Big names walk finals tightrope THE winner of this year's premiership may ultimately rest with the AFL judiciary system rather than form and injuries lists. Of the nine clubs still in contention for the final eight, all are vulnerable, with the exception of Richmond, which has just one player -- Steve Morris -- on a dangerously high number of demerit points. Carry-over demerit points, which remain on a player's record for 12 months, could cost several big-name players a finals game. Even minor infringements that could normally be pleaded down to reprimands would more than likely stretch into costly suspensions during the most important month of the season. With five home-and-away rounds remaining, some of the code's biggest names are walking a tightrope. GRAPHIC: On the edge The top two clubs, Hawthorn and Geelong, will be keeping their fingers crossed that Jarryd Roughead (Hawks) and Cats captain Joel Selwood keep their noses clean over the next six weeks, otherwise they could be affected deep into the finals by any match review panel decision. Selwood's 84 carry-over points expire in a fortnight after a reprimand for a misconduct offence in that he made unnecessary or unreasonable contact with an injured player, his brother Adam, against West Coast in round 20 last year. Roughead, who is the Hawks' leading goalkicker this season with 54, will have his 70.31 demerit points extinguished following this year's qualifying final. His only blemish over the past six years was in last year's qualifying final when he was charged with rough conduct against Collingwood's Chris Dawes and accepted a reprimand for his reckless conduct. Hawthorn, Geelong, Essendon and Fremantle have multiple matchwinners with dangerously high points tallies that do not expire until next year. The Hawks have Jordan Lewis, Shaun Burgoyne and Luke Hodge on a knife edge, while the Bombers could be severely affected should Paddy Ryder or Jake Carlisle face match review panel scrutiny again this season. Injured Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin and defensive forward Matt de Boer will have their points wiped next week, but important players Hayden Ballantyne, Nat Fyfe, Zac Dawson and Matthew Pavlich are sitting on high points that last well into next season. Geelong has five experienced players -- James Kelly, Joel Corey, Steve Johnson, Jimmy Bartel and James Podsiadly -- sitting on points that do not expire until the 2014 season. Last month, Geelong coach Chris Scott described his club's potential predicament as "alarming," saying he had a few players who needed to be more careful. However, repeat offender Bartel this week said his teammates would not change the way they play. "We're not going to ease up because it's very hard to play football not going 100 per cent with your intensity, your attack on the football and the man," he said.