FRIDAY, May 26
Sydney v Hawthorn at SCG, 7.50pm
Head to Head: Swans 70 Hawks 90 drawn 2
Last clash: Round 17, 2016 – Hawks 11.9 (75) bt Swans 10.10 (70) at SCG
Tab Sportsbet: Swans $1.20 Hawks $4.60
William Hill: Swans $1.20 Hawks $4.50
September specialists Sydney and Hawthorn have built a genuine rivalry in recent years, notably contesting the 2012 and 2014 grand finals. This time, it is the 12th-placed Swans hosting the 17th-placed Hawks – ladder positions that suggest this is anything but a blockbuster. Nonetheless, both sides will be desperate and the Swans have started to play some impressive football.
Key: Sydney superstar Lance Franklin has been held goalless in two of his previous four meetings with former side Hawthorn. If the Hawks are able to do that again, it will boost their hopes of an upset immensely.
Tip: Swans by 25 points
SATURDAY, May 27
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda at Etihad Stadium, 1.45pm
Head to Head: Bulldogs 74 Saints 81 drawn 3
Last clash: Round 18, 2016 – Saints 11.9 (75) bt Bulldogs 9.6 (60) at Etihad Stadium
Tab Sportsbet: Bulldogs $1.50 Saints $2.60
William Hill: Bulldogs $1.48 Saints $2.65
The Bulldogs, who regain Jake Stringer from injury, risk tumbling out of the top eight if they fail to win. They have been competitive in losses to West Coast and Geelong during the past fortnight but need to bank wins if they’re to shore up a premiership defence that has been somewhat patchy. St Kilda, who will be without inspirational veteran Nick Riewoldt (knee), have impressed this year but are coming off a 50-point loss to Sydney; comfortably their worst performance of 2017.
Key: The midfield battle will be engaging and particularly important given both sides’ recent scoring struggles. The Saints produced their lowest score of the season in round nine, while the Bulldogs had registered only two scores higher than 100 this season.
Tip: Saints by 4 points
Melbourne v Gold Coast at Traeger Park 4.35pm
Head to Head: Demons 6 Suns 3
Last clash: Round 19 2016 – Demons 9.12 (66) bt Suns 9.10 (64) at MCG
Tab Sportsbet: Demons $1.48 Suns $2.65
William Hill: Demons $1.45 Suns $2.75
Gold Coast have enjoyed a week off after being thoroughly embarrassed by Port Adelaide during the history-making fixture in Shanghai. The Suns have been among the competition’s most-inconsistent clubs this season, upsetting Geelong and Hawthorn at home but folding ineptly more than once. The Demons have also been up and down. They defeated Adelaide in the upset of the season but came unstuck last week against North Melbourne.
Key: The Demons have a six-day break after their bruising encounter against North. Add in the travel factor and there might be some tired legs in Alice Springs. Gold Coast will obviously be far more refreshed but Gary Ablett’s injury-enforced absence is a blow and they might struggle to find free space if Melbourne replicate the stifling pressure they have produced this season.
Tip: Demons by 11 points
Richmond v Essendon at MCG 7.25pm
Head to Head: Tigers 91 Bombers 104 drawn 4
Last clash: Round 17, 2016 – Tigers 16.6 (102) bt Bombers 11.17 (83) at MCG
Tab Sportsbet: Tigers $1.80 Bombers $2.00
William Hill: Tigers $1.83 Bombers $1.97
Richmond have dropped four-straight games after a promising 5-0 start to the season. The nature of the losses have been more alarming than the results. The Tigers were outstanding for three quarters against premiership favourites Greater Western Sydney in round nine, but conceded the final six goals of the game and somehow snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The Bombers, who have won a league-high four games as underdog in 2017, are riding high after upsetting Geelong and West Coast in consecutive weeks.
Key: Dreamtime at the ‘G headlines the league’s indigenous round and the game has become a genuine highlight of the AFL calendar. Who will be able to handle the sense of occasion?
