West Coast play one of their most important matches of the season when they host Geelong in Friday night footy.
The Cats are coming off a shock loss against the Bombers last week, their first for the year, and they face the tough task of heading across the country to take on an Eagles team vying for a top 4 spot.
For West Coast a home final is up for grabs if they can maintain their fine form, while the Cats will be keen to show that last week's loss was just a minor hiccup on the road to another flag.
Brisbane head from the warmth of Queensland to the freezing cold of Launceston to play Hawthorn at York Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Hawks have an impressive record at the second home and they should have no real trouble accounting for the Lions, who have just three wins for the year.
Gold Coast host the Swans for the first time, with Sydney desperate to break a three game losing streak.
Sydney were looking good for a top 4 spot just 1 month ago, but losses to Carlton, Collingwood and Adelaide have seem them slip to 7th, and a loss could see them drop out of the top 8 by the end of the round.
Essendon and Richmond meet at the MCG in front of what should be a massive crowd.
The Bombers finally got back on the winner list last week after a run of 5 losses, and what a win it was.
The 4 point defeat of Geelong has revived their finals hopes, while the Tigers were thrashed by Carlton to the tune of 103 points and as a consequence slipped to 13th on the ladder.
There is a lot at stake in this match, with Richmond needing to win to stay in touch with the pack chasing the final few spots in the top 8.
Collingwood can move to top spot of the AFL ladder with a win over North Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.
The Pies are slowly gearing up for September with key players rested and the team starting to find the form that engineered their premiership last year.
For North Melbourne, a 4 game winning streak was halted last round by a loss to St Kilda, but they still remain in the hunt for the top 8, just half a game behind 8th placed Essendon.
St Kilda head to Footy Park to take on a Port Adelaide team that has slipped to second last on the ladder.
It is a dangerous match for the Saints, who have a poor record against the Power, but they must overcome that record if they are to continue their last season push for the finals.
5 wins out of the past 6 has seen St Kilda move to within a game of the top 8, but with games against Collingwood, Carlton, Sydney and Fremantle still to come, a win over the 16th ranked team is a must.
The Power, on the other hand, are playing for little more than pride, and with Chad Cornes looking likely to finally win a recall to the team despite not being in their plans for next year, it marks the start of farewell tour of a few of the stalwarts of the Power team.
The final match of the round between Carlton and the Western Bulldogs is a crucial one for both teams, with the Blues looking to consolidate a top 4 spot, while the Bulldogs are still striving for a top 8 position.
The Western Bulldogs have won their past three, put have yet to win this season over a team in the top 8, so to defeat Carlton will give the team confidence they can play finals for the 4th straight year.
The Blues are looking much more secure, sitting in third spot with 10 wins for the year, and they were impressive last week in their big win over the Tigers.
With Judd and Murphy continuing to lead the way Carlton look certain to finish in the top 4 and get the double chance come finals time, something that has be shown to be crucial if you want to win the premiership.
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