Richmond’s Noah Balta breaks clear of West Coast’s Jack Darling in the Tigers-Eagles clash last year. Photo: AFL MEDIA.

PORT ADELAIDE v GEELONG (Adelaide Oval, Thursday 7.10pm local time)
Thursday night footy is back – thanks largely to strict COVID protocols which have forced the Cats to not only lock down while still in Victoria, but also fly in and fly out of the SA capital. And thank goodness that this game is going ahead because it is the game of the round between two legitimate premiership contenders. Although the Power’s standing as a flag threat has diminished in recent times with a loss to the Bulldogs at home, coupled with comprehensive defeats to West Coast and Brisbane on the road earlier this year. In fact, they’re only 1-3 against the top eight this year, with the one triumph a two-point victory against Richmond at home. Conversely, the Cats are 3-2 against top-eight teams in 2021, and don’t even look like they’ve got out of second gear despite being in third spot with a game in hand. And now they welcome back Paddy Dangerfield, Mitch Duncan, Mark O’Connor and Mark Blicavs back into the team in time for the second half of the season. Be afraid, be very afraid. They’ve won six of their last seven games by an average of seven goals, with the one loss in that stretch a two-point defeat to Sydney in a game where they basically won every key stat except for the one that matters most on the scoreboard. Making matters worse for Port Adelaide is Orazio Fantasia (knee) joining Zak Butters (ankle), Xavier Duursma (knee), Tom Clurey (jaw) and Tom Rockliff (deep vein thrombosis) on the sidelines.
RONNY’S TIP: Geelong by 14 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 2 points.

SYDNEY v HAWTHORN (SCG, Friday 7.50pm local time)
The Swans haven’t exactly looked invincible at the SCG in recent times – they were seriously tested by bottom-10 sides Carlton and St Kilda in the last two weeks, but managed to overcome them eventually to grab the four points. Collingwood even jumped them in round nine to lead at half-time, and they scraped home against Geelong and Essendon earlier in the year. So if a side at least somewhere near the top eight was playing the Swans this week, you’d give them a decent chance. However, Sydney’s next opponent happens to be one of the worst-performing sides of 2021. The second-last Hawks have won two games this year by a combined total of four points, and their last outing at this venue saw them humbled by a Gold Coast team that is hardly setting the world on fire. An easy victory is in the offing here for the Swans who, despite a fair few frights, are still an impressive 6-1 at their home ground this year.
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 19 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 22 points.

FREMANTLE v GOLD COAST (Optus Stadium, Saturday 2.15pm local time)
The hits just keep on coming for Fremantle with Nat Fyfe (shoulder), Brennan Cox (hamstring) and Griffin Logue (concussion) all ruled out this week and joining the club’s already mammoth injury list. In some encouraging news, Sean Darcy (hamstring) and Matt Taberner (ankle) could be passed fit to play, but coach Justin Longmuir’s job is becoming increasingly harder to do in the face of his personnel crisis. The Dockers are clearly a much better side at home this year and ordinarily this would be an easy game to tip, but the Suns would have to be a chance for victory purely by virtue of how many key players Freo will be missing. Gold Coast doesn’t exactly have a full squad to choose from either, but in a massive boost for them, star former No.1 pick Matt Rowell is set to return to the scene of the crime and play his first game since seriously injuring his knee against West Coast in round one at this very ground. Joining him in the line-up will likely be Sam Day (knee) and Jack Bowes (hamstring). The Suns have a real chance to back up their clinical defeat of Hawthorn last time out and show that they are maturing as a group. Their only win in 14 attempts in Perth came against Fremantle at Subiaco back in 2016, but whether they’re good enough to add to that tally and make the most of this golden opportunity remains to be seen.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 7 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Fremantle by 6 points.

PLEASE HELP US CONTINUE TO THRIVE BY BECOMING AN OFFICIAL FOOTYOLOGY PATRON. JUST CLICK THIS LINK.

