Permutations and combinations: It all comes down to this in AFL Round 24

Permutations and combinations – I feel like I’m in year 11 maths.

When the order doesn’t matter, it’s a combination.

When the order does matter it’s a permutation.

Saturday is a combination… Geelong might win by an astronomical number and push their percentage above Port and the Giants.

Hawthorn needs to avoid the clutches of Clarko and find safe harbour on 56 points.

You’d expect Brisbane to win and lock up fifth and the Swans match is academic.

Sunday a permutation… the order is everything.

To avoid a team-gathering watching the other two games unfold the Bulldogs have to beat the Giants. The Bulldogs have lived the dreaded watch party more than once in recent times.

To get to second position and the advantages of hosting rights for the Qualifying Final the Giants need the win at Ballarat.

No result offers Carlton any relief other than victory over the Saints and defeat promises a torturous evening watching events from the West. I worry for our Blues faithful and the toll Sunday might take given the haunting of the grim reaper from a couple of seasons ago.

And waiting through it all will be Fremantle. The Dockers might be all ginned up for their defiant last stand only to have already been thwarted. Or if it’s live, they’ll be playing for the last place in the Finals.

If you’re the Dockers, do you want to know what’s going on… or do you just want a subtle thumbs up or thumbs down before you run through the banner?

Do you ride the emotion of the permutations or do you try to remain blissfully unaware?

Should Fremantle have it all to play for… so might their opponents Port Adelaide charged with the task of wresting back second spot.

It was season that seemed destined to offer a few more possibilities that 9 into 8 but what we have is rich and potentially excruciating through the combinations of Saturday and the permutations of Sunday.