Last week Adelaide and Geelong ensured their clash on Friday night footy would determine the AFL’s best performing side through 18 rounds. The 12-4 Crows are home favorites against the 11-4-1 Cats. Melbourne, and Sydney also have big clashes this week. Here is your full round preview.
Adelaide Crows vs. Geelong Cats (Friday at Adelaide Oval)
Rory Laird, the Crouch brothers, and Tex Walker lead Adelaide to a big win over Melbourne last week that keeps them at the top of the ladder for now. With GWS form tailing off a bit. They now face another stiff test against Geelong, who defeated them 96-74 in round 11 and have dominated the Crows as of late. Jake Lever misses for the Crows, while Scott Selwood returns for Geelong, and Patrick Dangerfield looks healthy enough to play. Last week the Cats survived Hawthorn as Dangerfield (5 goals) and Joel Selwood again led the Cats attack, outdueling Tom Mitchell’s masterful game. Look for the Cats to continue to have Adelaide’s number and win this one. Cats by 13
Essendon vs. North Melbourne (Saturday at Etihad Stadium)
To put it simply, North Melbourne was crushed last week against Port, and they don’t look to be getting any better, sitting at 4-12. Their form is fallen off, and confidence has sunk. The Bombers meanwhile have won two straight and destroyed St. Kilda last week. Jobe Watson returns in a must win game for the 8-8 Bombers, the Kangaroos are missing captain Jack Ziebell, and ruckman Todd Goldstein among others. North lacks the list quality to compete and Zach Merrett and Joe Daniher should make them pay. Bombers by 45
Melbourne vs. Port Adelaide (Saturday at the MCG)
If Chad Wingard and Ollie Wines step up again, Port can pull off a big road win. The Power are facing a quality side in Melbourne though, and with Dom Tyson, Jack Watts, Jack Viney, and Christian Salem returning this week, they should be improved coming off their loss. With Melbourne back to their near best 22, they should win at home in a game that means more to their finals hopes, than it does for Port. Demons by 24
Western Bulldogs vs. Gold Coast Suns (Saturday in Cairns)
Jack Macrae and the Bont helped the Dogs win a must win clash last week against Carlton. They now face another must win game against Gold Coast, which would love to play spoilers despite their shaky season. The Suns dropped to 6-10 last week, Gary Ablett, their best player, is out again, while the Dogs swap Easton Wood in for Jake Stringer. I’m not convinced Gold Coast has much left in the tank this season after losing to Collingwood. Don’t count the reigning premiers out of the finals yet. Bulldogs by 27
Sydney Swans vs. St. Kilda (Saturday at the SCG)
The Sydney midfield and Lance Franklin came up big to defeat GWS in their crosstown derby last week. St. Kilda slumped to a loss and fell to 9-7. With the Swans having won the round 9 clash by a big margin, and their form even better since then, anything short of a big win for the home side would be a surprise. Five list changes for St. Kilda won’t be enough to help them overcome the lethal Swans. Swans by 38
Fremantle vs. Hawthorn (Saturday at Domain Stadium)
Freo crashed out of finals contention with their fourth loss in five games. The Hawks, unable to win the last two rounds, are also out of finals at 6-9-1. Both sides will look to blood their young players, while some of the vets will be playing for a place on the best 22 next season. The Hawks firepower should be enough to win this, led by Mitchell and Jarryd Roughhead. Hawks by 11
Richmond vs. GWS Giants (Sunday at the MCG)
It was the Dustin Martin show last week for Richmond, as the Tigers bounced back, and their Brownlow medal leading star helped them get a win to stay 5th in the ladder at 10-6. GWS is slumping, but are still 10-4-2 and have every shot of finishing top 4. The Giants barely won this matchup in round 9, and they get Stephen Coniglio back in the midfield. This feels like a big moment for Richmond to upset a quality side and show their own talent. Tigers by 7
Collingwood vs. West Coast Eagles (Sunday at Etihad Stadium)
Collingwood finally got a win last week, but at 6-10 their finals hopes vanished a couple of losses ago. The Eagles at 9-7 need to win this road game, something they have struggled with in the past. With Scott Pendlebury out for Collingwood, while Elliot Yeo returns for an Eagles side that won last week, the advantage should tip slightly to the Eagles. Eagles by 14
Brisbane Lions vs. Carlton (Sunday at the Gabba)
3-13 vs 5-11, these sides don’t appear great on paper, but they have some of the best young players in the competition, and surely they’ll fight to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon. It’s been a couple of weeks since both sides tasted victory, Carlton’s backline should stifle what has been an inconsistent Brisbane attack though. Look for recontracted new star Liam Jones to help Carlton grab a win. Blues by 21
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