Collingwood and Essendon loom as the major beneficiaries in what will be a crucial AFL round for determining the top four and the last spot in the eight.

Provided they beat their lowly opposition, the Magpies and Bombers will make giant strides in round 18.

Should Collingwood beat 13th-placed Geelong at Telstra Dome, it will move from fifth into the four.

The loser of Sunday's clash between Sydney (second) and Adelaide (fourth) would make way for the surging `Pies.

There is an even bigger prize for the Dons, provided they put away struggling arch-rival Carlton at the MCG.

A win will put Essendon in the eight for the first time since mid-May - at least for a couple of hours anyway.

Whether the Dons remain will depend on the eighth-placed Kangaroos' match against Brisbane at the Gabba Saturday night.

The Lions have dropped five of their past seven games to slip to sixth, but are still an enormous obstacle for the Kangaroos.

Essendon trails the `Roos by half a game.

Sunday's game-of-the-round at AAMI Stadium also has huge implications.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP