Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett kicks a last-gasp goal to sink Carlton hearts in Round 22 last year. Photo: AFL MEDIA

MELBOURNE v CARLTON (MCG, Friday 7.50pm local time)
The Blues’ season continues to plunge further into freefall and while they’re not exactly playing an in-form team this week, it’s hard to see how they’re going to stop the rot. Having now lost six of their last seven games to drop to 13th spot and six points outside the top eight nearing the halfway mark of the season, they’ve now been further smashed by injuries. It was carnage for Carlton at the SCG last week where they lost Nic Newman (hamstring), Corey Durdin (knee), Marc Pittonet (hand), George Hewett (concussion) and Ollie Hollands (collarbone) during their 26-point loss to the Swans. Melbourne is still missing influential midfielder Clayton Oliver (hamstring) as well as important swing man Harrison Petty (foot), but should still be able to arrest its concerning two-game skid against a hopelessly out-of-form Carlton side that looks totally bereft of confidence. The Blues have averaged just seven goals in their last three games, which means their misfiring key forward Harry McKay will once again be a huge focus of attention.
RONNY’S TIP: Melbourne by 23 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Melbourne by 20 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Melbourne by 21 points.

PORT ADELAIDE v HAWTHORN (Adelaide Oval, Saturday 1.15pm local time)
Credit to the Hawks, they have really turned things around in the past fortnight and silenced the critics who have accused them of ‘tanking’ this season. After managing just one win from their first nine games, and sitting at the foot of the ladder, those calls seemed justified, but in the space of two games, Sam Mitchell’s men have changed the narrative by smashing West Coast by 116 points and then stunning early-season frontrunner St Kilda by 10 points last week. But the Hawks will have their work cut out to make it three wins in a row, because they are up against one of the season’s biggest surprise packets in Port Adelaide. The Power are riding an equal-club record eight-game winning streak heading into this match, and find themselves second on the ladder with a magnificent 9-2 win-loss record. And their task of breaking that record will be made that much easier with star Hawthorn captain James Sicily, fresh from a best-on-ground performance, missing from the Hawks’ backline due to suspension. Todd Marshall’s return to the Power’s forward line couldn’t have been timed any better for the hosts.
RONNY’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 31 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 32 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 27 points.

WEST COAST v COLLINGWOOD (Optus Stadium, Saturday 2.35pm local time)
The Eagles certainly put in an improved showing last week (not that that was hard to do given they were coming from an incredibly low base in losing to the bottom team by 20 goals the week before). However, despite their marked rise in fighting spirit, they still copped a 50-point loss against the mid-table Bombers at home. Goodness knows what the ladder-leading Magpies are going to do to them this week. Collingwood is the hottest team in the competition and if it really wants to, it could quite easily win this match by over 100 points, it just depends on how high its motivation levels are.
RONNY’S TIP: Collingwood by 74 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 62 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Collingwood by 75 points.

WESTERN BULLDOGS v GEELONG (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 7.25pm local time)
All of a sudden, the Cats are looking very vulnerable. Their season is teetering precariously at 5-6, having now lost three in a row, and unfortunately for them, the cavalry is still yet to arrive. They head into this match again with a decimated midfield that is missing Patrick Dangerfield (hamstring), Mitch Duncan (hamstring), Cam Guthrie (toe), Max Holmes (knee) and Sam Menegola (knee), while Rhys Stanley (eye socket) and Esava Ratugolea (hamstring) are also absent. It’s hard to see Geelong’s weakened on-ball division getting the better of a Bulldogs midfield unit that features Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore, Jack Macrae, Bailey Smith and now Adam Treloar who has overcome a hamstring complaint.
RONNY’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 25 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 8 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 15 points.

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GOLD COAST v ADELAIDE (TIO Stadium, Saturday 7pm local time)
The Suns finally did it. They got that big scalp they were fighting for to frank their turnaround in form. Their gutsy seven-point win over the Bulldogs last week capped off an impressive six-week run which has included four victories, and has helped put their season back on track after starting the year 1-4. It’s taken until almost the halfway point of the campaign, but they now do deserve credit and respect. And they should back themselves to repeat the dose this week, too. Yes, they take on an Adelaide outfit fresh from snapping premiership contender Brisbane’s seven-game winning streak, but the Crows are proving to be a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde team this year. They have been fantastic at home (5-2), with one of those losses a heartbreaking one-point result against premiership favourite Collingwood, but they have really struggled on the road (1-3) – their only win a get-out-of-jail effort against lowly Hawthorn in Launceston. Darwin is becoming a bit of a home away from home for the Suns who have now won their last three in the Northern Territory capital. They have named a settled line-up, and having stayed in the Top End all week, they have had the opportunity to acclimatise more to the tropical conditions. They might still be missing their best player Touk Miller, but with young stars Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson leading the way, have every chance to beat another finals aspirant.
RONNY’S TIP: Gold Coast by 11 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Adelaide by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Gold Coast by 11 points.

GWS v RICHMOND (Giants Stadium, Sunday 1.10pm local time)
The Giants must still be riding high after they achieved modern footy’s version of Mission Impossible by defeating Geelong at Kardinia Park, where the Cats had only lost 14 times in 16 years. But should we have been that surprised? GWS has now defeated the reigning premiers on their own dung heap three times in a row, which is quite an astonishing achievement given Geelong’s massive home-ground advantage. And the news gets better for the Toby Greene-inspired outfit with key swing man Harry Himmelberg named in their extended squad. The Tigers were brave last week in pushing the red-hot Power right until the end, but this is not the same team that clinched three flags in four years. They lost the clearance battle to Port Adelaide last week pretty convincingly, and with their second-best clearance player Jacob Hopper still out, they will find it tough to curtail the Giants after they comfortably beat the Cats in that area 44-36. Richmond will probably have to wait a bit longer to taste victory for the first time in the post-Damien Hardwick era.
RONNY’S TIP: GWS by 10 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Richmond by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: GWS by 3 points.

ESSENDON v NORTH MELBOURNE (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm local time)
Such has the discipline and laser-sharp focus that new coach Brad Scott has brought to the Bombers this year, it would be hard to envisage them dropping a game against weak opposition such as North Melbourne. However, the Kangaroos have displayed some reasonable form in the past fortnight without managing a win, and they have added some reinforcements this week with Darcy Tucker, Liam Shiels, Curtis Taylor, Aidan Corr and Tarryn Thomas added to their extended squad. Thomas could now be in line to play his first senior game since Round 15 last year, after he was stood down twice this year by the club due to concerns relating to his behaviour towards women. The Bombers wouldn’t want to take this one lightly, and with the addition of the improved Dylan Shiel to their midfield unit, they certainly have what it takes to extend North’s losing streak to 10 matches.
RONNY’S TIP: Essendon by 32 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Essendon by 28 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Essendon by 19 points.

SEASON TOTALS
RONNY 69
ROCKET 65
ROCO 59