THEY SAID IT: "I have a hope" - Nathan Buckley doesn't know whether he'll be coaching the AFL club next year after his contract ended with their round 23 win over Melbourne. But the Magpies are likely to make the call on his future soon.
MAN OF THE ROUND: Sydney star Lance Franklin kicked 10.2, the second-biggest haul of his career, as the Swans tuned up for the finals with an 81-point mauling of Carlton.
KEY MOMENT: It came down to the last five minutes of the season whether West Coast or Melbourne would take eighth spot. After Charlie Cameron kicked a goal for Adelaide that had the Demons ahead on percentage, Eagles players Lewis Jetta and Jack Darling kicked goals to give them a 29-point win. It meant West Coast scraped into the finals on percentage - 105.7 to Melbourne's 105.2.
TALKING POINT: Richmond's win over St Kilda on Sunday means they will finish third and play second-placed Geelong in a qualifying final. As the home team, Geelong have earned the right to host the game at Simonds Stadium. But there's no way the AFL will play the only Victorian final in week one anywhere but at the MCG.
STATS THAT MATTER: Completing a miserable season, Gold Coast's 3.2 against Port Adelaide was their lowest score.
TRIBUNAL WATCH: Nothing at this stage, certainly not for any of the finalists.
KEY INJURIES: Kurt Tippett (Syd, ankle) Callum Sinclair (Syd, ankle) James Parsons (Geel, foot) Cale Hooker (Ess, calf).
WHAT'S NEXT: The contentious post-round 23 week off, allowing the eight finalists to tune up for September. It gives injured players, led by Geelong captain Joel Selwood, valuable extra time to recover. Adelaide v GWS (Adelaide Oval) and Geelong v Richmond (MCG) are the qualifying finals. Port Adelaide v West Coast (Adelaide Oval) and Sydney v Essendon (SCG) are the elimination final matchups.
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