Geelong will be determined to bounce back with a strong performance at home when they take on the GWS Giants at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night.
The Western Bulldogs will be out to improve their record when they meet the Suns in Ballarat. After a promising start, the Suns have slipped down the ladder and the clash against the Bulldogs is an important opportunity for them to get their season back on track.
An improved Hawthorn side will face-off against Essendon and the Eagles will host Port Adelaide in Perth.
The Swans will look to move into the top-four with when they do battle with the Kangaroos and the Crows will be wanting to keep Carlton on the bottom of the ladder.
Richmond host the Dockers and the Lions will be wanting to get their first win of the season when they come up against Collingwood at the Gabba.
The Giants will be confident of causing an upset after watching the Swans dismantle the Cats in Geelong.
The Cats lost to the Swans by 17-points in the last round, after running of out steam in the final quarter.
The Giants have lost their last three fixtures to the Cats in Geelong and will need to turn around a poor record at GMHBA Stadium without forwards Jeremy Cameron and Toby Greene.
The Cats will be desperate to win back some respect and while Tom Hawkins has struggled to set the world on fire in the forward line this season, Patrick Dangerfield could loom as the key man for the Cats.
Dangerfield has enjoyed a good return against the Giants in his previous outings and expect to see the midfielder spend some time in the forward line at some stage during the game. Geelong will be looking to respond after their loss to Sydney and with injuries to a number of the Giants key players giving the Cats the opportunity to grind out a tough win.
The Bulldogs host the Suns at Mars Stadium and will be hoping that a change of venue will bring about a change in fortunes for the Melbourne side.
The Bulldogs have struggled to replicate the type of form that saw them nab the 2016 premiership and will be looking for some consistency when they take on the Gold Coast.
The Dogs were able to notch an ugly win against Carlton in round six while the Suns were outplayed by the Crows in Adelaide.
The Bulldogs have won their last five games against the Gold Coast and will be hoping that Marcus Bontempelli continues his return to form.
The Suns will be without Tom Lynch and co-captain Steve May with the star duo picking up injuries.
The Gold Coast have struggled on the road of late and will need their midfield to fire to upset a Bulldogs side that will be looking for consecutive wins.
The Bombers are in a downward spiral and have lost four of their last five games.
Essendon are horribly out of form and will need their stars to lift in Joe Daniher’s 100th AFL game. Hawthorn were able to find some form in the win against St Kilda in Tasmania and the young midfield of Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara are starting to prove their worth to the club.
The Hawks investment in youth is paying off this season and with an inform forward line the Hawks will spoil Joe Daniher’s milestone for the Essendon.
Expect the Hawks to run away with this game in the second half and run out comfortable winners by five goals.
The Eagles have surprised the competition to sit second on the ladder behind Richmond after notching their fifth win in succession against the Dockers in the Western Derby.
The Eagles are playing some of their best football since 2015, and have developed a fierce rivalry with the Power after West Coast dumped Port Adelaide out of the finals race in the 2017 Elimination Final.
The Power were able to restore some confidence to their faltering season after getting over the line against the Kangaroos last round. The Power have been able to win their last two matches against the Eagles in Perth and won’t be intimidated by a one-sided crowd at Optus Stadium. Paddy Ryder should be available to make a return to the Power line-up, just in time to tackle the in-form Nic Naitanui.
These two sides have had some epic battles over the last twelve months and if the Eagles can win against the Power they would have won six consecutive games for the first time since 2015.
The Eagles form is too hard to ignore at the moment and expect them to get over the line in what looms as the match of the round.
The Swans will be happy to return to the SCG after pulling off a major win against the Cats without Lance Franklin and Dan Hannebery.
The Kangaroos have been one of the better sides of the competition this season to date but struggled to match the intensity of Port Adelaide in a heavy loss last round.
The Swans became the only side in the competition last week to have won their last three games in Geelong and will need their midfield to maintain the intensity against the Kangaroos. North Melbourne have struggled for speed across the middle of the park and may have a tough time coping with Sydney midfielder Josh Kennedy.
Sydney will be looking to kick clear in the second half of the match and will be able to record back to back wins to help them move further up the ladder.
Former Carlton midfielder Bryce Gibbs will line-up against his former side for the first time when the Crows host Carlton at the Adelaide Oval. Gibbs has been one of the form players for the Crows and it will take a huge upset for Carlton to notch their first win of the season.
Carlton have played twice at the Adelaide Oval, losing to the Power twice by a combined total of 193 points and the Blues have lost their last eight matches away from home. Carlton have struggled to develop this season after showing plenty of fight against Richmond in the first round of the season.
The Crows will be looking for their third consecutive win to keep the pressure on Carlton Coach Brendon Bolton. If the Crows play to their potential, then they should be able to run away with the game and kick on with a percentage boosting win.
The Dockers edged the Tigers by two points in the corresponding fixture last year but don’t expect Fremantle to repeat the effort given the hot form of the Tigers.
The premiers sit in first place on the AFL ladder and will be looking to cement their position as one of the form teams of the competition.
The Dockers have won four of their last five games against Richmond at the MCG but will struggle to match the intensity of a fully fit Richmond side.
The Tigers have the chance to match their start to the season since 1995 and it will take a huge effort for Ross Lyon’s men to stop them.
Richmond should be able to run out comfortable winners, in what should be an entertaining clash at the MCG.
Both of these sides have struggled for consistency this season, with the Saints sitting near the foot of the ladder and the Demons will be approaching this clash looking for a confidence boost.
Melbourne have struggled to put together four quarters of high-intensity football and if they aren’t able to get the points against the Saints this week, then they’ll struggle to play finals football.
The Saints have been truly awful at times this season and the only bright performance this year has been the draw with the Giants. Melbourne have the advantage in the middle of the park with Max Gawn controlling the ruck and this should give them the opportunity to notch a solid win against a side that looks set to struggle for the remainder of the season.
Collingwood have been able to punch above their weight at times this season and took the pressure off coach Nathan Buckley last week with a win against the Bombers. The Magpies will be happy to be within striking distance of the top eight but will be wary of a Brisbane side that continues to show promise this season.
The young Lions side have yet to strike a blow in the competition but have continued to play some attacking football this season.
The Lions have struggled to get on the scoreboard and will need to find a few more avenues to goal if they want to trouble some of the marquee names in the competition.
The trip to the Gabba looms as a dangerous game for Collingwood but they have enough class in the midfield to grind out a win in Brisbane.