WHAT HAPPENED IN ROUND 23 OF THE AFL

THEY SAID IT: “This footy club has let everyone down” – Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley laments a lost season where the Power somehow missed the finals after being 11-4.

STATS THAT MATTER: Geelong have warmed up for the finals with two massive home wins over lowly Fremantle and Gold Coast – the combined margin was a whopping 235 points..

MAN OF THE ROUND: Jack Riewoldt confirmed his third Coleman Medal with a five-goal haul against the Western Bulldogs, giving him 65.33 for the season. He is the first Tiger to win three Coleman Medals and also the fifth Richmond player to reach 600 career goals. He finished the regular season four goals ahead of North Melbourne spearhead Ben Brown.

KEY MOMENT: Luke Breust has been massive for Hawthorn all season and his goal late in the last quarter against Sydney on Saturday night confirmed the win – and their return to the top four.

TALKING POINT: Adelaide’s tumultuous year will have an interesting immediate postscript on Monday, with Collective Mind to hold a Melbourne media conference in the wake of the Crows’ disastrous pre-season camp.

TRIBUNAL WATCH: Nothing as yet that affects the finals. North Melbourne veteran Scott Thompson, who could have played his last game, was booked for striking St Kilda’s Jack Steele

KEY INJURIES: Dean Kent (Melb, shoulder) Dom Tyson (Melb, broken arm) Rory Lobb (GWS, back tightness) Cam Guthrie (Geel, corked thigh) Brodie Grundy (Coll, finger) Will Hoskin-Elliott (Coll, knee) Chris Mayne (Coll, hip) Dan Hannebery (Syd, corked thigh) Lance Franklin (Syd, groin) Luke Parker (Syd, groin) Nathan Vardy (WC, head knock).

WHAT’S NEXT: The first week of the finals is set, with minor premiers Richmond and Hawthorn to open September with their MCG qualifying final on Thursday, September 6. Melbourne and Geelong will play their elimination final at the MCG on the Friday night. Saturday will feature the two non-Victorian games in week one – Sydney hosting GWS in a twilight elimination final at the SCG and then West Coast at home against Collingwood in their night qualifying final. Next weekend is the pre-finals bye.