Geelong beat Richmond twice at the MCG last year. Can the Cats make it three in a row on Saturday? Photo: GETTY IMAGES

MELBOURNE v BRISBANE (MCG, Thursday 7.20pm local time)
For the first time in 10 years, each team in the top eight will be playing each other this weekend, and this rare event has only occurred on four previous occasions in the 29-year history of the top eight. So what better way to kick things off than with a battle between the top two teams? The Demons looked on course for back-to-back premierships a month ago, but three consecutive losses later, and they’ve given up top spot to the Lions. Capping off Melbourne’s disastrous month was a wild, boozy night out which ended up with Steven May and Jake Melksham involved in a physical altercation with each other. And the hits keep coming for the Dees with inspirational captain Max Gawn (ankle) ruled out for up to a month, joining key forward Tom McDonald (ankle) on the sidelines. Without McDonald in the team, Melbourne’s forward efficiency has plummeted, so they’ll be hoping the returning Sam Weideman can click with the underperforming Ben Brown in attack. And unsurprisingly, the Demons have also looked incredibly vulnerable down back without May in the team, losing all three games, so they will gladly welcome him back despite his unacceptable recent off-field behaviour. But the Lions have their issues too, losing important trio Dayne Zorko (hamstring), Zac Bailey (COVID) and Darcy Gardiner (lungs). Brisbane returned to the winners’ list last time out after being tested by an injury-ravaged St Kilda outfit, but prior to that result, they had conceded 104 points on average in their previous three games. The Dees have been very ordinary, averaging just 58 points in their past three matches, but it cannot be overstated how important May’s inclusion is. His presence alone could be enough to stretch Brisbane’s eight-year losing streak at the MCG to 10 matches.
RONNY’S TIP: Melbourne by 12 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Melbourne by 6 points.

WESTERN BULLDOGS v HAWTHORN (Marvel Stadium, Friday 7pm local time)
The Bulldogs are starting to gather momentum just in the nick of time, and with four wins from their past five games, they sit just a game outside the eight in 10th spot. But their next opponent can be incredibly tricky and are much better than their 4-9 record suggests. The one thing you know about the Hawks is that they will always have a crack and will continue taking the game on even if they’re seven goals down. It’s that attitude that has seen them take down premiership contenders Brisbane and Geelong this year. The Dogs have been hit hard by injury this week with Tim English (concussion) and Taylor Duryea (knee) already ruled out, while Cody Weightman would appear very unlikely despite returning to the field of play last week after suffering a gruesome dislocated elbow. And, of course, the suspended Bailey Smith remains unavailable. In some good news, though, Lachie Hunter should be in line for his first game since taking personal leave 10 weeks ago. Meanwhile, the Hawks’ forward line is set to receive a huge boost with Jack Gunston (foot) and Mitch Lewis (knee) likely to return, while ruckman Max Lynch (concussion) will be tested. They suffered a big blow down back, however, with Sam Frost (knee) ruled out for the next month. The Hawks are capable of pulling off another upset in this game, and would have been enthused by how defensively porous the Dogs were in their win over GWS last week, but with so much on the line, the Bulldogs simply have to get the job done.
RONNY’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 14 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 18 points.

WEST COAST v ESSENDON (Optus Stadium, Friday 6.40pm local time)
With each passing week it looks as though the Eagles are starting to turn the corner in what has been a diabolical season. They were very spirited in the second half against Adelaide in Round 12, and then played their best game in three months last week, pushing the top-four Cats all the way, falling short by only three goals. And the news continues to get better for the bottom-placed team, with Tim Kelly and Liam Ryan set to return from illness, while champion ruckman Nic Naitanui (knee) isn’t far away from a return either and is a sneaky chance of taking on the Bombers. However, they have lost Jeremy McGovern (ribs) yet again, continuing a rotten run of injury for the star defender. Meanwhile, after a couple of encouraging performances against Port Adelaide and Carlton, Essendon broke through emphatically for its third win of the season with a thumping six-goal victory over St Kilda last week. For the first time in a long time, the Dons played fast-paced, direct footy and reaped the rewards. And while they lose Andrew McGrath (adductor), they could regain star midfielder Darcy Parish (calf). The Eagles are definitely closing in on their second win of the season, but the Bombers look like they’ve been freed up and given license to finally play their natural game. They also have a good record at this venue against West Coast (2-2).
RONNY’S TIP: Essendon by 17 points.
ROCO’S TIP: West Coast by 2 points.

CARLTON v FREMANTLE (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 1.45pm local time)
The Blues cannot buy a trick on the injury front, with their mid-season defensive reinforcement Sam Durdin (knee) hurting himself in his club debut last week, further stretching an already badly undermanned backline. Jack Martin (calf) is no certainty to play this week, either. The long casualty list threatens to derail what has been a promising first year under new coach Michael Voss. For now, Carlton is clinging to fifth spot, but could slip to seventh if it loses this week. And that is more than a distinct possibility considering the Blues are facing flag fancy Fremantle, which has already shown an uncanny knack for defeating top-four hopefuls on their home deck. The Dockers have beaten Melbourne at the MCG and Geelong at Kardinia Park this year, so an injury-ravaged Carlton at Marvel Stadium shouldn’t prove too difficult for a team that has also taken care of Brisbane as well as the Blues the first time they met this year. And if Carlton’s midfield continues to struggle to protect its depleted defence, the final margin could be sizeable.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Carlton by 4points.

