end the Lions hung on to win by a narrow seven points.

With one round remaining, and Essendon officially out of the running, round 23 now takes on renewed interest, in many different ways. Brisbane, North Melbourne, Adelaide and West Coast can all pinch Carlton's place in the eight if they win and other results fall the way. It should be a fascinating final round.

R-22, Ladder