Three games remain in round 21, but there now appears a bit more certainty about how the opening week of the finals might be shaping up.

By virtue of an impressive 49-point win over the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, the Bombers have just about booked themselves a place in this year's finals. Certainly, the way the Dons belted out their club song after the game suggests that overcoming the Dogs represented a significant hurdle cleared in their bid to make the finals. Irrespective of how they go in Perth next week, they'll beat Port Adelaide at home in a fortnight to make sure of it.

And the likelihood is strong that the Bombers will meet Carlton in a cut-throat elimination final. The Blues remain in fourth place following their great win over fading Fremantle in Perth, and might even be third if they beat Hawthorn on Friday night. But that would leave them only two points clear of the Hawks with their bye still to come. The Hawks close out the season with thenBulldogs and the Suns. They'll win both and go back ahead of the Blues. West Coast will almost certainly finish fourth, with a soft run home, leaving us with the Blues and the Bombers in week one.

They haven't met in a final in since the 2000 preliminary final, which the Bombers won easily. There has never been a sold-out elimination final before, but you'd have to imagine that if the Blues and the Bombers meet this September, there might not be a spare seat at the MCG.

Another traditional rivalry also appears set to come our way in the first week of the finals. Geelong appears a lock for second and will almost certainly meet Hawthorn in the opening week. Having watched the Cats beat up on weaker opponents the last few weeks, the Hawks inflicted a mauling if their own, monstering Port Adelaide by a lazy, club-record 165 points.

Lance Franklin booted eight goals and Cyril Rioli a career-best six against Port. They made what could have been a crashingly-boring Saturday afternoon at the MCG thoroughly entertaining and if they can take that form into the finals, then the battle for the premiership race might not just be between the Pies and the Cats.

You can discount Fremantle from finals contention. Freo are out of the eight and won't get back in. Injuries have just about cooked them for 2011. Fit and firing, they'll be back in contention in 2012.