Carlton has escaped disaster and claimed the final spot in the eight as week one of the AFL finals fixture is confirmed.
Scroll down to see dates and times of each final
A late Jack Higgins goal in St Kilda’s victory on Sunday placed Carlton at risk of missing the finals, with just two points separating the Blues and Fremantle to clinch the last spot in the eight.
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Michael Voss’ side was six points clear of third at the end of June but had slumped to eighth coming into the final round. Port Adelaide became the Blues saving grace with a thrilling 13.9 (87) to 9.13 (67) victory at Optus Stadium, gifting Carlton one last chance at the expense of Fremantle.
The Dockers were heartbroken as the reality of their season ending swept through the home crowd.
Earlier on Sunday, the Bulldogs’ resilience over the GWS Giants sealed them a home elimination final against Hawthorn at the MCG.
But in troubling news for the Dogs, Liam Jones may be unavailable for the final as he nervously awaits the result of a dangerous tackle on Aaron Cadman.
The Swans claimed their first minor premiership since 2016 and locked in a mouthwatering Sydney derby at the SCG.
While last year’s premiers Collingwood failed to make the finals.
Ashton Moir of the Blues celebrates a goal. Getty
AFL 2024 finals fixture – week one
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
Second qualifying final: Port Adelaide vs Geelong at Adelaide Oval, 7.40pm
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Second elimination final: Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn at the MCG, 7.40pm
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
First qualifying final: Sydney Swans vs GWS Giants at the SCG, 3.20pm
First elimination final: Brisbane Lions vs Carlton at the Gabba, 7.30pm
Semi-finals will follow before the preliminary finals in week three.
The AFL grand final at the MCG will be held on September 28 at 2:30pm AEST.
Ladder standings at the conclusion of regular season
1. Sydney (68 points)
2. Port Adelaide (60 points)
3. Geelong (60 points)
4. GWS (60 points)
5. Brisbane (58 points)
6. Bulldogs (56 points)
7. Hawthorn (56 points)
8. Carlton (56 points)
9. Fremantle (54 points)
10. Collingwood (52 points)
11. Essendon (46 points)
12. Melbourne (44 points)
13. Gold Coast (44 points)
14. St Kilda (40 points)
15. Adelaide (34 points)
16. West Coast (20 points)
17. North Melbourne (12 points)
18. Richmond (8 points)
How does the top eight work in the AFL?
The AFL has used the same structure for the finals series since 2000, with the top eight broken into two groups of four.
The winners of the two qualifying finals advance to host preliminary finals, while the losers from the elimination finals bid farewell to their season.
In the first semi, the loser of the first qualifying final will host the winner of the first elimination final fixture.
Similarly, the loser from the second qualifying final will host the winner of the second elimination final.
The preliminary finals will see the winner of the first qualifying final face the winner of the second semi-final at home.
The winner of the second qualifier will host the winner of the first semi-final in the second prelim.
The winners of both preliminary finals will battle it out on September 28 in the 2024 AFL Grand Final.
Who is the half time performer for the AFL grand final?
American pop star Katy Perry has been announced as the headline act in the AFL’s pre-game grand final entertainment.