Western Bulldogs fans will not be the only ones hoping to see their team secure a top-four finish by beating Geelong in Friday night's big clash at Etihad Stadium.

Indeed a top-four finish from the Bulldogs will spare the AFL a fixturing nightmare in the first week of the finals.

The AFL's decision to schedule the Collingwood-Western Bulldogs clash in the Sunday twilight slot in Round 22 - on the same day that league leader St Kilda is in action - means that none of those finals-bound teams can be scheduled to play on the Friday night in the first week of the finals because all teams must have a minimum six-day break leading into their opening final.

But with the Saints set to finish on top and Collingwood looking likely to finish in third place - and face second-placed Geelong in the first week of the finals - if the Dogs were to slip from the top four that would mean that the Saints, Dogs and Magpies would all be involved in separate finals matches severely limiting the AFL's options in regards to its opening-week finals schedule.

However if the Dogs hold onto fourth spot - and they need to beat either second-placed Geelong this week or the third-placed Magpies in the final round to do that - that would mean the Dogs would face the Saints in the first week of the finals with that match to be automatically played on a Sunday.

St Kilda is guaranteed to play on the Sunday in week one of the finals with the top side always rewarded with a full week to prepare, given the Saints play on the Sunday in Round 22.

But if the Dogs drop to fifth and allow either Carlton or Adelaide to finish in fourth spot, the AFL faces a real problem.

The worst case scenario sees the Saints finish first with the Blues grabbing fourth while the Cats and Pies finish second and third with the Bulldogs finishing fifth and Essendon eighth while Brisbane and Adelaide finish sixth and seventh.

Under that scenario because of the Round 22 scheduling - the only game that could be staged on the Friday night would be the Brisbane-Adelaide elimination final, which would be played at either the Gabba or AAMI Stadium depending on which team finishes higher.

That would leave the other three finals all to be played in Melbourne with the Saints and Blues and Pies