We’re in the final weekend of byes with six teams to take the weekend off in Round 15.
The round kicks off with a huge Thursday night clash at GMHBA Stadium with the other highlight being Adelaide's interesting matchup against Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday.
Check out who we think will win each game and why.
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Geelong v Melbourne
Thursday - 7.20pm – GMHBA Stadium
This figures as a massive Thursday night clash for Geelong in the club’s premiership defence.
The Cats find themselves in a precarious position which sees them sitting 10th on the ladder some four points out of the eight.
Chris Scott’s side has lost four of its last five including a 38-point defeat to the Power in Adelaide last week having been in a decent position at half-time when they led by seven points.
They host a Melbourne side that has put together two wins on the trot with their most recent being a four-point triumph over Collingwood.
The Demons could have won that game by about five goals if they kicked straight. They’ll take that knowledge with them down the highway following their week off and be keen to replicate their accomplished last-start MCG performance.
While bye teams are 1-5 so far this year, the Demons should be good enough to see off the Cats who are without captain Patrick Dangerfield (rib/lung). They fell away sharply after he was injured against Port Adelaide.
Simon Goodwin’s Dees have their defensive game up and running, conceding just 106 points in two games, so if they bring that down to Sleepy Hollow then they should be able to snuff out the stuttering Cats. Steven May and Jake Lever have again been central to that.
Plenty could depend on whether or not Clayton Oliver gets up for this after he missed the last three matches with hamstring and infection issues, but Melbourne did beat the Blues and Magpies without him.
It won’t be easy, as the 2022 premiers are acutely aware a win is required, but the 2021 premiers have a top four position to cement and will be intent on filing that task away as soon as possible.
Tip: Melbourne by 10 points.
Andrew Slevison
St Kilda v Brisbane
Friday - 7:50pm - Marvel Stadium
The Saints will play host to the Lions for Spud's Game on Friday night.
With both sides fighting it out in the top four battle, this clash, on paper, looks an absolute beauty.
The Saints will be looking to bounce back after a Round 14 loss to the Tigers, whilst the Lions will be looking to head to Melbourne and silence a few of their critics away from home.
This clash looks a genuine opportunity for Ross Lyon’s Saints to claim a top four scalp for the first time this year and there’s no bigger occasion than Friday night footy.
Will Harris Andrews step up and play on young star Max King or will it be Jack Payne who is tasked with the role?
King is playing some seriously good footy so this match-up will be crucial in the end result.
Another area of intrigue surrounds the form of St Kilda captain Jack Steele. Performing well below his best, the rumours are flying around that he’s got an injury but Lyon was none the wiser at his Wednesday press conference.
The Saints need Steele to play better and against a Brisbane midfield that’s littered with guns, he’ll have to perform if the Saints are a shot.
As for the Lions, they head to Marvel Stadium on a mission, the last time they were in Melbourne they were embarrassed by Hawthorn.
The fall-out to that game was scathing, you get the feeling Chris Fagan will have his side fired up for this clash.
Can’t wait to see their dynamic forward line come up against St Kilda’s backline, if Joe Daniher, Charlie Cameron, Eric Hipwood and Zac Bailey get firing, good luck Saints.
This game looms to be a cracker, can’t wait for it!
The Saints are just going and the Lions will be seeking some revenge in Melbourne.
Tip: Brisbane by 26 points.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Sydney v West Coast
__Saturday – 4.35pm – SCG_
At this point, there’s not a whole lot that can be said when previewing West Coast games, particularly on the road.
They will come up against Sydney on Saturday at the SCG and they will get belted off the park.
In away games this year, they have lost their last two away games 174-52 and 142-26 to Adelaide and Hawthorn respectively.
The Swans’ finals hopes are quickly falling apart in 2023 and this will serve as a much-needed percentage boost and frankly its one they can’t afford to let slip.
Expect Sydney to put a serious hurting on the wayward Weagles.
Tip: Sydney by 89 points.
