2026 AFL Round 9 Tips & Preview

Should be a classic 2nd vs 3rd battle on Thursday night between two of the top midfields in the comp. Neither side has cemented its status as a genuine Premiership contender just yet, but this could be Freo’s opportunity with Hawthorn skipper James Sicily under an injury cloud. The Dockers have been one of the top pressure teams all year and are continue to hold opponents to the fewest points in the game. With the Hawks skills letting them down in last week’s draw, Freo are hard to go past on their home deck. 

The Lions showed last week that they only need one quarter to put away lesser outfits, leading the Bombers by five goals at the end of the third term. The Blues continue to play solid first halves of footy before the yips – or whatever term you want to use for their shortcomings – ultimately comes calling. The decision to sack Michael Voss feels like it could be coming in the next few weeks and it would be full circle moment if it were to happen after Friday’s game at the Gabba. Even with injuries to Oscar Allen, the Lions have way too many pieces to suffer any kind of upset to this leaderless Blues outfit. 

The Power look a nice bet as slight outsiders at home for the second week running. They’ve gone 4-2 in this spot over the last 12 months and meet a wounded Bulldogs team that managed only three contested marks last week in the loss to Fremantle. Aliir Aliir is coming into form down back and Zak Butters look every bit an All-Australian, if not a serious Brownlow contender. Building momentum under first year coach Josh Carr, this is a game the Power should be up for.  

The Swans are firing on all cylinders, even if they had to weather a late storm last week against the Dees. If it’s not Issac Heeney or Tom Papley kicking goals, it’s emerging youngsters like Malcolm Rosas putting in the work to keep Sydney atop the ladder. North has flashed promise in recent weeks, cutting it close against the likes of Brisbane and Geelong for three quarters before ultimately running out of gas. Playing under the roof at Marvel might test Sydney a little, but given they are averaging nearly 15 more inside 50 entries a game and 10 less turnovers compared to North, this should be theirs to lose. 

Interesting to find the Bombers as long outsiders given some of the Giants injuries. In saying that, Nate Caddy was the lone shining light in last week’s dismal display against Brisbane with pressure again mounting on Brad Scott to find some answers after his side showed so much promise prior to ANZAC Day. The Giants were left ruing missed opportunities in front of goal against the Suns last week, doing plenty of hard work to intercept the Suns down back but failing to turn those opportunities into points. Given all of this – plus the fact their last two meetings have fallen Under the Total – a low-scoring game is how I’m playing this one.  

Potential ‘line in the sand’ type game for two finals aspirants that are yet to fully impress. To their credit, the Suns looked much improved in the forward half against the Giants last week, limiting turnovers and outscoring GWS 12-3 in contested marks. The Saints, on the other hand, saved their best for the second half last week against Carlton, running out 39 point winners thanks to Tom de Koning’s strong work in and around the ruck. The added humidity up in Darwin makes this even tougher to get a feel for, but given TIO Stadium has long been a fortress for the Gold Coast, their advantage through the midfield with Matt Rowell set to return should see them over the line. 

Can the Pies bring another heavyweight down to their level? They’ve done so against Fremantle and Hawthorn so far, and after a sluggish three quarters against North last week, Geelong might be the next victim. Only six marks from 60 inside 50 entries is a glaring stat that will no doubt talked about in Chris Scott’s film review during the week, but at the same time, the Pies will have their own numbers to talk about after being smashed all around the ground by the Hawks. ANZAC Day and last week’s draw aside, the Pies are still ranked 14th in points per game and 12th in tackles, two danger areas against a Geelong outfit that looked very sharp in that fourth quarter against the Roos. 

The Dees have been the surprise packets of the season so far as they continue to hold their own against the top dogs in the competition. Last week’s game at the SCG looked completely over at three quarter time, or at least that was the case before Kozzie Pickett and Harvey Langford had other ideas. Melbourne plays with a genuine sense of belief that several other clubs would envy, while they’ve also been among the best at launching the ball inside 50 and limiting opponents hitout around the stoppages. Against a West Coast team that, despite Elliot Yeo’s best efforts to convince us otherwise, is most certainly in a rut; this should be a case of Melbourne by how many? 

The Tiger Army had something to cheer about last week with a win over West Coast, a game they always deserved to win after leading for the majority on the back of Noah Balta’s three-goal performance. The Crows erred more on the side of luck with a last-second win in the Showdown, although further quesiton marks remain on not only Adelaide’s defensive structure, but also their forward line with Taylor Walker now hurt and Riley Thilthorpe still battling back issues. Fortunately, the Tigers gave up 64 inside 50 entries to West Coast last week, so there should be ample opportunity for Adelaide to hit the scoreboard on the road.