The three matches on Saturday afternoon see two struggling teams- Essendon and St Kilda- look for their first win in what must feel like eons for their fans, as well as a interesting game for neutrals at the SCG.
Inexperienced Sydney small-forward Ben Ronke shocked the AFL community when he booted seven goals in only his third game last week. He also became the first player in AFL history to kick 7 goals and record 10 tackles in a game. He will want to show everyone that last week's performance was no fluke.
Missed our preview of the early round fixtures?Read it here.
The game returns to it's traditional home at the MCG on Saturday afternoon after three games outside of Melbourne. The struggling Bombers host the in-form Cats in a game that only appears to be a question of how many points Geelong will be winning by.
After high hopes heading into the season, the Bombers have been awful, and are winless from their last four attempts. Last week's defeat to Carlton represented a new season low. With plenty of players sidelined with injury, the Bombers will need to dig deep to keep this match competitive.
Sitting third on the ladder, Geelong will view this game as not only a chance to cement their top four spot, but to improve their percentage. With a full-strength midfield and the return of Tom Hawkins after a one-game suspension, the Cats look to be purring once again.
Key Ins: Tom Hawkins (Geelong)
Key Outs: Michael Hurley (Essendon)
Key AFL Stats
The Cats have won 7 of their last 8 meetings with the Bombers.
Essendon have covered the line in 68% of their matches as a home underdog since 2015.
Geelong have covered the line in 27% of their matches at the MCG after a win in the previous round since 2015.
Betting Tip: Geelong to win by a margin of 1-39 points @ $2.10
Sydney have demonstrated that they are by no stretch of the imagination a one-man team following the injury to Lance Franklin. Last week's victory over the Hawks produced arguably the story of the year, with unheralded third-gamer Ronke booting a bag of seven in his side's triumph which left many fans asking Buddy who? With the superstar forward still out, Ronke has the opportunity to prove that last week's effort wasn't a fluke.
The Swans need to get over their SCG jitters and put in a really strong performance at home. This is their chance against a Fremantle outfit who have been good at home, but fairly ordinary on the road. Despite being solid this season, the Dockers will likely struggle here with the Swans primed for a dominant showing in front of their home fans.
Key Ins: Stephen Hill (Fremantle, likely), Michael Walters (Fremantle, likely)
Key Outs: None
Key AFL Stats
The Swans have won their last 2 games against Fremantle by 104 and 90 points respectively.
Gary Rohan has been the first goal scorer in his last 2 games against the Dockers.
The Swans have covered the line in 4 of their last 5 games as a home team when coming off 7 days rest from the previous round.
Suggested bet: Sydney to win by a margin of 40+ @ $2.50
Still only sitting on one win for the season, the Saints will surely need to win this game against the Pies who have evenly split their eight games into wins and losses. However, as much as they might want to win, St Kilda simply look like they lack the talent to overcome a Collingwood side whose best is very good.
A potential saving grace for the Saints is that they are back at Etihad Stadium where they play their best footy. Combine this with the fact that the Magpies only managed to score a measly 45 points against Geelong last week, and this game should be closer than many expect. St Kilda's goal kicking accuracy has been a huge talking point and kicking straight will be the first step to recording a win.
Key Ins: Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood, likely)
Key Outs: Sam Gilbert (St Kilda)
Key AFL Stats
St Kilda have won their last 2 games against Collingwood, by an average winning margin of 22 points.
Collingwood have lost 4 of their last 5 games at Etihad Stadium after coming off a loss in the previous round.
The Saints have covered the line in 56% of their games as a home team after an interstate match in the previous round from 2015.
Suggested bet: St Kilda to cover the +20.5 point line @ $1.92