Five is the magic number heading into Round 3 with five teams searching for their first win, and five hoping to remain unbeaten.
The Bombers kick us off on Thursday at Marvel against Port, and we’re back under the roof again on Friday for a genuine blockbuster between winless Carlton and Dogs side hoping to build on a moral loss to Collingwood last week.
Saturday night is tough to top with top of the ladder Hawthorn hosting GWS in Tassie, while the Lions and Cats square off in what should be a wet night at the Gabba.
Throw in another top eight battle on Sunday between the Crows and North, plus the Western Derby, and you have all the makings for a jam-packed weekend of footy!
An early must-win game for the embattled Bombers as Brad Scott’s side hopes to avoid a disastrous 0-3 start to the season.
It might sound simple, but possession and taking care of the footy will prove paramount in this contest with the Bombers coughing it up 69 times in last week’s blowout loss to the Crows. The Dons were also out-marked 59 to 129 with only seven inside 50 entries finding a target.
Port got back on track last week with a cushy win over the Tigers as Mitch Georgiades and Willie Rioli led the way. Ken Hinkley will be eager to improve on the second half after allowing the Tigers to kick nine goals, but the Power forward line could do up a similar number on Essendon’s desperate defence down back.
Port scored 12 goals off intercept chains last week, so if the Bombers fail to take care of the pill, they could be in for another long night.
We’re back under the roof for the second night running with the desperate Blues in action against a seemingly much-improved Bulldogs team.
Carlton dominated the clearances but still fell 20 points short of Hawthorn last week as Jai Newcombe ran riot through the midfield to heap further pressure on Michael Voss.
The Dogs, on the other hand, showed plenty of bark in a nail-biting loss to Collingwood, one that could be seen as a moral victory after emerging star forward Sam Darcy kicked a four-goal bag in a back and forth tilt.
It’s early days, but the Bulldogs are already averaging five more goals compared to the Blues, but there are growing positives from a Carlton standpoint worth getting excited about.
Last week’s pressure, particularly in the first half against Hawthorn was a huge improvement on the week before, while the added inclusion of Harry McKay back into the forward line should help take some of the pressure off Charlie Curnow.
This has all the makings of a hot contest between two expectant fan bases, but I’ll lean the Dogs in a close one with the Blues still struggling to turn those clearance wins into points.
Two weeks is a long time in footy, just ask Simon Goodwin.
The Dees sit 0-2 following last week’s disheartening 59-point loss to North Melbourne, a scoreline that blew out late in the fourth quarter when Melbourne was outscored 8 goals to 1 in an onslaught.
As a result, Simon Goodwin finds himself on the hot seat as his list, led by Clayton Oliver and the rejuvenated Christian Petracca, continues to struggle. Scoring remains a major issue like it did last year, which doesn’t bode well against a well-rested Suns side that put up 87 points on West Coast a fortnight ago.
One game is a small sample, but the Suns’ pressure was enormous over in Perth, while Ben King looks every bit a Coleman contender after slotting six goals.
At the same time, the Suns haven’t beaten the Dees since 2014, not to mention this is also another tough road game for a team that is yet to play in front of its home fans.
Damien Hardwick well know full well that the Dees will come out firing, much like Carlton did last week against the Hawks. But for a team averaging only 20 scoring shots a game, it’s still hard to tip Melbourne until we see some improvement.
The Saints will be out to prove last week’s brilliant win over the Cats was no fluke when they take on the wooden spoon favourites.
Ross Lyon’s side put on a masterclass against Geelong to run out seven-point winners, recording a pressure rating well over 200 across all four quarters thanks to a massive effort from new recruit Jack Macrae (35 touches, 10 tackles).
St Kilda’s ball movement under the roof at Marvel is a joy to watch at its best, which paints a worrying picture for the Tigers after registering only eight marks inside 50 during last week’s blowout loss to Port Adelaide.
Star forward Tom Lynch returning from a one-game suspension should offer Richmond’s mids another target on attack, but as we’ve seen over the last two seasons, the Saints have a knack for squeezing the life out of the yellow and black.
St Kilda has held the Tigers to 60 points or less over their last three meetings, covering the line four of their last five games as the favourite against Richmond.
