We have another seven games of football to assess in Round 15 of the AFL season, with four teams having a bye.
The round kicks off in Perth on Thursday night as Fremantle host Essendon in a crucial clash for both teams.
However the game of the weekend takes place in Geelong, with a white out crowd uniting as one behind their local Cats as they take on the defending premier Brisbane on Friday night.
All my thoughts and betting plays for the upcoming round can be found below.
A resurgent Fremantle outfit is looking to solidify their spot inside the AFL top eight when they host a struggling Essendon team.
The Dockers have strung together four wins in a row which includes victories over fellow top eight sides in GWS and Gold Coast.
Essendon has just a single win in their last five games including two defeats by over 90 points to the Western Bulldogs and Geelong.
History would suggest that you can’t be beaten by that sort of margin during an AFL season and be a genuine contender, not that anyone is entertaining that thought anyway.
With a dismal percentage of 78.9, the miserable form they are in, and playing away from home, I give them next to no chance.
In their last seven night games, the total points has gone under and I’m confident there will be a premium on defence after a heavy loss.
Patrick Dangerfield will become just the 25th player to reach 350 AFL games on Friday night and remains a vital cog in this team which is firing on all cylinders as we enter the final half of the season.
Jeremy Cameron is the general up front and leads the Coleman Medal race, but he has plenty of soldiers around him contributing inside the forward 50.
Tyson Stengle and Shannon Neale have found form during the last month, Dangerfield has kicked 19 goals despite time off due to injury, and Oliver Dempsey is pushing for an All Australian wing spot in his second season with a remarkable 22 goals.
However the Lions will be eager to break a two match losing streak despite sitting in third position.
A five point loss to the Crows in Adelaide wasn’t ideal but their form at the Gabba is a concern after another loss at home to GWS last weekend.
They will need to find a key defensive replacement for Jack Payne, who suffered a serious knee injury, with makeshift option Eric Hipwood looking like a fish out of water when asked to go down back last weekend.
I’ve had real success with putting together Same Game Multis in Cats games so I’m sticking with that.
Michael Voss and the Blues are back on track after consecutive wins but it’s hard to get excited about their finals prospects just yet.
An eight point win over Essendon and a solid enough victory over West Coast keeps them in the hunt, but it’s safe to say those two teams aren’t going real well.
As has been the case a few times this season, Carlton got off to a flying start but struggled in the second half.
They kicked seven of their 12 total goals in the first quarter but the lack of scoring can somewhat be attributed to Charlie Curnow going down with a calf injury.
In fact, they’ve outscored their last two opponents 86-14 during the first quarter across both games.
They will need to find other avenues to goal though, because they face a North Melbourne team that is showing plenty of signs they are progressing quickly this season.
No longer being bullied throughout games, the Kangaroos now have three wins during season 2025 and their supporters can go into a game like this with some level of confidence.
The fact that Carlton absolutely needs to secure four points if they want to have any chance of playing football during September, and the fact the game is at the MCG has me leaning that way, albeit only just.
Like Carlton, the Power have got their season back on track with a pair of wins in the last two weeks to keep their season alive.
They got the job done against the Giants and then secured a valuable four points at home against Melbourne in Round 14.
Sydney can leapfrog Port with a win considering they have a superior percentage but they will need to improve on a disappointing last month and a half.
Wins over Carlton and Richmond shows there is still life in the bloods yet but I have a feeling a trip to Adelaide Oval will be a bridge too far for them.
The Pies extended their winning streak to five by the barest of margins against Melbourne before their bye round.
They just continue to find ways to win no matter what situation they find themselves in during games and the fact they don’t win by a lot is irrelevant.
Ball control, possession and using the full width of the football ground remain tactics that restrict their opponents scoring opportunities and most teams are yet to figure out a solution.
It’s tough to see St Kilda playing finals from here, but despite a heavy loss to the Western Bulldogs, they are rarely beaten by big margins.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera continues to improve from week to week and Jack Higgins has become a focal point for the Saints up forward.
The fact that this game is taking place at Marvel Stadium and not the MCG is an advantage to St Kilda especially considering Collingwood hasn’t covered the line in eight of their last nine home games at the ground.
The Giants are the most unpredictable team in the AFL.
Their best is good enough to win the competition, but their worst has them well off the mark.
They host the Suns on Sunday but their record at home has been up and down as well.
Former top pick Aaron Cadman kicked five goals in game 49 against the Lions last week and Finn Callaghan returned from injury with 32 disposals.
When the Giants are at their best, their ball movement creates a lot of issues for their opposition and they can score exceptionally quickly especially with Jesse Hogan in the form he is.
The Suns went into their bye with back to back losses against Fremantle and Geelong but they remain in 6th spot with a game in hand.
Gold Coast have lost their last seven straight games at Engie Stadium and GWS has covered the line in nine of their last 10 against the Suns.
The Dogs can climb back into the top eight with a win over 17th placed Richmond on Sunday afternoon at Marvel Stadium.
Back to back losses against Geelong and Hawthorn was followed with a dominant win over the Saints.
The last time these two teams met during 2024 the Dogs came away 91 point winners which spells danger for Richmond.
The Tigers have failed to cover the line in their last eight straight away games at Marvel Stadium and they come into this match as $10 outsiders at the time of writing.
Let’s finish the weekend with a nice Same Game Multi.