Collingwood starts the round ten action at Etihad Stadium on Friday night in what looms as a must-win clash for the 13th placed Western Bulldogs.
Richmond has the opportunity to get their title defence back on track against St Kilda, after going down to the Eagles in Perth.
Rivalries with NSW usually bring out the best in sides from Queensland, and the Lions will be out to strike a blow for the maroons when they go up against the Swans at the Gabba.
The Eagles will be out to build a lead at the top of the ladder and prove their title aspirations in Melbourne when they clash with Hawthorn.
Collingwood will put aside trade talk over rising star Jordan de Goey, as they look to edge towards the top eight.
The Pies have been in good form over the last month, winning five of the last seven games and are a game clear of the Western Bulldogs on the ladder.
The Bulldogs have struggled for confidence and consistency this season but will take some confidence from their stellar record against Collingwood.
The Bulldogs have outplayed the Magpies in their last five games and will be looking for a morale-boosting win after succumbing to the Crows in the wet last weekend.
The Pies have more scoring options at their disposal across the midfield and are good value in the marketplace to record a comfortable three-goal win.
The Tigers will be disappointed to have gone down to the Eagles last week in Perth and expect them to take out their frustrations on the Saints.
St Kilda have had a disappointing season, losing their last four games since their draw with the Giants. The Saints have struggled to kick a winning score this season, with their forward line structure continuing to be a major problem. Despite their second loss of the season last week, Richmond continues to be one of the best scoring teams in the competition and expect Dustin Martin to enjoy the return to the open spaces of the MCG.
Martin didn’t have his usual explosive impact at the Eagles last week and expect him to bounce back against the Saints. The Tigers will be hungry for the win and I’m expecting them to cover the line in what should be a return to the winner’s list for the defending premiers.
Chris Fagan’s men made a breakthrough last weekend to record their first win of the season against Hawthorn. The Lions broke a nine-year drought to record a 56-point win against the Hawks and will need a similar level of commitment to stop the Swans.
Sydney welcomed back spearhead Lance Franklin with open arms last week and the full-forward kicked eight goals in his last outing against Brisbane. The Lions will need to put the brakes on the Swans midfield, with Jake Lloyd coming off a career-best 41-possessions against the Dockers last week at the SCG.
Brisbane have shown some promising signs this year, but the Lions haven’t tasted success in their last ten matches with Sydney, with the Swans winning their last three games at the Gabba. Sydney will be wary of Brisbane’s recent improvement and should be able to run out winners in what should be a physical contest at the Gabba.
The Giants have struggled with the weight of expectation this season and are in danger of falling out of finals contention after three consecutive losses. Essendon are coming off a memorable win against Geelong and John Worsfold’s team will need to find a way to turn around their horrible form on the road against a GWS side desperate to stay in finals contention.
The Giants have struggled with injuries to a number of key positional players but will welcome back Phil Davis for what’s looming as a crucial clash with the Bombers.
The Giants defeated Essendon in their last two clashes at Spotless and if the competition’s youngest team will need a win against the Bombers to challenge for their first premiership in September.
If the Giants can improve their disposal options across the midfield then they have the potential to get a much-needed win against Essendon.
Geelong would have been disappointed with their effort last round as they were shocked by Essendon at the MCG. The Cats will be looking to bounce back in a big way when they host Carlton at GMHBA Stadium.
Brendon Bolton’s men have endured a tough season and the last placed Blues are coming off a 106-point loss to the Demons. Carlton hasn’t tasted success against the Cats since round ten in 2016 and will face an uphill battle to remain competitive against a Geelong side that well and truly has their measure.
Cats forward Tom Hawkins kicked six goals in his last outing at the same venue against the Blues and Gary Ablett has also enjoyed playing against Carlton. Geelong will run out easy winners and another poor performance from Carlton will see coach Brendon Bolton come under the microscope.
The Hawks were surprised by the Lions at the Gabba last week and Alistair Clarkson’s men will be looking to return to form against West Coast at Etihad Stadium.
Hawthorn hasn’t been beaten by the Eagles in Victoria since 2006 but will be wary of an Eagles side that has well and truly performed beyond expectations.
West Coast were brilliant in disposing of Richmond last week to cement their place on top of the AFL ladder and the Eagles will now be hunting for their ninth consecutive win of the season. West Coast forward Jack Darling kicked six goals last week against the premiers and expect him to terrorise the Hawthorn back line with Josh Kennedy.
The Eagles are one of the best scoring teams in the competition and should be able to get on top of Hawthorn in what should be a high scoring affair.
Fresh off their record win against the Blues last week, the Demons head to Alice Springs to do battle with last year’s runner-up. The Crows were clinical in their win over the Western Bulldogs last week in the wet at the Adelaide Oval and their midfield will enjoy the opportunity to get their hands on a dry ball.
Melbourne will be desperate to claim a high-profile scalp to add to their claims as a legitimate finals threat after winning their last three games.
The Crows playing group will relish the opportunity to get a win over former teammate Jake Lever. The key defender left Adelaide last season to return to Victoria and his former team will be looking to send him a message with a good performance.
The Crows were slow out of the blocks this season, but with Eddie Betts finding some form last week they should enjoy their first clash in Alice Springs by grinding out a win against one of the form teams in the competition.
The Kangaroos have continued to defy the critics and were brilliant against the Giants last week to record a comfortable win. North Melbourne have been outstanding across the opening nine rounds of the competition but face a tough task against the Dockers in the West. While Fremantle were poor against the Swans last week in Sydney, they are a different beast at home in Perth.
The Swans remain the only interstate side to have emerged victorious from their trip across the Nullarbor.
The Kangaroos are in form but will struggle to contain a Fremantle side spurred on by a fanatical home crowd and the Dockers should be able to use that to their advantage to edge the Kangaroos.