Round 2 has arrived on the back of a thrilling opening round of footy and we don’t have to wait long for a blockbuster as Carlton and Geelong take on each other at the MCG on Thursday night.
Brisbane hosts Melbourne in their first game at the Gabba in 2023 and while it may only be the second round, there’s plenty riding on this one.
Collingwood versus Port Adelaide on Saturday afternoon looms as another cracker, before St Kilda look to make it two from two against Western Bulldogs.
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Carlton vs Geelong
Thursday - 7.20pm - MCG
The undefeated Carlton Football Club hosts the winless Geelong Cats at the MCG on Thursday night in a game with slightly more nuance than the start of this sentence would suggest.
The reigning premiers played well in Round 1, but were ultimately beaten by a fast-finishing Collingwood onslaught, while the Blues drew with Richmond in a scrappy low scoring affair.
Carlton struggled to score as they played a conservative game style to attempt to mitigate Richmond’s pressure, but ultimately it stifled their ball movement.
Geelong kicked accurately and moved the ball well against the Magpies, but their midfield is lacking depth and they’ve lost Tom Stewart from defence.
The Cats were too strong for Carlton when they met in 2022, restricting the Blues to just 55 points as Jeremy Cameron dominated with 3.3 and 18 disposals.
The question will be whether Geelong’s older players can bounce back off a six-day break coming off what was a brutal Round 1.
The Blues will need to get on top on-ball and give Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow deep opportunities before the Cats can set their defence. If they can, they’re every chance to cause a huge upset.
Tip: Carlton by 1 point.
Nic Negrepontis
Brisbane v Melbourne
Friday - 7.55pm - Gabba
Friday night’s matchup looks set to be a blockbuster heavyweight clash, with the early flag favourites Melbourne heading up north to take on the supremely talented Lions.
The Demons are coming off a blistering display against the Bulldogs in Round 1, taking down Luke Beveridge’s men by 50 points in what was a statement victory to kick off the season.
Brisbane on the other hand were completely stunned by an impressive showing from Port Adelaide, with the Power running rampant in the second half to secure a 54-point victory.
The loss saw plenty of questions surround the Lions, particularly focusing on the poor showing from their backline which struggled to apply any real pressure.
Considering the potency of Melbourne’s attack, Brisbane will need to be drastically better on the defensive side of the footy if they want to bounce back and re-establish their premiership contender credentials.
The Demons will be looking to put together an identical performance as last week, asserting their will on another side with their sights set on a flag.
Melbourne certainly looked much more impressive in the opening round, yet with the talent on Brisbane’s list, the Lions are capable of competing with the best.
Tip: Melbourne by 14 points.
Jack Makeham
Collingwood v Port Adelaide
Saturday - 1.45pm - MCG
Perhaps the two teams that impressed most in Round 1, Collingwood and Port Adelaide are set to meet in an enticing clash on Saturday afternoon.
At home, the Magpies will be confident that they can continue their strong form after knocking off the reigning premiers while the Power head to the MCG buoyed by their big win over Brisbane.
Last time out at the same venue, it was Collingwood who prevailed by just one goal with Jordan De Goey earning three Brownlow votes for a 23-disposal, two-goal performance.
If the star midfielder plays as well as he did against the Cats, he could well be the difference again in this one as the Magpies look to contain Port Adelaide’s young midfield group of Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis.
It’s simply too hard to pick against Collingwood at the MCG at this stage as they’ve won their last 11 home and away games at the venue.
Tip: Collingwood by 17 points.
Lachlan Geleit
Adelaide v Richmond
Saturday - 4.35pm - Adelaide Oval
Adelaide and Richmond clash as winless sides after failing to get over the line in Round 1.
The Crows led GWS by 28 points at half-time but were overrun and eventually lost by 16 points against GWS in extremely hot conditions in Western Sydney.
The Tigers enjoyed 21 more inside 50s against Carlton in the season opener but were unable to convert, settling for a draw.
This venue hasn’t been all that kind to the Tigers when up against the Crows, winning just two of seven since 2014. They did lob in the City of Churches by 44 points in 2020 but the Crows did the job last year, saluting by 19 points despite their opponents enjoying more of the attacking play.
Matthew Nicks’ message to his Crows will likely be around the contest in midfield which did drop away in the second half last weekend. However, the Tigers do look more robust in that area now since the arrival of Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper.
Richmond’s forward line was extremely dangerous last week but the efficiency wasn’t quite there. If they can rectify that with the likes of Tom Lynch, Jack Riewoldt, Shai Bolton and Dustin Martin prowling around forward 50, then Adelaide’s defence might be in for a tough day.
