Round 10 shapes as a pivotal point in the season with several clubs hoping to turn their form around.
Losers of two straight, the Cats embark on a tough trip to Darwin on Thursday to face the Suns, before top eight combatants Sydney and Carlton meet on Friday at the SCG in a must-watch finals rematch.
Implications are high on Saturday with St Kilda in a action against ninth-placed Fremantle, while the Hawks could make it three in a row with an upset scalp over Port Adelaide on Sunday.
We’ve analysed the entire nine-game slate heading into Round 10, and our best bets can be found here!
TIO Stadium has become somewhat of a fortress for the Gold Coast Suns as they attempt to make it six wins on the trot on Thursday against the wounded Cats.
Things got off to a slow start for Damien Hardwick’s side in last week’s eventual blowout win over the Kangaroos, but once the forward half entries started flowing, it wasn’t long before the Suns kicked12 goals to North’s five in the second half.
Chris Scott will be eager to bounce back from two straight losses, the latest against Port Adelaide in front of a humble and silenced home crowd last week at The Cattery.
Geelong was smashed in most major statistical categories, but most worryingly lost Jeremy Cameron to a concussion, adding to an ailing injured list that already features Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Hawkins.
The Suns have relished the hot conditions up north for the better part of three years, and with a handy 4-2 record as the home underdog against Geelong, there’s value on Gold Coast to keep their streak alive.
Another top eight blockbuster is set on Friday night with the Swans and Blues engaged in a rematch of last year’s Elimination Final.
Sydney picked apart the emotional Dockers last week on the road for a tidy 48-point win, building confidence for this revenge game after ruing missed shots in front of goal in last year’s six-point Finals loss.
The Blues were lucky to walk away with four points against Melbourne, Michael Voss’ side shifting into protect mode far too early after dominating through the first three quarters.
Looking ahead, this should be an equally tight battle between two sides averaging 14 goals apiece, but down the other end, it’s advantage Sydney with Carlton averaging the fifth-most goals to opponents this season.
With their last win at the SCG dating all the way back to 2019, this feels like another statement game for the flag favourites, and the price certainly reflects that.
Two points is better than none, but last week’s draw against Brisbane still leaves Matthew Nicks and the Adelaide Crows with plenty of work to do.
It doesn’t get any easier with a trip to the ‘G to face the reigning premiers on Saturday, a side the Crows fell to twice last year by no more than two points on each occasion.
Collingwood looked back to its best last week running out 66-point winners over West Coast, remerging in the top eight picture for the first time on the back of some typical Nick Daicos magic.
After a slow start, the Crows’ midfield has looked much improved over the last fortnight, but it remains to be seen what kind of emotional toll the draw takes considering they had all the momentum in the final few minutes.
There are some noteworthy injuries to keep an eye on when it comes to the Pies, but with their depth shining through in recent weeks, this feels like another building block on their season against an Adelaide outfit that still fails to make the most of its opportunities.
One of the league’s more underrated rivalries featuring two sides that have squared off in finals and a handful of close games decided by less than a goal.
Three losses from their last five has seen the Giants moving backward down the ladder, but that hasn’t stopped the bookies from holding steady with a $7.00 quote about them in the Premiership market.
Adam Kingsley’s lack of depth has come into question during this recent stretch, while last week’s loss to the Bombers highlighted the Giants’ inability to respond mid-game and make adjustments to Essendon’s quick ball movement.
The Dogs, on the other hand, responded to their loss to Hawthorn with a comfortable win over Richmond last week, but it’s still incredibly difficult to trust Luke Beveridge’s side given how wonky this season has felt.
Betting-wise, the Giants have gone 4-2 as the favourite in six games against the Dogs, but it’s worth noting their last three encounters have all fallen Under the Total.
On the back of a loss, GWS does hold a tidy 5-3 record at the line, but if the Dogs can disrupt the Giants’ ability to control the game with sharp, accurate kicks, this could turn into a genuine arm wrestle.
It’s only fitting that these two sides should meet with so much at stake.
St Kilda has fallen to 14th on the ladder with four losses from its last five games, the latest coming against a young and upcoming Hawthorn outfit in Tassie last Saturday.
