One look at the fixture tells you all you need to know ahead of Round 8.
This weekend is all about rivalries, starting with The Showdown on Thursday night, before the Blues and Pies write another chapter in their long-standing grudge match on Friday in front of a massive crowd.
The ‘Battle of the Bridge’ follows on Saturday between top four combatants Sydney and GWS, followed by a huge edition of the Q-Clash on Sunday night with the Suns looking to return to the eight with a win in Brisbane.
The stakes are high, and our thoughts on all nine games ahead of Round 8 can be found here!
The market tells you all you need to know heading into the first Showdown of the year.
Port has been dealt a few key injury blows with Connor Rozee, Aliir Aliir, and Sam Powell-Pepper all unavailable, while the Crows will be looking to respond to Rory Sloane’s shock retirement announcement on Monday.
The Crows picked up a well-deserved win over North Melbourne last week, but it’s fair to say Port is the more battle-tested team over the last month with games against Fremantle, Collingwood, and St Kilda.
Ken Hinkley’s side dialled up the pressure last week in the 10-point win over the Saints, out-tackling their opponent 83-55.
How they replicate that effort without Rozee and Powell-Pepper will be fascinating, but given Adelaide’s midfield has been hit and miss all year, I think the Power are good value at the head-to-head quote.
Massive game between two rivals that have put on some genuine thrillers over the last couple of years.
Both sides came through their respective games last week unscathed, Collingwood playing out a tough draw against the Bombers on ANZAC Day, and the Blues suffering a 13-point defeat at the hands of Geelong.
Carlton has played to a solid 11-6 record off a loss over the last 12 months, but I think the Under might be the best way to play this one.
The Blues struggled to move the ball inside 50 last week against Geelong’s impenetrable back half, while the Pies have done most of their scoring in brief spurts – struggling to get the ball into their forward line – something they did with ease last year.
Better yet, both sides rank Top 5 in tackles this year, meaning this should be a pressure-filled game from start to finish.
Hard to argue that this game could turn out to be a potential finals preview down the track.
The Swans have won three of their last four against their inter-state rivals, but it’s worth noting three of their last five meetings have been decided by no more than 11 points.
GWS was methodical in last week’s win over Brisbane, capitalising on the Lions’ lack of efficiency in front of goal and dominating the centre clearances.
Likewise, the Swans made it look easy against the understrength Hawks, playing with real intensity from start to finish to win the contested ball and pressure their opponents into mistakes.
This is another genuine coin-flip game, but I think the battle around the clearances is where it will be won or lost.
Both sides rank in the bottom half of the league in the clearance category, and I thought it was slightly worrying that the Swans came off second-best in this area last week to Hawthorn.
Toby Greene is serving the final game of his suspension, but there are still enough weapons on the park for the Giants to pick up their first win against a current top eight opponent.
Winless North Melbourne will be out to upset St Kilda’s apple cart even further on Saturday by handing them a fourth straight loss.
The Saints went down swinging by 10 points last week to Port Adelaide, another low-scoring loss that has become all too common under the current Ross Lyon regime.
North suffered another blowout defeat, this time at the hands of the Crows. The arduous rebuild continues for Alastair Clarkson, and although his side has shown flashes at times, it’s clear the Roos are still lacking the leadership to get over the hump and start winning games.
St Kilda is laying a healthy six-goal head start at the line, which doesn’t inspire a great deal of confidence given they typically don’t blow teams away on the score sheet.
That said, the Saints have covered in six of their last eight games as the favourite against North, but with their last five meetings all falling under the total, I think that’s the safest way to play this one.
A top four clash of heavyweight proportions that should tell us plenty about the credentials of both sides.
To be fair, the Cats proved they were the real deal last week in a 13-point win over Carlton – a game highlighted by a five-goal bag from Jeremy Cameron and some efficient work inside 50.
The Dees are fresh and well-rested from a 43-point win over Richmond last Wednesday, the extra two day’s rest potentially proving crucial at this point in the season.
