Jon Pierik is a sports writer with The Age, focusing primarily on AFL football, cricket and basketball. He has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.
Essendon are preparing for their suspended players to return as early as next week but Jobe Watson, should he play on, will not be officially allowed to reunite with the club for a further week.
Hawthorn have banished talk of a fourth consecutive flag but remain confident their history of strong September form has them well placed heading into Friday night's qualifying final against Geelong.
The greatest rivalry of the past decade reignites on Friday night when Geelong and Hawthorn clash in a qualifying final at the MCG. We look at the key questions.
Melbourne hardnut Jack Viney has claimed his maiden best and fairest, edging captain Nathan Jones in a tight count on Tuesday night.
Carlton remain keen on former Giant Caleb Marchbank but do not want to cede their first-round draft pick.
Emerging Essendon midfielder Darcy Parish says the Bombers look forward to welcoming their banned teammates back into the fold.
Hawthorn have declared their patchy form of the past month "irrelevant" and believe premiership teammates Ben McEvoy and Ben Stratton will return to face Geelong in Friday night's qualifying final.
After a dire year on the field, following three straight elimination-final defeats, Richmond are embroiled in internal war with two major challenges to the incumbent board, along with an individual outlier also calling for change.
The Western Bulldogs have declared they are better equipped physically and emotionally to handle an elimination final, as they consider a raft of changes for Thursday night's cut-throat decider against the West Coast Eagles.
AFL great Wayne Carey believes James Sicily shapes as Hawthorn's finals "x-factor", as the Hawks take aim at a fourth-straight flag.
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