St Kilda thrashes Fremantle to lock in AFL top eight

The AFL’s top eight has been locked in, leaving ten sides to watch September footy from the couch and look to the 2022 season.

The Saints ended the Dockers’ finals hopes on Sunday. (Photo by Steve Bell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The Fremantle Dockers’ huge loss to St Kilda on Sunday afternoon ended their finals hopes and also confirmed which eight teams would contest this year’s play-offs.

A number of top-eight scenarios had been possible leading into round 23 — any one of Geelong, Port Adelaide and Melbourne could have finished as minor premiers, while Fremantle, West Coast, Richmond and St Kilda had all mathematically been in with a shot of playing finals footy — although all would have needed wins of varying sizes and for others to lose in order to taste September action.

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Fremantle came into its clash with St Kilda with everything on the line — a win would’ve given the side a chance to play finals footy for the first time since 2015, pending Essendon’s clash with Collingwood.

Justin Longmuir’s side will finish the 2021 season in 11th place. (Photo by Grant Viney/ Getty Images)

Instead of the photo finish that could have been, the Dockers trailed all day against the Saints and, despite gutsy performances from Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw and David Mundy, succumbed to a disappointing 58-point loss.

The Dockers will now be left to rue their two losses to 13th-placed Carlton this season. A victory in either clash would’ve made the finals equation a lot simpler heading in to Sunday afternoon.

Fremantle has failed on every single level today - not fired a shot. As fans have said after every single season over the last two and a bit decades, maybe next year... #AFLSaintsFreo

— Bryce Luff (@BryceLuff) August 22, 2021

I mean, bad losses are going to come about now and then, but it's the feeling that half the side had mentally checked out before running onto the field today that's the most frustrating thing.#AFLSaintsFreo#foreverfreo@freodockers

— Sam Tomlin (@SamTomlin539) August 22, 2021

This season is the first since 2009 that neither Western Australian side has qualified for the finals. Ironically, it could also be the first year in history that Perth hosts the grand final. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Freo’s loss means Essendon fans can put their feet up — the Bombers’ clash with the Magpies now has no bearing on the final makeup of the top eight.

The final clash of the regular season, between Adelaide and North Melbourne, is also inconsequential for the finals-bound sides.

.@stkildafc ty

— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) August 22, 2021

Top 8 locked away:

Melbourne
Port Adelaide
Geelong
Brisbane
Western Bulldogs
Sydney
GWS
Essendon#AFL

— Paddy Sweeney (@SweeneyPaddy9) August 22, 2021

With their last-gasp win over the Cats on Saturday, the Demons claimed their first minor premiership since 1964.

The remaining top four spots have been filled by Port Adelaide, Geelong and Brisbane, who needed to defeat the Eagles by just over five goals on Saturday to secure the double chance.

They did just enough: a Charlie Cameron goal on the siren handed the Lions a 38-point win, ensuring they would finish in the top four for a third consecutive season.

The outlook isn’t so rosy for the Western Bulldogs. Despite spending 20 consecutive weeks in the top four between rounds three and 22, the Dogs have been consigned to a fifth-placed finish on the back of three straight losses.

The Bulldogs finished eight rounds of this year’s premiership atop the ladder but are now no certainty of even progressing beyond the first week of the finals, especially considering they’ll face the Bombers, the side that set their losing streak in motion a fortnight ago, in the first week of the play-offs.

The second of next week’s two elimination finals will be a Sydney derby, but the Harbour City’s Covid-19 outbreak means the game will need to go ahead elsewhere.

The AFL has yet to announce venues for the first week of the finals, but at least one game (Port Adelaide vs. Geelong) is set to be played at Adelaide Oval, given the Power’s second-place finish earned them the right to host a home final.

The remaining three are likely to either go down at Adelaide Oval, in Tasmania or in front of empty stands in Victoria.

As the top eight sides battle it out in pursuit of premiership glory, West Coast, St Kilda, Fremantle, Richmond, Carlton, Hawthorn, Gold Coast, Collingwood, Adelaide and North Melbourne will all watch September footy from the couch and look to improve in 2022.