It will be perfect weather for footy in Adelaide on Saturday so we’re expecting a quality game of footy with the Tigers to salute in a tight one.
Tip: Richmond by 12 points.
Andrew Slevison
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda
Saturday - 7.25pm - Marvel Stadium
Missing a litany of star players, St Kilda could have hardly made a more impressive start in Ross Lyon’s second coaching stint, grinding their way to a crucial opening-round win over Fremantle.
Meanwhile, the Western Bulldogs were soundly beaten in the year by a red-hot Melbourne outfit, who were still at the top of their game despite injuries to several of their key players.
Saturday night’s game is a really interesting one, as much as what will be happening in the two coaches boxes as what will be happening out on the field.
You still have to back the Dogs considering St Kilda’s injury list, but much like last week – you cannot discount a Lyon-coached Saints outlet who Champion Data rated the best defensive unit from Round 1.
Tip: Western Bulldogs by 11 points.
Laurence Rosen
Fremantle v North Melbourne
Saturday - 7.30pm - Optus Stadium
Saturday night will see a clash of two contrasting styles, with the Kangaroos heading over to Perth to take on Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
The Dockers displayed some defensive brilliance last week’s match against the Saints, yet they were ultimately undone by their ineffective attack, falling to St Kilda by 15.
Meanwhile North Melbourne put together the inverse performance, riding their offence to take down the Eagles and notch the first win of the Alastair Clarkson era.
Fremantle’s forward line has been a key talking point from the opening round, however they should have a much easier time of it against a Roos outfit that didn’t show much strength on the defensive side of the footy last week.
Meanwhile North’s attack looks set to have a much tougher time of things, facing up against the Dockers’ stellar backline, a far cry from the sluggish Eagles outfit they dealt with earlier.
The Roos come into this match riding an unfortunate streak, having lost 17 straight games away from Marvel Stadium.
While it would be foolish to write off an Alastair Clarkson-led side, this match looks set to be Fremantle’s for the taking.
Tip: Fremantle by 16 points.
Jack Makeham
Sydney Swans v Hawthorn
Sunday - 1.10pm - SCG
The Swans will play host to the Hawks on Sunday afternoon at the SCG in what looks set to be a one-sided affair.
Lance Franklin will miss the clash against his old team after accepting a one-game ban for his bump on Sam Collins whilst Chad Wingard will also miss with a calf strain.
Albeit fielding an inexperineced lineup against the Bombers last week, the Hawks were nothing short of embarrassing.
Sam Mitchell's side didn't give a yelp after quarter time and if they think that's going to end well against the Swans on Sunday, good luck to them!
As for Sydney, they were clinical against Gold Coast last week.
The Suns have proven to be a bogey side for John Longmire's side in the past but they didn't give them an inch away from home.
Sydney's experience and star power will be far too strong for Hawthorn on Sunday.
Tip: Sydney by 66 points.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Essendon v Gold Coast
Sunday - 3.20pm - Marvel Stadium
Gold Coast will be desperate to get the monkey off their back and finally beat Essendon in Melbourne for the first time on Sunday.
While at the start of the year they would have been confident that they’d be a better side than the Bombers, their Round 1 performances couldn’t have been more different.
Yes, there was a key difference in class between their opponents with Essendon thrashing Hawthorn and Gold Coast succumbing to last year’s runner-up Sydney, but the Bombers sit atop the table as the Suns sit 17th.
Despite their Round 1 efforts, the Suns simply must begin to win games like this if they’re to break their finals duck in 2023 and on paper, they should be getting the job done against an inexperienced Dons side.
Tip: Gold Coast by 22 points.
Lachlan Geleit
West Coast v GWS
Sunday - 6.20pm - Optus Stadium
The last match of Round 2 might not be a battle between two clubs fighting for a top four spot, but it should be a tight and fierce contest nonetheless.
For West Coast it’s almost a do-or-die match as they look to bounce back from their disappointing loss to North Melbourne in Round 1.
The Eagles should still head into the match as favourites with GWS losing the likes of Josh Kelly, Harry Perryman and Lachie Whitfield to injury and concussion over the weekend.
For the Giants, they’ll look to continue their hot form after they secured a famous come-from-behind victory against Adelaide in Adam Kingsley’s first match as coach.
The Eagles will be sweating on the fitness of star ruckman Nic Naitanui and two-time All-Australian Elliot Yeo as they look to recoup some pride in front of their loyal fans on Sunday afternoon.
Tip: Eagles by 16 points.
Marcus Beeck