Carlton scrape into the top eight after Freo were denied finals spot by the Power

Wow, I’m not sure how we’re all just meant to go to sleep after that. I guess there’s always Lygon Street, which you’d imagine would be pumping tonight.

What a ride this home-and-away season has been. We’ll see you back in two weeks for the first round of finals. And don’t forget AFLW starts next week in the break.

Goodnight sweet football fans!

Blue skies for Power

Put simply, Fremantle squandered their last hope of making the finals with a 20-point loss to Port Adelaide at Perth Stadium, the result meaning the Power host a qualifying final against Geelong, while Carlton have won a late - and dramatic - finals reprieve. A month ago, the Dockers had every opportunity to finish with the double chance, but four straight defeats by a combined 41 points put paid to that. Instead, they have an early holiday, leaving WA football supporters with little to be enthused about in September. Trailing by nine points at the final break, the Dockers fell apart in the final term, their leaders, including Caleb Serong and Michael Walters, unable to will their team to victory.

Dockers blew their chance of making finals.Credit: Getty Images

Powerful stance

Power star Ollie Wines said team management had kept the result of the Saints and Blues clash from the Power players, ensuring their focus was solely on events at Perth Stadium. The move worked superbly, the Power locked in in the final term, to post one of the club’s best wins under Ken Hinkley. They were brilliantly led by Wines, Zak Butters, Logan Evans and skipper Connor Rozee, while Willie Rioli was a match-winner in the final term. However, Jason Horne-Francis was arguably best afield, the robust midfielder one of only four players this season to average at least 20 disposals, 10 contested possessions and a goal. “He [Horne-Francis] is a special human, not just a footballer. I look forward to seeing what he can do in September,” Wines told Fox Footy. The absence of the suspended Dan Houston will hurt, but this may be Hinkley’s best chance yet of securing an elusive flag. With at least two home finals, there are few excuses.

Port Adelaide finished in second spot on the ladder.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Rioli’s will drives Port

While Willie Rioli prospered for the Power with three goals, including two in the final term, his small-forward counterpart Michael Walters had an evening he would rather forget. So often the man to deliver a moment of brilliance, Walters was goalless and had only four disposals. The Dockers had been one of the best teams forward of centre over the past month, but their fluency disappeared when the season was on the line. Fellow veteran Nat Fyfe had 18 touches, but his influence was minimal. Coach Justin Longmuir has much to address in the off-season.

And there we have it. Port Adelaide have beaten Fremantle in the final home-and-away game of the season.

It means Carlton are through to finals and Fremantle miss out. And the Power have secured second spot on the ladder.

What a wild ride this has been! My, oh my.

Port Adelaide defeat Fremantle 13.9 (87) to 9.13 (67).

Willie Rioli kicked three goals against Fremantle.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Willie Rioli has put through his third goal of the game, making it very hard for Fremantle now.

Power lead by 14 points with just under five minutes to go. The Dockers will need to do something clever here.

Willie Rioli has kicked a goal for Port Adelaide to give his side a slim amount of buffer room.

There aren’t many goals (so far) this final quarter but with so much on the line, every touch feels important here.

Power lead by 9 with just under 10 minutes to go.

Patrick Voss has kicked the first goal of the final term to close the margin down to just three points. Power lead.

Do you have any fingernails left, Carlton and Freo fans?

This is it. The final quarter of the home-and-away season.

Will it be Fremantle or Carlton who play in September? We’re about to find out.

Fremantle v Port Adelaide.Credit: Getty Images