Nic Negrepontis
Fremantle v Essendon
Saturday - 7:25pm – Optus Stadium
As the season approaches an important stage, Fremantle’s home clash against Essendon looms as a critical swing game in the race for a coveted top eight position.
The Dockers were left reeling last week after dishing up a worst-ever loss under Justin Longmuir, losing to GWS by 70 points last Saturday.
With Sean Darcy returning, an Essendon side coming off the bye will be wary of the bounce back factor with the pressure ramped up on the Dockers out west this week.
Essendon coach Brad Scott confirmed on Wednesday that Darcy Parish will return after not playing senior footy since Round 8 as a result of a calf injury, providing a timely boost to a midfield who has covered his absence well but has been well short in clearance footy.
It’s a genuinely 50/50 contest out west, but we’ll tip Fremantle here in a close one. But if the Bombers win, they’ll take another giant step forward in securing an unlikely finals birth in Brad Scott’s first year as coach.
Tip: Fremantle by 11 points.
Laurence Rosen
Collingwood v Adelaide
Sunday - 1.10pm - MCG
Adelaide’s biggest test of the year so far comes up on Sunday with a trip to Melbourne to face Collingwood at the MCG awaiting them.
A side that have impressed everyone to hold a 7-6 record through 13 games, this looms as the last hurdle the Crows must overcome for the footy world to consider them genuine contenders in 2023.
Getting a result won’t come easy though, with Collingwood at the MCG one of the toughest prospects in footy, particularly as they look to rebound from their second loss of the season in Round 13.
Last time they met, it was Collingwood who prevailed by one point in a thriller after coming from behind in Round 7.
In that game, Adelaide had plenty of chances to put away Collingwood but inaccurate goalkicking left the door ajar with the Magpies kicking the last three goals of the game.
While Adelaide are a largely similar team from that game with Tom Doedee the only real out, they’ll face a different-looking Magpies with Mason Cox, Darcy Cameron, Patrick Lipinski and Scott Pendlebury giving Collingwood a new structural look.
The other real challenge for the Crows will be the venue itself, with it being their first trip to the MCG this season, a ground they haven’t won at since Round 15, 2017.
As they’re used to playing at the narrow Adelaide Oval, they’ll need to cover the ground better, hope their forwards fire and stop Collingwood’s spread if they’re to win.
With both sides coming off the bye, expect a tough contest with fresh bodies cracking in. Adelaide will come fired up, but you can’t look past Collingwood against an interstate side at the MCG.
Tip: Collingwood by 21 points.
Lachlan Geleit
Gold Coast v Hawthorn
Sunday - 4:40pm – Heritage Bank Stadium
It feels like Gold Coast really needs a win this round.
Just two weeks removed from an impressive win over the Crows, the Suns’ outlook has taken a downward turn after receiving a 59-point beating at the hands of the Blues.
With a tough matchup against Port Adelaide looming on the horizon, Gold Coast will give their all to build some momentum with a strong showing against Hawthorn.
However, the Hawks have made it known that they’re not the easy beats many were tipping them to be at the start of the season.
Sam Mitchell’s men have claimed a pair of big-name scalps in recent weeks, with their triumph over the Lions marking one of the biggest upsets of the season.
While the Hawks aren’t looked favourably upon in the statistics department, their grit is not something that should be underestimated.
Yet with their skipper James Sicily set to miss their next three clashes, the impressive Hawthorn we have seen at points this season may be on hiatus.
These two clubs couldn’t be further apart stylistically, with the Hawks insisting on moving the ball by hand, while the Suns prefer to chisel their way forward by foot.
Without Sicily, this kick-first approach could result in an exhausting day for the Hawthorn defence, with Gold Coast continually sending the ball long inside 50 until they’re able to hit the scoreboard.
The Hawks have impressed multiple times already this season, but it just feels like the Suns should have this covered.
Tip: Gold Coast by 27 points.
Jack Makeham