Brisbane star Hugh McCluggage is mobbed by teammates after kicking a goal against St Kilda last year as Brad Hill (left) watches on. Photo: AFL MEDIA

BRISBANE v ST KILDA (Gabba, Friday 7:40pm)
The Saints head into this game having just strung back-to-back wins together for the first time this season, although their most recent effort in a 14-goal snooze fest against Gold Coast was hardly one for the time capsule. And unfortunately for Ross Lyon’s team, its backline has been smashed with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (managed), Dougal Howard (hamstring) and Jimmy Webster (calf) all unavailable this week. St Kilda comes up against a Brisbane team that looked like it benefitted greatly from a week off last round when it thumped the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium in what coach Chris Fagan hailed as arguably the Lions’ best performance of the year. Unsurprisingly, off the back of that victory, which was inspired largely by forward Eric Hipwood’s career-best game, Brisbane heads into this match unchanged. Since starting the year 2-5, the Lions have lost just one of their last five games and, while this writer has already dismissed them from finals calculations, they’ve been in good recent form and will be too strong for an impotent St Kilda side that has averaged just 61 points in its past five games.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 39 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 22 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Brisbane by 27 points.

WESTERN BULLDOGS v FREMANTLE (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 1:45pm)
Well, as it turns out, the Bulldogs’ win over Collingwood a fortnight ago looks to have been a false dawn. While it appeared as though the Dogs turned the corner in their stop-start season with that win over the Magpies, they were brought back down to earth with a thud by the Lions seven days later. It’s easier to predict the stock market than work out which Dogs team is going to rock up from week to week. They regain a couple of key players in Ed Richards and Cody Weightman, but the loss of Alex Keath (hamstring) is significant against a Fremantle side that found its attacking groove in its last game. The Dockers registered their biggest score in five-and-a-half years when they piled on 22.9 (141) during their 92-point mauling of Melbourne in Alice Springs. Freo trio Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Luke Jackson are becoming a big problem for opposition backlines and after Hipwood tore the Dogs to shreds last week, no doubt Luke Beveridge and his coaching staff will be anxious about that part of the ground again. The Dockers are flying under the radar as one of the in-form teams in the league, with just one loss from their last six matches, and having won both of their games at Marvel Stadium already this year, they will be justifiably confident in this one coming off the bye.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 6 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Fremantle by 21 points.

RICHMOND v HAWTHORN (MCG, Saturday 4:35pm)
What a difference one week can make. After producing one of the upsets of the season by taking down the Crows in Adelaide, following their worst-ever start to a season (1-11), the Tigers all of a sudden have some pep in their step, and it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time considering on Saturday they will be celebrating the 300th game of one of the club’s all-time greats in Dustin Martin. And in an added boost for Richmond, premiership forward Tom Lynch returns alongside Martin for this most auspicious occasion. The last time Lynch played, Richmond defeated premiership favourite Sydney, which remains the sole blemish on the ladder-leading Swans’ win-loss record. In terms of emotion and sentiment, the Hawks are certainly up against it. But will those factors be enough to push Richmond over the line for consecutive victories? Like Fremantle, Hawthorn is one of the hottest teams in the league at present, having won five of its last six matches, including a stirring performance over GWS last week. The way in which Sam Mitchell has got his young side playing attacking, carefree, confident footy has proven too much for many teams in the past two months. But there’s something about the return of Lynch that makes Richmond look that much more dangerous and, on such a significant day, it could be enough to deliver the Tigers the four points.
RONNY’S TIP: Richmond by 7 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Hawthorn by 16 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Hawthorn by 7 points.

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ADELAIDE v SYDNEY (Adelaide Oval, Saturday 7pm)
Has there been a more disappointing team than Adelaide in 2024? It’s hard to think of one. The Crows headed into the season full of optimism and positivity about returning to the finals, and possibly even breaking into the top four. But those ambitions have proven to be far removed from reality as Matthew Nicks’ team languishes in the bottom four with just four wins to its credit, and its September hopes already up in smoke with 10 matches still to play. The Crows will be boosted by the return of important trio Izak Rankine, Nick Murray and Brayden Cook, but it’s hard to see them making enough of an impact to derail the Sydney juggernaut. The Swans don’t appear to have a weakness on any line and are proving to be increasingly difficult to beat as the season wears on. Having won their last eight matches, they head into this match with a head full of steam, and by the end of it, they will sit three games clear on top of the ladder.
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 27 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 28 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Sydney by 31 points.

NORTH MELBOURNE v COLLINGWOOD (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 1pm)
There were great scenes in Perth last weekend when the Kangaroos finally broke through for their first win of the year after losing their first 12 games by an average of 52 points. North had won just one of its previous 32 matches, so it was certainly a result to savour for the blue-and-white faithful. But it’s hard to see those celebrations extending into a second week because, even with a huge injury list to contend with, the Magpies are finding a way to play brilliant, pressure-based team footy, and that was evident on King’s Birthday when they thumped Melbourne by 38 points. Even with a decimated forward line, Collingwood produced nine goalkickers and manufactured 14 goals. The fact that Craig McRae’s side has lost just one of its last 10 matches underscores just how well it has coped under significant personnel duress. Incredibly, a win could catapult the Magpies into second spot.
RONNY’S TIP: Collingwood by 37 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 48 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Collingwood by 25 points.

GWS v PORT ADELAIDE (Giants Stadium, Sunday 4pm)
After starting the year with five consecutive wins and being installed as the bookies’ premiership favourite, it has all gone pear-shaped for the Giants who have now lost five of their last seven games to be teetering on the edge of the top eight. But the good news for GWS is that key duo Josh Kelly and Jack Buckley return for this match. The Power might be sitting in fourth spot, but their last three matches have not been convincing at all. They should’ve lost to Hawthorn, they easily dealt with easybeat North and then they were thumped at home by Carlton. And it’s all culminated in coach Ken Hinkley making a huge statement by dropping key forwards Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson. Joining them out of the team is Ryan Burton with an ankle injury. Importantly, captain Connor Rozee has been named in the squad, as has Ollie Lord who, due to injury, hasn’t had the chance to play since his impressive finals series last year, which included a four-goal bag against Brisbane at the Gabba. The Giants’ last performance at their west Sydney home was far from impressive (a 27-point loss to the Bulldogs), but in this battle between sides desperately trying to regain form, Adam Kingsley’s men should get the job done.
RONNY’S TIP: GWS by 10 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 10 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 9 points.

SEASON TOTALS
RONNY 69
ROCO 68
ROCKET 67

*all times are local