The Swans travel to the MCG ready to renew their rivalry with Hawthorn and the Eagles will be looking to continue their outstanding run of form when they take on the Giants in Sydney. Essendon clash with Carlton in what looms as a crucial clash for both sides and Port Adelaide battle the Crows in the South Australian derby.
The Brisbane Lions will be hoping to notch their first win of the season when they take on the Bulldogs and Fremantle have an opportunity to move back up the AFL ladder when they take on St Kilda.
The action finishes this round when Collingwood do battle with the Cats and a win for the Pies would out them within touching distance of the top eight.
There will be no love lost between these two sides when they renew their rivalry at the MCG. Hawthorn have won their last three games between these sides by a single figure margin and on current form, you would have to back a close match between both of these sides.
The Swans were upstaged by the Kangaroos last round and will be searching for some redemption in what looms as a vital clash for the Swans.
Without Buddy Franklin, the Swans will struggle to kick goals in what has historically been a low scoring affair.
The Hawks ability to win the clearance across the middle of the park gives them a clear edge and they should go onto run out winners by two goals.
The Eagles have defied the early season form guide to sit second on the AFL ladder thanks to the outstanding form of their forward line.
West Coast have won their past six matches and will fancy their chances of causing an upset against a Giants side missing a host of key players.
The Giants are set to be without Toby Greene, Rory Lobb and Josh Kelly for another week and they’ll be wanting to bounce back after a poor display against the Cats last round.
The Giants have a fantastic record at home at Spotless Stadium winning 14 of their last 19 matches and will be looking to continue their run over the Eagles that includes the last three match-ups in 2017. The Eagles are on their best streak since 2016 but may find the going tough at Spotless Stadium.
The Giants will defy the form guide to grind out a close win against a West Coast side that we could be seeing again in September for finals football.
It’s hard to believe that these two marquee clubs sit near the foot of the AFL ladder off the back of a woeful start to the 2018 season.
Both of these sides are guilty of offering their supporters some glimpses of hope across the opening round but now sit well off the pace of the top eight.
The Bombers pulled the trigger early in offering coach John Worsfold a new contract and he simply hasn’t been able to pull the best out of his side. Carlton have struggled after showing some promise in Round One and you now have to start questioning why the Blues sacrificed midfielder Bryce Gibbs.
It’s difficult to pick a winner between these two sides and I am happy to sit back and attempt to enjoy this one from a spectator’s perspective.
The Suns play host to the Demons at the Gabba in Brisbane and sit just outside the top eight after a loss to the Western Bulldogs in Round Seven.
The Suns will be wanting a win here before they head to China to take on Port Adelaide. The Demons will be feeling confident of getting the job done in Brisbane after wins over Essendon and St Kilda. The Suns haven’t had a win against the Demons since 2013 and will need to dominate the contested possession across the middle of the park.
The Suns have shown some real ability in the early part of the competition with some tough wins on the road and have shown they won’t be easy beats this season.
The Suns won their only game at the Gabba this season when they got over the line against the Lions by less than a goal. The Demons have a perfect record in 2018 and if the Suns can negate the impact of Max Gawn, then they will be in with a chance of causing an upset.
The form guide usually goes out the window when the battle for bragging rights in South Australian football go on the line.
The Crows have been able to record six wins on the trot over their local rivals and will find it difficult against a Port Adelaide side that has shown some rapid improvement but still struggle to string together consecutive wins.
The Power were made to pay for their poor disposals last week by the Eagles in Perth and Ken Hinkley’s men will need to show some major improvement against an impressive Crows side.
While the Crows haven’t reached the scoring heights that helped them to the Grand Final in 2017, they still possess one of the most potent forward lines in the competition.
The Crows represent some good value and should be able to record a win in what should be a closely fought contest.
On paper, the Bulldogs should be able to handle the threat posed by the Brisbane Lions. The Lions have yet to register a win in the competition this season and were unlucky not to get the job done against Collingwood last week at the Gabba.
The Lions simply lack the big match experience against the marquee clubs in the competition, but Chris Fagan’s men will be hoping to take advantage of the Bulldog’s long injury list.
The Bulldogs have won their last three clashes with the Lions and Brisbane will be wanting to avoid their seventh consecutive loss. Brisbane have played some good football at times this season and will cause the Bulldogs some problems, but the home team should be able to do enough to grind out a close win by two goals.
Fremantle may have been trounced by Richmond in round seven but while the Dockers are a different beast in Perth. Nate Fyfe continues to enhance his claims for another Brownlow Medal with a best on ground performance last week against the Tigers in Melbourne. Fyfe continues to be the main beneficiary from a fully fit Aaron Sandilands.
The Fremantle ruckman has been unstoppable in the middle of the park and Fyfe could have a day out this week against Alan Richardson’s side.
After defeating the Lions in the opening round of the competition that Saint have had next to no impact and have struggled to pose any real threat to the competition. The Saints may have won their last outing against the Dockers in Perth, but it would take a massive turnaround in form for the Saints to grab their second win of the season.
The Dockers have turned the new Optus Stadium into a fortress in 2018 and expect them to handle the Saints with ease to record a five-goal win.
North Melbourne have continued to surprise the competition and were impressive in recording a win against the Swans in Sydney. The Kangaroos play with a level of self-belief that has helped them cement a place in the top eight. The premiers have barely looked untroubled since their Grand Final triumph.
Richmond have been impressive this season and remain in contention to repeat their premiership success.
This game will be won across the Kangaroos forward line, with North Melbourne potentially having enough key forward to trouble the best defensive unit in the competition. If North Melbourne can find a way to smother the impact of Dustin Martin, then they’ll cause the Tigers some real problems.
This will be an intriguing encounter, but Richmond will be feeling confident of remaining on top of the AFL ladder for another week and run out winners by six goals.
Collingwood fans would have breathed a heavy sigh of relief last week as their side dodged a bullet to record a win against the Lions at the Gabba.
Nathan Buckley’s men will face a sterner test this week as they come up against a Geelong side hungry for success.
The Cats are in ominous form after disposing of the Giants last week at home and have won three of their last four games. Geelong will be further boosted by the expected return of Gary Ablett from a hamstring injury, whilst the Pies won’t be able to call upon the services of skipper Scott Pendlebury who suffered an injury last week against the Lions.
The Pies have improved in recent weeks and have the better of Geelong in recent clashes, but Geelong’s midfield gives them the edge in what is sure to be a fascinating contest. Ablett has enjoyed playing against the Pies in the past and he should be able to lead Geelong to a comfortable three goal win at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.