<p>Welcome to The Huddle’s AFL Finals previews!</p> <p>After the tightest and craziest season ever, we are finally down to the final eight teams that will battle it out for this year’s premiership.</p> <p>As we gear up for all the September action, it’s time to look at and preview all the teams that have qualified for the AFL Finals in 2024.</p> <p>They left it extremely late to secure their spot and subjected their fans to endless amounts of footy trauma. Leaving their fate in the hands of the footy gods. But thanks to a Dockers slip up at home, Carlton has held onto their spot in the top eight and will play finals footy.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Carlton’s Road to the AFL Finals</h2> <p>The miraculous one-point win over the Lions in Opening Round, headlined by a straight kick by Harry McKay kick started an undefeated opening month to the season for Carlton. A start to the season not seen since their famous premiership year of 1995.</p> <p>A controversial win over Freo in Gather Round followed a stretch of patchy form and coincided when injuries started to take its toll.</p> <p>They got through that initial period, to go on a five-match winning run in the middle of the year and cement themselves as the best team outside of the runaway Swans at the top.</p> <p>Then came the fall. After being close to 40 -points up away at the Giants, they were overrun. Since then, they have tumbled down the ladder, losing several players every week. Including a massive six injuries when they were obliterated by Hawthorn and found themselves outside the eight with two weeks to play.</p> <p>The “who’s left” squad assembled for the job in Perth to beat the Eagles and reclaim their place in the top eight. The squad got thinner with one further job to do which was beat St Kilda to seal their own fate.</p> <p>But Carlton decided they haven’t tortured their fan base enough in the past 25 years, found yet another way to lose in the final seconds and leave their finals hopes in the hands of the Dockers who dropped the ball. A drop which sees the Blues live to fight another day.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Players to Watch</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Patrick Cripps</h3> <p>The Carlton skipper has produced a season for the ages and has single-handedly (yes, albeit with the help of the Dockers dropping the ball) gotten his team into finals.</p> <p>While the Blues will use every hour of the bye week to ensure they can get all their players back and available to play, Cripps is Carlton’s most important magnet, and they need him firing at 1000%.</p> <p>He’s poised to win his second Brownlow Medal; Carlton’s superhero will be readying himself to go again after finally getting a taste of the finals action last year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Charlie Curnow</h3> <p>Legends are made in finals footy. There’s no bigger player under the glare of finals scrutiny going in this year than Charlie Curnow.</p> <p>The Blues’ star was uncharacteristically lacklustre in the Blues barnstorming run through September last year. Despite his injury concerns this year, the expectations on Curnow, one of the game’s blue-chip superstars will be forced to deliver in September if the Blues harbour any ambitions of doing anything.</p> <p>Blues fans are praying to whatever god they believe in that that ankle of his is a-ok.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Sam Walsh</h3> <p>He’s a Blue-chip name in the Carlton midfield but he’s had a so-so year.</p> <p>A late start to the season after a recurring back injury meant he was playing catch up, but he started to find his feet and shoot up the coaches’ association voting table. His form dipped along with the clubs.</p> <p>The last few weeks have shown promising signs of a form reversal. Last year’s Gary Ayres Medallist for best finals player might be starting to cook again.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Why can Carlton win the AFL Grand Final?</h2> <p>They’re on the starting grid and you have to be in it to win it.</p> <p>The Blues have shown throughout the year that their best footy is breathtaking and can match it with the best.</p> <p>It probably rests on how many players they get back and what level of fitness they have in them. If they can field a full-strength team then they could prove a tricky challenge. Even on the road away from home.</p> <p>If they can get through the Gabba challenge, then, much like this entire footy season, anything is possible.</p> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> First round exit.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>How Many Premierships do Carlton have?&nbsp;</h2> <p>16. Most recent AFL Premiership - 1995.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Carlton AFL Premiership Odds</h2>