Looking back, the Cats actually lost most of the major statistical categories last week against the Blues, struggling to get on top of the clearances and also landing just eight tackles inside 50.
If Carlton kicked straight, they probably would have won, but the pressure from Geelong and their ability to intercept mark has disrupted even some of the best forward lines so far this year.
Melbourne is still a big question mark when it comes to ball movement and scoring, as we saw last week against a wounded Tigers outfit.
Unless they can turn this game into a low-scoring slugfest, I can’t see them matching the Cats on the scoreboard.
Two sides looking to return to the winner’s list meet on Saturday in what could turn out to be a cracking contest under lights.
Question marks loomed over the Bombers heading into the ANZAC Day clash last week, but after handling immense pressure in the final five minutes and responding on the scoreboard, it’s fair to say Brad Scott’s side is trending in the right direction.
On the back of two upset wins over Richmond and Fremantle, the Eagles came crashing back to earth with a blowout loss to the Gold Coast, but there was a lot to like about the effort – in particular Jake Waterman – who kicked another bag to establish a spot in the Coleman chase.
The Dons have the rest advantage in this one, while they’ve also made a habit of covering as the away favourite against West Coast, posting a handy 2-1 record in their last three games.
Harley Reid will be a big boost to the Eagles’ midfield, but with the Bombers ranking as one of the top pressure teams in the competition, this could be a nice building block for their season with a chance to solidify their spot in the eight.
Sunday’s afternoon fixture has all the makings of a low-scoring arm wrestle between understrength Richmond and Fremantle.
The Dockers got back to business last week with a stirring 24-point home win over the Bulldogs, led by a vintage Nat Fyfe performance and a handy strike rate in front of goal.
Richmond, on the other hand, suffered their third straight loss on ANZAC Eve to the Dees, failing to convert in front of the sticks despite putting up a good fight in the first half.
On both sides, the injury list makes for grim reading with Jye Amiss still under a concussion cloud for the Dockers, and Jacob Hopper suffering a hamstring injury for the Tigers.
From a betting perspective, scoring hasn’t come easy for either side this year, and it’s worth noting their last four matches have all fallen under the total.
This shapes as a ‘get right’ type of game for the Dogs, but based on what we’ve seen from them over the last month, it’s hard to know which version of Luke Beveridge’s side is set to turn up.
The Bulldogs suffered another disheartening loss to Fremantle last week, surrendering 95 points to a side that has previously found it very tough to score.
Ruing missed chances in front of goal and finding no answer for Fyfe’s brilliance, the Dogs will now set their sights on a Hawthorn outfit that appears to be heading backward in a hurry.
The Hawks found themselves behind early against Sydney last week, winning a few important statistical categories, but failing to turn up on the scoreboard.
Looking back, Hawthorn won a 67-64 thriller when these two sides met late last year, but unless they can turn their good work around the clearances into scoring opportunities, this shapes as another tough day at the office.
That said, the Hawks do strike the Dogs at an opportune time with Cody Weightman set for a lengthy stint on the sideline due to an elbow injury.
The Hawks would benefit from Mitch Lewis proving his fitness mid-week and returning to the forward line, but with the Dogs still proving inconsistent in front of goal and struggling to win at stoppages, this game could be closer than most might think.
Another highly anticipated Q-Clash bookends the round with the Suns eying off a spot in the eight.
The Lions were dismal last week in their loss to the Giants, struggling to win uncontested possessions and managing a lowly seven marks inside 50.
Poor kicking in front of goal was another low light for a Brisbane team that has failed to fire all season, making this a worrying game against a Suns team that ranks top five in inside 50 entries coming in.
Gold Coast has still found it tough to play a consistent four quarters, but Damien Hardwick’s side should feel good knowing they snapped their long-standing hoodoo against the Lions with a comfortable win last time they met.
Oscar McInerney’s inclusion back into the ruck is a welcome boost for Brisbane, but with their midfield chains lacking polish and wayward goal-kicking becoming a staple, I think the Suns are a genuine shout in this one.