AS THE Brisbane Lions prepare to host the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba on Saturday night, lions.com.au takes a look at the other 10 finals contenders and their runs toward September.

After the Bulldogs, the Lions will face Carlton and the Sydney Swans. But what lies before their rivals? Read on to find out …

1. Geelong (18-1, 160.28 per cent)
Last five: WWWWW
To come: Sydney Swans (in Sydney); North Melbourne; West Coast
Comment: Are they even better than last year? Racked up 10 goals before Melbourne could kick one last week and are on track to top the percentage (159.1) posted by the all-conquering Essendon in 2000.

2. Hawthorn (15-4, 129.29 per cent)
Last five: WWLLW
To come: Richmond; West Coast (in Perth); Carlton
Comment: In-form and with a user-friendly run home that could see 18 wins posted in the home-and-away season. That record would have earned the minor premiership in six of the last seven seasons.

3. Western Bulldogs (14-4-1, 119.99 per cent)
Last five: WLLWL
To come: Brisbane Lions (at the Gabba), Essendon, Adelaide (in Adelaide)
Comment: Mixing their form and certainly not playing at the consistent level they were earlier in the year. Is there really such a thing as the post-round 15 blues?

4. Sydney Swans (11-7-1, 116.36 per cent)
Last five: LWLLW
To come: Geelong, Collingwood (in Melbourne), Brisbane Lions
Comment: Daunting run home, starting with the Geelong clash this weekend. That said, have reinvented Adam Goodes as a goal-kicking forward and dug deep to edge out Freo last week.

5. North Melbourne (11-7-1, 99.56 per cent)
Last five: WWWWW
To come: Carlton, Geelong, Port Adelaide
Comment: Are they for real? The last five games and exposed form against other top-eight sides would indicate the Roos are. Next week’s game against Geelong looms as a cracker.

6. Adelaide (11-8 110.11 per cent)
Last five: LLWWW
To come: Essendon (in Melbourne), St Kilda (in Melbourne), Western Bulldogs
Comment: Have turned around their form in an emphatic manner and could well have 14 wins on the board by the time the home-and-away season is out. Experience makes them a real September threat.

7. Collingwood (10-9, 109.78 per cent)
Last five: WLLLW
To come: Port Adelaide (in Adelaide), Sydney Swans, Fremantle (in Perth)
Comment: Not for the first time, the Pies found something last week with their backs to the wall. Appear likely winners this weekend, which would make their final two games crucial.

8. St Kilda (10-9, 100.23 per cent)
Last five: WWLWL
To come: Fremantle (in Perth), Adelaide, Essendon
Comment: Didn’t show much against Collingwood last week and top-four hopes sliding by the week. Their inconsistency means they could just as likely win or lose all of their remaining three.

10. Carlton (9-10, 99.28 per cent)
Last five: LLWLW
To come:  North Melbourne, Brisbane Lions (at the Gabba), Hawthorn.
Comment: Boosted their finals hopes with a percentage-inflating win over Port Adelaide. Even if they miss September this year, Blues fans have every reason to be excited about the future.

11. Richmond (8-10-1, 94.25 per cent)
Last five: WWWLL
To come: Hawthorn, Fremantle, Melbourne
Comment: Enormously disappointing against Adelaide and only a minor mathematical hope of playing finals. On last week’s form the Tigers are highly unlikely to trouble Hawthorn this weekend.