The "haves" worked on their percentage and the "have-nots" went from bad to worse at the weekend as the AFL finals race continued to build momentum.

Even taking away Brisbane's freakish 141-point win over Adelaide, the average losing margin for round 17 was nearly eight goals.

The Lions' percentage feast meant they took top spot from St Kilda with five weeks to go before the finals, while the Kangaroos joined the top eight at the expense of slumping Essendon.

At the other end of the ladder, the misery continued unabated for bottom side Hawthorn, the Western Bulldogs and Richmond.

Hawks coach Peter Schwab mused he would leave the job immediately after Saturday's 22.11 (143) to 9.9 (63) walloping from the Kangaroos.

Former Hawthorn great Leigh Matthews suggested that might be the better option.

Hawthorn announced last week that Schwab would go at the end of the season, but on Saturday there was none of the on-field rejuvenation that such a development usually brings to a struggling club.

Not for the first time, Matthews wondered about the wisdom of a "sacked" coach finishing a season, as is also the case for Danny Frawley at Richmond.

"I don't know whether there's any right or wrong, but I've always had the opinion that once a club knows you're not going to be their future coach, then there's no point just seeing out time until a new coach is put in place," Matthews said on Channel Nine's Sunday Footy Show.

"Maybe you get a new voice in there for the last few weeks of the year, that gives a little bit of fresh impetus, potentially."

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