Lachlan Hansen

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

At the conclusion of Round 23, four more players announced that 2017 would be their last season: veteran Cat defenders Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan, Kangaroo Lachie Hansen and Kangaroo veteran turned West Coast rookie Drew Petrie. The Cats and Eagles still have a finals campaign to navigate in September.A few days later, Saint stalwart Leigh Montagna also announced his retirement.

Jamie Kloeden reporting for AFANA from Adelaide Oval, Australia

Adelaide players have referred to their season thus far as "a roller coaster" with the last five rounds alternating between wins and losses. Players have stated publicly that their aim is to find some consistency and start stringing the wins together or risk playing themselves out of Finals' contention. North Melbourne on the other hand is currently in the Top Eight but is a team still fighting for consistency as players try to live up to big preseason expectations.

Brook “Boris” Kilpatrick reporting for AFANA

Richmond came into the Round 15 match against the Kangaroos aiming for a fifth successive win for the first time in 13 years. The Kangaroos were hell bent on turning around the frustrating form that had seen them lose six games by a margin of 16 points or less. For Brad Scott and his boys it was a must win game if North Melbourne were to stay in the hunt for a Finals berth. Missing from the Tiger line up was the injured Ivan Maric, while Kangaroo Lindsay Thomas had been given a self-imposed holiday for his mini head b*tt against the Giants in Round 14.

Brook “Boris” Kilpatrick reporting for AFANA

Sunday's Round 17 clash between the in-form North Melbourne Kangaroos and the struggling Richmond Tigers was touted as the Tigers' last chance to gain a Finals berth. Realistically, that chance probably passed the Tigers by a week earlier at the hands of the Gold Coast Suns, but there was no doubting the importance of this game to both teams. The Kangaroos could stake their claim to a Top Eight finish with a victory, while Richmond desperately needed to restore some lost credibility after an abysmal performance in Cairns. They welcomed back exiled young gun Dustin Martin while the Kangaroos would be missing one of their rising stars in Jack Ziebell, outed for four weeks by the increasingly confusing Match Review Panel.