For the first time in nearly a decade both semi-finals next week and both preliminary finals the week after will be played at the MCG as Victorian clubs maintained their domination of the 2008 AFL season in week one of the finals series.
Not since 2000 has Victoria hosted so much finals action and that was also the last time that five of the six remaining finalists, after the first week of the finals had been completed, were from Victoria - as is the case this year.
With Adelaide bowing out in week one of the finals - at the hands of Collingwood - it means Sydney is the only team left remaining in this year's competition from outside Victoria.
Next week will see the Western Bulldogs tackle Sydney in the first of two knockout semi-finals at the MCG on Friday night while on Saturday night old rivals St Kilda and Collingwood will go head-to-head in the second semi final.
The winner of the Dogs-Sydney semi-final will met flag favourites Geelong in the first preliminary final at the MCG the following week - probably on Friday night - while the winner of the Saints-Pies clash will face Hawthorn in the other preliminary final at the MCG - probably on Saturday night.
The Cats and Hawks advanced directly to the preliminary final - earning next weekend off in the process - by easily beating St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs respectively in this weekend's qualifying finals.
And Collingwood and Sydney ended the seasons of Adelaide and North Melbourne by winning the two elimination finals.
But the while the Pies, who became the first Victorian team ever to win three finals interstate, and Sydney - which showed that after six successive finals appearances it remains a force to be reckoned with, were impressive - it was the Cats and Hawks that stole the show in the first week of the finals.
By winning their respective qualifying finals, the two stand-out teams of the season have ensured they cannot meet until the grand final.
The Cats - who have now won 41 of their past 43 matches - and the Hawks - with superstar spearhead Lance Franklin now having kicked 110 goals for the season - are hot favourites to clash in what would be their first grand final meeting since their memorable showdown of 1989 when the Hawks won by a goal to win back-to-back flags for the first time.
But this time it is the Cats looking to make history as they bid for back-to-back flags for the first time since 1952.
However while the Cats and Hawks will start hot favourites in the preliminary finals in week three, next week's semi-finals pit together four evenly-matched teams.
The Bulldogs have beaten the Swans twice this season but are coming off a shattering loss to the Hawks while the Swans come in on a high after thrashing North in Sydney - with Friday night's clash only the third ever finals meeting between the two clubs and the first since 1997.
And in the other semi-final the Magpies and Saints will meet in a final for the first time since 1992 but while the Saints finished in fourth spot and Collingwood finished in eighth place, the Pies go in knowing they have already beaten the Saints in both meetings this season.
AFL SEMI FINAL DRAW:
Friday September 12
Second Semi Final - Western Bulldogs v Sydney at the MCG, 7.50pm - winner to play Geelong in the preliminary final.
Saturday September 13
First Semi Final - St Kilda v Collingwood at the MCG, 7.30pm - winner to play Hawthorn in the preliminary final