Tip: Bombers by 12 points
Adelaide v Fremantle at Adelaide Oval, 7.40pm
Head to Head: Crows 21 Dockers 0 drawn 15
Last clash: Round 21, 2016 – Crows 21.16 (142) bt Dockers 11.4 (70) at Domain Stadium
Tab Sportsbet: Crows $1.13 Dockers $6.00
William Hill: Crows $1.13 Dockers $5.75
Adelaide retained top spot on the ladder and snapped a two-game losing streak with an 80-point belting of Brisbane that resembled a training drill at times. Fremantle, even without ruckman Aaron Sandilands, should provide far more resistance. The Dockers started slowly in the wet against Carlton, as has been their trend in 2017, but finished superbly to record a sixth win in seven weeks.
Key: Is there a more talismanic ruckman in the league than Sandilands? The giant will be sorely missed, especially given Crows big man Sam Jacobs helped himself to a total of 109 hitouts in the past two rounds.
Tip: Crows by 33 points
SUNDAY, May 28
Collingwood v Brisbane Lions at MCG, 1.10pm
Head to Head: Magpies 24 Lions 19
Last clash: Round 8, 2016 – Magpies 20.23 (143) bt Lions 10.5 (65) at Gabba
Tab Sportsbet: Magpies $1.10 Lions $7.00
William Hill: Magpies $1.07 Lions $8.00
A meeting with the last-placed Lions at the MCG presents a welcome opportunity for Nathan Buckley’s Magpies to build on last week’s confidence-boosting win over Hawthorn. Brisbane’s season is going nowhere fast, with Chris Fagan’s side coming off an 80-point thrashing by Adelaide, which took their losing streak to eight games. The Pies are yet to win back-to-back games this season and they won’t get a better chance than this.
Key: Collingwood have been maddeningly inconsistent on their way to a 3-6 record this season. If they’re going to resurrect their season and possibly Buckley’s coaching career, they need to put in a polished, four-quarter effort here.
Tip: Magpies by 27 points
Carlton v North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, 3.20pm
Head to Head: Blues 97 Kangaroos 56
Last clash: Round 9, 2016 – Kangaroos 17.11 (113) bt Blues 6.10 (46) at Etihad Stadium
Tab Sportsbet: Blues $2.75 Kangaroos $1.45
William Hill: Blues $2.90 Kangaroos $1.40
A meeting between the 16th-placed Blues and the 14th-placed Kangaroos doesn’t warrant a great deal of interest at first glance, but the Roos are a different side of late and Carlton have proved a well-drilled defensive unit this season. Brad Scott’s side have won three of their past four games with ruckman Todd Goldstein coming off a commanding 61-hitout performance.
Key: North’s attacking tall trio of Ben Brown, Mason Wood and Jarrad Waite should stretch the Blues’ defence. Brendon Bolton won’t want to see too many one-on-one contests, with pressure further up the ground crucial to help out his defenders.
Tip: Kangaroos by 12 points
West Coast v Greater Western Sydney at Domain Stadium, 4.40pm
Head to Head: Eagles 5 Giants 0
Last clash: Round 21, 2016 – Eagles 14.13 (97) bt Giants 14.12 (96) at Spotless Stadium
Tab Sportsbet: Eagles $1.55 Giants $2.45
William Hill: Eagles $1.52 Giants $2.50
The Giants pulled a rabbit out of a hat to beat Richmond at the death last week, but a lengthy injury list – Steve Johnson and Rory Lobb are the latest casualties – could start to become a factor for Leon Cameron’s side. West Coast return home to the sanctuary of Domain Stadium and will be out to redeem themselves after being roundly criticised for losing another game in Melbourne.
Key: Eagles coach Adam Simpson turned the blowtorch on his on-field leaders and other senior players after last week’s 61-point belting by Essendon. Questions will remain about their away form, but skipper Shannon Hurn and his experienced teammates need a big game here.
Tip: Eagles by 16 points