It seems that with a week to play in the AFL home-and-away season there is, in fact, very little to play for. With most of the finals all but locked up, we all now watch the minutiae, the ins and outs, the injuries, but perhaps most importantly for Collingwood, the Match Review Panel.

All the talk on Monday, and perhaps beyond, will centre around Dale Thomas's suspect bump on Fremantle's Garrick Ibbotson at Subiaco on Friday night. In one fell swoop, ‘Daisy' may have taken out not only Ibbotson but also his chances at playing again until the year's penultimate week.

Thomas and the Pies will sweat on whether the panel class his bump as ‘reckless' or ‘negligent'; because of his carryover points, the former will give him a three-week holiday with an early guilty plea taking it down to two, while the latter would result in only a two week penalty, reduced to one with an early plea.

A similar hit by North midfielder Jack Ziebell on Saints captain Nick Riewoldt will also raise the ire of the tribunal. Again, Riewoldt was able to play on - and play very well, in fact, continuing to dominate the game - you would expect Ziebell to miss not only next week's match, but at least one more next season.

Should Thomas miss it would add to Collingwood's perhaps worrisome list of first-choice players missing in action. Heath Shaw can return in two weeks, though without any match fitness after his eight-week ban. Captain Nick Maxwell is also out at the moment with a broken thumb and not expected to be available until the finals' third week and Sharrod Wellingham and Chris Dawes are also carrying injuries.

While hitherto the Pies have done a remarkable job of covering for their missing leading men, leaving other teams in their wake, the same ability of the ring-ins to hold fort under the pressure of finals football is perhaps less certain.

Next week's top-of-the-table clash with Geelong could post a serious test, despite the Cats' surprise loss to Sydney on Saturday afternoon.

The odd thing about that match-up between one and two is that there's very little riding on it. In fact, it might rank as one of great fizzer first-vs-second clashes in league history. Collingwood can't lose top spot, Geelong could conceivably drop to third - and be leapfrogged by Hawthorn - but that wouldn't alter the make-up of week one of the finals. Geelong will almost certainly play Hawthorn in a qualifying final regardless of what happens in Round 24.

The only thing Geelong and Collingwood will be desperately seeking next week is a blank injury sheet - and no more Daisy Thomas-like brain fades.

LOOKING ahead two weeks, the MCG will host both Qualifying Finals, which, barring any final round mathematical improbabilities, will see Collingwood take on West Coast as well as the Cats against the Hawks. Fifth-placed Carlton will also face Essendon at the MCG in an Elimination Final, with all games sure to get very healthy attendances of around 80,000.

Finally, a game between Sydney and St Kilda will round out the first finals week, with that game's location still up in the air. While Sydney would be fancied to beat Brisbane next week, a St Kilda victory over Carlton, assuming the Saints retain their percentage advantage over the Swans, would mean a final at the Docklands. Should Carlton triumph, the Saints will return to ANZ Stadium for the second time in three weeks for their Elimination Final.

SUNDAY'S results saw Port Adelaide squander a strong lead late in the match to the Bombers, eventually going down by seven points and breaking coach Matthew Primus's heart in the process. With six minutes gone in the last quarter it looked like the Power would be able to avoid the wooden spoon as they led by 34 points. Ultimately, while Port's players showed a lot of resolve, they eventually succumbed to Essendon's ferocity and their own inexperience in posting hard-won victories, which means they remain anchored at the foot of the ladder.