A couple of weeks can be a long time in football.
Long enough for the word tanking to fade almost from sight. You could almost say it’s gone west as a result of a couple of surprise wins by Fremantle and West Coast, with the latter destroying any chance the Eagles had of priority draft treatment.

Dockers coach Mark Harvey did warn a few weeks ago that his team could have a big influence on how the final eight shaped, up, even if it couldn’t be in it. And West Coast are obviously aiming to become a credible force again sooner rather than later.

The 20 points Freo have on the board have already nudged them past the Power on the ladder, as well as removing them from wooden spoon calculations, and none of their opponents in the last three rounds, St Kilda, Richmond and Collingwood, should be counting their chickens.

By the time the Richmond game comes around next week Freo could even be favourites to win, even though the game is at the MCG. The Tigers probably won’t have anything left to play for by then, largely as a result of their dismal showing against Adelaide on Sunday, when they were in the game up to their eyeballs until just before quarter-time.

A dodgy umpiring decision almost certainly caused a two-goal turnaround at that point, but the Tigers can’t blame anyone but themselves for their pitiful effort in the final three quarters.

My six-goals-ahead tipping effort, which got me five winners out of eight last weekend, looks likely to cop a belting over the remaining three weeks, as I foolishly thought Richmond could win five of the six.

Melbourne are now favourites for the spoon, but they could make it interesting by beating the Weagles at the MCG on Saturday. If they do, the Dees will be only four points behind.

With West Coast facing the Hawks and Cats in the last two rounds, while Melbourne play Port Adelaide and Richmond, there are no certainties down there in the depths.

At the other end of the scale, Sydney will be hard-pressed to hang on to fourth spot.

I’ve tipped the Swans to beat Geelong at Homebush on Saturday night, but I’m not very confident in view of what’s happened in the three weeks since I made that prediction.

The Cats did lose to Sydney by 22 points in 2006, the only other time they have played at the Olympics venue, but it’s hard to see a repeat.

Sydney will have another toughie against Collingwood next week, but should beat the Lions in the final game. Brisbane have been really disappointing in the past few weeks, losing five out of six, which could become eight out of nine, after looking good mid-season.

The Magpies have a pretty good run home and could get the maximum 12 points if they beat Sydney next week, although Fremantle won’t be any pushovers in round 22.

The Saints should, on paper, win all three remaining games. But they don’t play football on paper, and the Saints have been known to find some funny ways to lose on grass.

The Adelaide Crows are coming home with a wet sail and are also a top-four chance. Three weeks ago I thought they would win only one of their last six, and they’ve already won three, which could quite easily turn into six from six.

And North Melbourne’s surge in the past few weeks has them up to their ears in the battle for fourth, too. They’ve won five in a row and should win at least two of their last three.

Like I said, a couple of weeks is a long time in football. Six weeks is a lifetime.

Read this week’s Walkley Awards

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