ST KILDA v ADELAIDE (Cairns, Saturday 7.25pm local time)
Another team on the verge of reaching critical mass on the personnel front, if they haven’t already, are the Saints. Seb Ross and Tim Membrey have returned to Melbourne to be with their families, Jarryn Geary (shoulder) could be headed for surgery, Max King (back) and Mason Wood (hamstring) are in doubt, while Rowan Marshall (foot), Zak Jones (quad), Jade Gresham (achilles), Jake Carlisle (back), Daniel McKenzie (calf), Shaun McKernan (toe), Dan Hannebery (calf), Ben Paton (leg) and Dean Kent (concussion) remain unavailable. The Crows aren’t exactly full strength, though, and could be missing up to eight first-choice players this week. Worryingly, Taylor Walker underwent scans on his leg, but Sam Berry (concussion) is on track to be available for selection. Both of these teams have been smashed on turnovers this year, the Saints ranked 17th in the competition on differentials for points scored by turnover per game (-12.9) and Adelaide coming in at 15th (-10.6). But with the Saints in the grip of a full-blown injury crisis, the Crows should be able to capitalise and prevent St Kilda from recording back-to-back wins against them for the first time in 11 years.
RONNY’S TIP: Adelaide by 18 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Adelaide by 12 points.

NORTH MELBOURNE v GWS (Blundstone Arena, Sunday 3.20pm local time)
This looms as a bit of a danger game for the Giants, but they have received some rare welcome news on the injury front with Toby Greene (shoulder), Phil Davis (calf) and Matt De Boer (hamstring) all set to return to the line-up. Despite only winning one game so far this year, the Kangaroos have shown in patches that they can be competitive, and even overran Hawthorn back in round nine. However, GWS has a huge chance to become the No.1 contender from outside the bottom 10 to break into the top eight with a win here, and with so much to play for, it would be surprising if Leon Cameron’s men let this game slip. Underscoring the difficulty of North’s task is the fact the Giants are ranked fifth in the AFL for scores per inside 50 (45 per cent) while the Roos are dead last in that category at 37 per cent.
RONNY’S TIP: GWS by 27 points.
ROCO’S TIP: GWS by 28 points.

WEST COAST v RICHMOND (Optus Stadium, Sunday 5.20pm local time)
Originally slated for round 14, this game has been brought forward to this week as a result of various border restrictions and associated travel requirements that have arisen as a result of Victoria’s latest COVID outbreak. If there was still some lingering doubt over whether Richmond could climb the mountain one more time and secure an historic hat-trick of premierships this year, it was surely put to bed last week – not so much for the quality of opposition they defeated (after all, Essendon is ninth on the ladder), but more so the manner in which the Tigers secured the win. After being challenged and falling behind in the final quarter, Richmond responded with full force, channelling their inner-premiership pedigree to boot the final seven goals of the game and romp to a 39-point win. Usual suspects Dustin Martin and Shai Bolton were the architects of the victory and are right back to their very best form. Kane Lambert (calf) should return this week, too, likely at the expense of Dion Prestia (hamstring). But the Eagles scored a stirring win of their own last week. Missing almost half their best 22, they travelled to Sydney and recorded their gutsiest win of the year against Carlton. And they could yet be boosted by the returns of Josh Kennedy (ankle), Oscar Allen (concussion), Liam Duggan (knee) and Jarrod Brander (adductor). This promises to be an absolutely cracking contest, but this writer believes the sleeping giant has finally woken up for good and expects Richmond to take care of the Eagles. Having played at the ground just eight days prior will only help its cause, too.
RONNY’S TIP: Richmond by 16 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Richmond by 16 points.

MELBOURNE v COLLINGWOOD (SCG, Monday 3.20pm local time)
After yet another dramatic week at Collingwood, this match will end up being Nathan Buckley’s 218th and final match in charge of the Magpies, the Collingwood coach parting ways with the club after nine-and-a-half seasons at the helm. Melbourne supporters everywhere will be cursing the fact that Buckley chose this of all weeks to step aside, because these games so often produce an uplift in performance in the side whose coach is moving on. But surely the Demons are playing too good a brand of football for any of that to harm their chances of victory. Simon Goodwin’s side has conquered almost every opponent in its way so far this year, including contenders Brisbane, Richmond, Geelong, Sydney and the Bulldogs – a fair hit list, it has to be said. Perhaps the Demons’ most recent victory, a come-from-behind masterclass against the Lions, was the most impressive of all their triumphs to date. Sitting pretty on top of the ladder with a sparkling 11-1 record, Melbourne should show in no uncertain terms why eight games separate it and Collingwood on the ladder. This is obviously the traditional Queen’s Birthday clash between the two sides and unfortunately it had to be moved from the MCG for the first time due to COVID – another unwanted milestone the pandemic has chalked up. But it will also serve as another “Big Freeze” fundraiser for the fight against MND, and of course that cause’s biggest champion, the great Neale Daniher, will no doubt be front and centre throughout the day, as he deserves to be.
RONNY’S TIP: Melbourne by 22 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Melbourne by 28 points.

RONNY’S SEASON TOTAL: 70
ROCO’S SEASON TOTAL: 74