40 points – ten wins, seven losses 109.8 per cent.

At the completion of round 18 the Bombers sit comfortably inside the top eight in seventh position thanks to a win over the Western Bulldogs. They now face the biggest test in the competition against ladder leaders Sydney at the SCG on Friday night with Adelaide, Collingwood and the Gold Coast all vying for a place in the finals. The Bombers final four matches of the season are against teams outside of the top eight with a clash against Gold Coast in Round 22 set to be the most important of those.

The run home:

Rd 19: Sydney Swans at the SCG

Rd 20: Richmond at the MCG

Rd 21: West Coast at Etihad Stadium

Rd 22: Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium

Rd 23: Carlton at the MCG

"They have a break now, they have won a very important game that we can go into a break with as well as looking ahead to the end of the season. We will train over the weekend, that is best preparation and all that we can deliver on as we strive for a finals campaign.”

Mark Thompson - July 20 after defeating the Western Bulldogs