The run home: Augusta-Margaret River looking to snap 55-year curse in minor premiership hunt

Augusta-Margaret River could be just three weeks away from the first minor premiership of their 55-year history. A favourable run home puts the Hawks in the box seat to finish on top of the ladder, facing three of the four bottom-placed teams to end their stellar season. The club has won three premierships - back-to-back flags in the mid 1990’s, before their most recent triumph in 2011 - but have never finished on top of the ladder. Minor premiers have won seven of the last 10 SWFL premierships, and never in that decade have they missed the grand final. Here is how the run home to the finals looks for your club, and what they have to do to feature in September. 1. Bunbury Bulldogs This week: Collie (H) Next week: HBL (A) Round 18: South Bunbury (H) It’s been another impressive season from the reigning premiers who, despite being tested by injuries, have not dropped out of the top three since as early as round four. But their spot at the top of the ladder, which they have had a grip on for three straight weeks now, will be tested massively as they face the league’s most treacherous final month. Collie have endured a nightmare three weeks and will have their work cut out to knock the Dogs off at Payne Park this weekend, but it gets tricky for Jamie Nani’s side after that, with the prospect of a raging hot HBL on the road, before a derby back at home. With the Hawks’ run home, if the Dogs slip up in either of those last two games, or against Collie, they would likely surrender top spot. Predicted finish: second 2. Augusta-Margaret River This week: Eaton (A) Next week: Harvey (H) Round 18: Carey Park (A) They did drop a game to Harvey when they met earlier in the season, but it’s hard to see a world where the Hawks don’t win all three of these games as they hunt a maiden minor premiership. Percentage is the other factor that could come into play in these games. The Hawks are nearly 17 per cent behind the Bulldogs, a margin that has stayed pretty steady since the Dogs went equal on wins. There is still a possibility Bunbury could win all three of their final games and the Hawks finish on top, but they would need to win their three games by an average of a little more than 10 goals. Predicted finish: first 3. Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault This week: South Bunbury (A) Next week: Bunbury (H) Round 18: Donnybrook (A) Their cavalry are returning at just the right time and it is impossible to rule out HBL jumping in to the top two just yet. They are the in-form side of the competition, with an average winning margin of 53 from their past four games. They dismantled South Bunbury earlier this season and will go in as favourites on Sunday and Bunbury will present a challenge, but the Lions have won six of their last seven at Brunswick Oval and this could go either way. They have a comfortable lead over AMR in the percentage stakes, so if the Hawks were to slip up they could finish second, but third looks more likely. Predicted finish: third 4. South Bunbury This week: HBL (H) Next week: Eaton (H) Round 18: Bunbury (A) Two consecutive home games might give them a bit of a chance to get a foothold in the top five, but facing two of the top three teams will make life difficult for the Tigers. Sitting two games back from HBL, third spot looks a bridge too far, so the Tigers will be in the market for a home elimination final. Busselton, who are a game behind them in fifth spot, have a cleaner run home and a far better percentage, so the Tigers will have to beat either HBL or a Bunbury side with a minor premiership in their sites, to hold on to fourth spot. Predicted finish: fifth 5. Busselton This week: Harvey Next week: Carey Park Round 18: Collie There is no shame these days in losing to AMR, which the Magpies did last week, so expect them to bounce back in their next two games. They will go in as strong favourites in both of those games, and if they get through unscathed, they could be two games clear of Collie with a game to play and take the sting out of that round 18 clash. They also have the second best percentage of any team in the league, so back them in if they finish level on wins with Bunbury or Collie. Predicted finish: fourth 6. Collie Eagles This week: Bunbury (A) Next week: Donnybrook (H) Round 18: Busselton (A) Sunday’s heavy defeat to South Bunbury has made playing finals a tough ask for the Eagles. They now find themselves a game back from Busselton and South Bunbury, who both have a much better percentage. If South Bunbury dropped games to HBL and Bunbury, the Eagles would likely need to still win all three of their games, given they are unlikely to make up the percentage. They have won their last three against the Magpies, but it won’t matter unless Busselton lose to either Harvey or Carey Park, and the Eagles beat Bunbury. Predicted finish: sixth 7. Carey Park This week: Donnybrook (A) Next week: Busselton (A) Round 18: AMR (H) This season has been a case of so near, yet so far, for the Panthers and they are the first of the sides who are unable to play finals this year. Having managed good quarters, but not four-quarter efforts in recent weeks, they will go in as favourites against Donnybrook on Saturday in a game that will be headlined by the battle between Jace Cormack and the Panthers’ midfield. But it gets tougher from there, with games against Busselton and AMR, both of which will be vital games for their opponents. If they beat Donnybrook on Saturday, they are likely to secure sixth spot. Predicted finish: sixth 8. Harvey Bulls This week: Busselton (H) Next week: AMR (A) Round 18: Eaton (A) It’s a tough run home for the Bulls, who are on a seven-game losing streak and are still chasing their first win under new coach Ned Fimmano. Now equal on wins with Donnybrook, but with the extra two-points from their draw with South Bunbury in the bank, they will be confident of holding on to eighth spot, given Donnybrook’s tough run home. After three years anchored to the bottom of the ladder, this will be their best result since 2017. Predicted finish: eighth 9. Donnybrook This week: Carey Park (H) Next week: Collie (A) Round 18: HBL (H) On the back of mammoth performances from Nick Martin and Jace Cormack, the Dons have started to turn their season around and the green shoots are appearing at V.C. Mitchell Park. The run home won’t make life easy for them, but eighth spot is there for the taking if they’re able to pinch a win, particularly against Carey Park at home, and if Harvey don’t beat Eaton in the final week. Predicted finish: ninth 10. Eaton Boomers This week: AMR (H) Next week: South Bunbury (A) Round 18: Harvey (H) Harvey at home in the last week of the season appears to be the best opportunity for the Boomers to pinch one more win to round out their season. They need two wins in the last three weeks to avoid this being their worst win-loss record and ladder position this decade, and although that seems unlikely, they will be targeting a win against the struggling Harvey Bulls in round 18 to finish their season on a high. The Boomers knocked off the Bulls by four-points in round nine, their first of two wins this year, and are every chance of doing it again at home. If they were to pinch one of either the Hawks or Tigers, they could seriously upset the apple cart heading into September, but it appears unlikely. Predicted finish: 10th