GEELONG v RICHMOND (MCG, Saturday 4.35pm local time)
A close second behind Thursday night’s blockbuster as the match of the round, this contest has all the makings of a classic. Damien Hardwick’s men are starting to build a head of steam, having won six of their last seven games, and are looking like the Tigers of old with their turnover game, especially, back to its premiership-winning best during that period. But by the same token, the Cats are purring along just nicely, having won their last four games without producing overly impressive footy. Richmond sits in sixth spot, just a game behind fourth-placed Geelong, so the stakes are huge. And both teams are set to welcome back plenty of star power. The Tigers should regain superstar Dustin Martin (flu), while the Cats are in line to recall Paddy Dangerfield (calf), Gary Rohan (COVID), Jack Henry (foot) and Max Holmes (ankle), while Shaun Higgins (soreness) is also available if they wish to select him. But unlike Geelong, Richmond has copped a triple blow with Noah Balta (hamstring) and Trent Cotchin (collarbone) ruled out and Robbie Tarrant (hand) needing to pass a fitness test after undergoing minor surgery earlier in the week. If Tarrant joins Balta out of the team, that could put enormous strain on Richmond’s backline (as good as Dylan Grimes and Nick Vlastuin are) to contain Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron.
RONNY’S TIP: Geelong by 8 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Richmond by 8 points.

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

SYDNEY v ST KILDA (SCG, Saturday 7.25pm local time)
And to the last of the top-eight clashes, we have the terribly disappointing Swans and Saints, both of whom are scrapping to stay inside top eight following very poor showings last week. St Kilda, in particular, was woeful as it got bossed around by the previously two-win Bombers, but Sydney wasn’t much better and was made to look second-rate by the bottom-10 Power, who were down a rotation in the second half. But in some good news for the Swans, No.1 ruckman Tom Hickey (toe) will almost certainly replace the suspended Peter Ladhams, while the Saints are set to welcome back superstar captain Jack Steele (shoulder) and Dan McKenzie (concussion). You couldn’t be fully confident picking either side to win this game, as the difference between the best and worst for both is large, but back at the SCG, the Swans theoretically should get the job done. The ease with which teams are scoring against the Saints probably tips it in Sydney’s favour.
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 10 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 22 points.

NORTH MELBOURNE v ADELAIDE (Blundstone Arena, Sunday 1.10pm local time)
There hasn’t been a lot to cheer about for the Kangaroos this year in what has been an absolute train wreck of a season whichever way you look at it. They sit stuck in the bottom two with one win (against a COVID-decimated West Coast) and having lost their last 11 games by an average of 10 goals. Ordinarily, you’d look at this game and designate it a winnable one for North, but they’re just too bad to fill you with any hope. Besides, the Crows have definitely been showing more fight than the Kangaroos, despite experiencing a poor run of form themselves, which has seen them lose six of their last seven games.
RONNY’S TIP: Adelaide by 19 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Adelaide by 16 points.

COLLINGWOOD v GWS (MCG, Sunday 3.20pm local time)
A week of unwanted headlines caused by Jordan De Goey has taken much of the focus away from how brilliantly the Magpies have been performing under first-year coach Craig McRae. Collingwood has now won its last four games, including victories over top-four aspirants Melbourne, Fremantle and Carlton. It has been a stunning performance and the Pies all of a sudden are legitimate finals contenders. Percentage is the only thing keeping McRae’s side out of the top eight at the moment and a win will see them enter it with eight weeks to go. GWS has definitely shown improvement under caretaker coach Mark McVeigh, but beating the Pies at the MCG seems a bridge too far, even if Collingwood will be missing De Goey, who is now on personal leave.
RONNY’S TIP: Collingwood by 26 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 32 points.

PORT ADELAIDE v GOLD COAST (Adelaide Oval, Sunday 3.40pm local time)
It’s fair to say that September has come early for these two sides. What a cracking contest this promises to be. In what is a virtual elimination final, the Suns could find themselves two games outside the eight if they lose, while the Power could be three wins adrift if they go down, making finals footy almost impossible for either side. To their credit, after a 0-5 start, the Power are hanging in there, and with six wins from their past eight games, have not yet thrown in the towel. Meanwhile, how good have the Suns been? This is by far the best they’ve looked since 2014 and they are on track for their best season since they entered the AFL in 2011. Gold Coast has now won five of its past six matches in emphatic fashion and is no longer the easybeat it has been for the vast majority of its existence. This assignment presents another test for the Suns’ maturity as a football team, and this writer believes they can pass it.
RONNY’S TIP: Gold Coast by 7 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 24 points.

RONNY’S SEASON TOTAL: 81
ROCO’S SEASON TOTAL: 81