The Saints were on the back-foot early and never managed to match Hawthorn’s intensity, failing to show precision with boot and foot and looking very slow inside 50 during the second half.
Fremantle had excuses last week in a blowout loss to the Swans, an emotional game following the sudden passing of teammate Cameron McCarthy.
The Dockers again came up short in front of goal, misfiring and failing to find the centre of the sticks – a recurring theme for Justin Longmuir’s side all season.
In terms of betting, this isn’t a game I feel overly confident in with both sides nursing some key injuries, and both proving incapable of converting on their opportunities in the forward half of the ground.
That said, the Dockers have shown that their best footy is finals caliber, while they’ve also been a rather clean team when it comes to turnovers – something we can’t say for the Saints.
St Kilda was punished massively on back-half turnovers last week, and we could see a similar story unfold against a defensive-minded team like the Dockers.
The Lions might be left with an empty feeling despite walking away with two points from last week’s trip to face the Crows.
Leading by double digits midway through the final term, it felt as though Brisbane had finally turned a corner and was ready to put its foot down for a statement win, only to see the Crows charge back and force a draw.
A trip back to the Gabba awaits on Saturday where fans are eager to see their side pick up their second home win after knocking off the Suns in the Q-Clash two weeks ago.
Embattled Richmond awaits, a long-time rival that has been handed more than just losses on the field in recent weeks.
A 91-point loss, their biggest of the season, was a tough pill to swallow last Saturday night against the Dogs, but it was made all the more worse with Jack Graham and Maurice Rioli joining a lengthy injury list.
Brisbane still has work to do when it comes to winning the contested ball and defending in transition, but with the Tigers basically fielding a VFL side, this should be theirs to lose.
The knock on Essendon this time last week was that the Bombers hadn’t beaten an opponent of note, but after turning things around in the second half to down the Giants by a healthy 20 points, it’s fair to say Brad Scott’s side is the real deal.
The Dons’ midfield success has been well-documented this year, but it feels as though Scott has genuine game-changers all around the ground, starting with Nic Martin’s resurgence down back and the emergence of Sam Durham in recent weeks.
Still winless, the Roos are well on their way to another spoon, although there was a bit to like about their first-quarter effort last week in Darwin against the Suns.
Still, it’s clear North can’t play four quarters of footy, and until we start to see some confidence down back and less turnovers moving the ball forward, it’s difficult to back the Shinboners with any shred of confidence.
Port’s crisp ball movement was a thing of pure beauty last week in the shock win over Geelong, an area Ken Hinkley will no doubt be eager to build on against the Hawks this week.
Minus one of their stars, the Power midfield shined bright with Zak Butters, Ollie Wines, and Jason Horne-Francies enjoying bulk footy, while Port’s resolve when the Cats mounted a late charge also bares mentioning.
Hawthorn has strung together back to back wins over the Dogs and Saints, reward for their aggressive brand of footy that caught St Kilda on the back foot nice and early last week in Launceston.
On one hand, it was another low-scoring day at the office with plenty of missed chances, but on the other, Sam Mitchell has to be happy with his team’s pressure and ability to win the uncontested footy when it mattered.
A trip to face the Power in Adelaide is a difficult task, but it was only two years ago Hawthorn ventured south to beat the Power at home in a Round 2 blowout.
Recent results have blown the line in favour of Port way out of proportion, but if Hawthorn can start this game on the right foot and bring intense pressure from the onset, they might be a chance at keeping the margin respectable.
A date with West Coast lines up at an opportune time for Simon Goodwin and the Dees.
Still occupying 4th on the ladder, Melbourne will be eager to get back to winning ways after coming off second-best in a 50/50 arm wrestle to Carlton last week by no more than a point.
In a lot of ways, the Dees were the better side statistically, winning most major categories aside from clearances and conversion in front of goal.
West Coast, meanwhile, suffered its third straight defeat to Collingwood, a game that always shaped as an uphill battle with a key injury to Jeremy McGovern emerging as well.
Elliot Yeo is still a big name on the injury list for the Eagles, and it’s tough to see their midfield matching Melbourne’s class if he’s absent once again with a groin strain.
Boasting an impressive 6-2 record as the away favourite over the last 12 months, this should be a cruisy win for visiting Melbourne with another favourable game ahead next week against St Kilda.