With Jack Higgins kicking a bag last week and Macrae seemingly rediscovering some of his old Bulldogs form from five years ago, there’s every reason to believe in the Saints right now.
We’re treated to a rare twilight fixture down in Launceston in what is easily game of the round between two unbeatens.
The Hawks extended their winning streak to three with last Friday’s win over Carlton, a pressure-filled game that not only showcased Hawthorn’s depth, but also the class of Jai Newcombe and Mabior Chol.
The Giants are fresh from the bye after coming from behind to defeat the Dees at the ‘G two weeks ago, form that appears a little questionable after Melbourne was pummeled by North last weekend.
From a fan standpoint, this should be a thrilling contest, but from a betting perspective, it’s one I’m happy to watch. The Hawks have been brilliant so far, but wins over Sydney, Essendon and Carlton are still a little suspect.
The last five meetings between the pair have all fallen Under the Total with Toby Greene averaging 2.0 goals, and Jai Newcombe close to 28 disposals across that span.
Sam Mitchell’s side is always tough to beat down in Tassie, but a low-scoring game is probably the way to play this one.
The scheduled rematch between the Lions and Cats from Opening Round could see similar elements at play on Saturday night.
After their original fixture was postponed due to Cyclone Alfred, more heavy rain is forecast for Southeast QLD right through to Sunday, making this a tricky game to get a read on before even considering both team’s respective efforts last week.
They say great teams find a way to win, but there was nothing pretty about Brisbane’s home-opener against West Coast – trailing by four goals at half time to put a dampener on any flag celebrations.
Brisbane eventually flexed its muscle to walk away three-goal winners, but it’s clear either the heat got the better of Chris Fagan’s men, or the focus was missing from the very start.
Meanwhile, the Cats came undone against the Saints as they struggled to find an answer for St Kilda’s slick ball movement on the unique dimensions at Marvel.
Like last year, the Cats already look unpredictable week to week, but there was still a lot to like about their comeback effort with defensive stalwart Tom Stewart subbed out in the first half.
The Lions know they need to improve sharply if they are any chance of knocking off one of their modern day rivals, but with the weather in play and low-scoring, scrappy contests between these two sides more than common, a Brisbane win plus the Under is the way I’m leaning.
The Crows and North are inside the eight… bet you didn’t have that on your bingo card at the start of the season.
Adelaide has kicked off 2025 in a big way with two blowout wins over St Kilda and Essendon, the latter seeing them put up 161 points in another massive day for the likes of Josh Rachele, Ben Keays, and Riley Thilthorpe up forward.
As for North, last Saturday’s win over Melbourne was a turning of the page so to speak as we finally got a look at just how dangerous Alastair Clarkson’s robust midfield can be.
Luke Parker, Luke Davies-Uniacke and Harry Sheezl were everywhere at once, while Cam Zurhaar is also starting to compliment Nick Larkey up forward with a handy four-goal bag.
The line for this game has been set as high as 40 points, which seems a little generous given the Crows just gave up 100 points to a depleted Essendon forward line.
Backing North to win seems a stretch, but North building on last week with an honourable loss doesn’t seem a bad play.
A pivotal Western Derby between 17th and 18th wraps up the round, and it is a little surprising to find the Dockers favoured by as many as four goals.
To their credit, Freo took the Swans to the sword last week in a game they probably win if Jye Amiss marks a second earlier before the siren. The Dockers led for 103 minutes all up, but as always, a small number of scoring chances cost them in the end.
West Coast, on the other hand, led by as many as four goals over Brisbane at half time before falling away in the final term. The Lions got on top around the clearances and started to dominate the inside 50 count, but there were still positives to draw from a West Coast perspective with young guns Tyrell Dewar and Ryan Maric touching plenty of the footy.
These Derby games are typically blowouts, as evidenced by the fact the last six have all been decided by 20 points or more.
West Coast feels as though it’s building towards something, while this is absolute D-Day for the Dockers with Justin Longmuir already under the pump.
A fast start is paramount for the Eagles’ chances, but having covered in seven of their last nine as the underdog against West Coast, I think there’s a chance they keep this tight for a change.