Bulldog skipper Marcus Bontempelli shapes to handball during the last meeting with the Swans in round four 2020.

PORT ADELAIDE v MELBOURNE (Adelaide Oval, Thursday 7.40pm local time)
As the old saying goes: “A week is a long time in footy.” And if that’s the case, then a month must feel like an eternity for the Demons, who have lost two of their last three games to battling Collingwood and top-eight fringe dweller GWS, while scraping past mid-table Essendon. After riding high a game clear on top of the ladder for five consecutive rounds, the one-time premiership favourite is at risk of dropping to fifth spot this week if it loses to the Power. How quickly things can change. The biggest issue facing the Dees recently is their attacking potency, with an average of just 62 points over their past three games, way below their average of 91 achieved over their first 12 games. That’s why Ben Brown has been brought back in for his first game since round nine, in an attempt to straighten up Melbourne and ensure its inside-50s are more effective (anyone who watched the Dees’ last quarter against GWS will understand how dire the situation has become). Melbourne comes up against a Power side desperate to take a really big scalp in season 2021. Yes, they’ve beaten Richmond and Sydney, but a genuine heavyweight like Melbourne is what they’re craving. The returns of the electric Zak Butters and defender Tom Clurey don’t hurt either. This is an intriguing top-four showdown between a couple of sides who have had very different fortunes against the best teams. While Melbourne has struggled against less-fancied opponents in recent times, it still boasts a brilliant 6-1 record against the top nine sides, whereas Port Adelaide is 2-4. The best teams seem to bring out the best in the Demons, and this writer is expecting them to bounce back and remind the doubters why they’ve occupied the top rungs of the ladder for most of the season.
RONNY’S TIP: Melbourne by 12 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 10 points.

ESSENDON v ADELAIDE (Marvel Stadium, Friday 7.50pm local time)
The Bombers have received a reality check in the last couple of weeks with back-to-back losses to premiership contenders Melbourne and Geelong. What was evident in their games against Port Adelaide, Brisbane and Richmond earlier in the year was merely confirmed in their last two games – they’re a long way off the pacesetters despite producing better-than-expected footy this year. Refreshingly for the Dons, though, they come back down to their weight class this week and should be too good for an Adelaide side that has been terrible on the road this year (2-5) with its only win over a team with true home ground advantage coming against last-placed North Melbourne back in round four (the Crows’ win over St Kilda came on neutral territory in Cairns). And if influential spearhead Taylor Walker (neck) fails to prove his fitness, that would just about seal the Crows’ fate before the first bounce.
RONNY’S TIP: Essendon by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Essendon by 16 points.

HAWTHORN v FREMANTLE (Launceston, Saturday 1.45pm local time)
What a momentous week it has been at the Hawthorn Football Club, with a truly historic decision being made to put an end date on their most successful coach Alastair Clarkson’s reign. What kind of impact will the announcement of the Clarkson-Sam Mitchell handover have on the team in the immediate term? It’s hard to know. It’s a very unique situation. But what has been apparent is that since their mid-season break, the Hawks have largely looked rejuvenated (barring their terrible outing against Port Adelaide last week). Before that, they took down finals contenders Sydney and GWS and made life very tough for the Bombers. Fremantle must still be kicking itself over how it managed to lose to Carlton in round 16. It could prove to be a season-derailing result. This is the Dockers’ third consecutive week on the road, and that could start taking its toll, especially as they head to a ground where they’ve only won once from 12 attempts. Freo is 0-10 there against the Hawks, and while the venue isn’t the happy hunting ground that it once was for Clarkson’s men (who won 19 games in a row there at one stage but have now lost three of their last four), their last month of footy suggests they can spring an upset.
RONNY’S TIP: Hawthorn by 12 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Hawthorn by 8 points.

CARLTON v GEELONG (MCG, Saturday 4.35pm local time)
The Blues have afforded their embattled coach David Teague some much-needed breathing space in the past two weeks with wins over Adelaide and Fremantle, but they’re about to take a huge step up in class this week when they face the Cats, who returned to form last round with a clinical victory over Essendon. The loss of Jeremy Cameron (hamstring) is frustrating for Geelong, but Carlton could be without its bulldozing captain Patrick Cripps, who injured his right foot last week against Fremantle. The Cats could also recall Mark O’Connor (hamstring tightness), Shaun Higgins (managed) and Esava Ratugolea (managed), while the Blues will be hoping to regain Zac Fisher (ankle) and Will Setterfield (hand) as well as the returning Zac Williams (suspension). As encouraging as the last two weeks have been for the Blues, they’re still 0-8 against the top nine sides this year, and that record won’t improve this week.
RONNY’S TIP: Geelong by 29 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 26 points.

BRISBANE v ST KILDA (Metricon Stadium, Thursday 7.25pm local time)
The Saints have given their fans something to cheer about in recent weeks (as well as a heart attack in the final quarter on Sunday) with back-to-back victories over Richmond and Collingwood. It’s amazing what a difference Paddy Ryder and Rowan Marshall make to this team – not to mention the continued exceptional output of captain Jack Steele. All of a sudden, they’re just half-a-game outside the top eight. But this week is their biggest challenge since their round 10 flogging at the hands of the Western Bulldogs. The Lions look more and more like the best team in the competition with each passing week, and they could very well be further bolstered by the additions of Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale (calf) and important defender Ryan Lester (hamstring) this week. Zak Jones (quad) might return for the Saints, but even if he does, he won’t be able to do much about the end result.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 35 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 30 points.

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GWS v GOLD COAST (Mars Stadium, Sunday 12.40pm local time)
This fixture gives the phrase “off-Broadway” a whole new meaning – two interstate sides that have the fewest fans in the competition at a Victorian rural town just after midday on Sunday. And the players had better make sure they’re warmed up, because Ballarat is expecting a top temperature of 11. The Suns are riding high after registering one of the best wins in the club’s 11-year history against Richmond last week, as are the Giants, who have entered the top eight after defeating previous ladder leader Melbourne at the MCG. Gold Coast showed what it is capable of against the Tigers, but unfortunately for Stuart Dew’s side, those glimpses are typically too few and far between. GWS, on the other hand, is a more mature and reliable outfit playing to stay in the finals race heading down the stretch, and it would be a shock if the Giants let this one slip.
RONNY’S TIP: GWS by 19 points.
ROCO’S TIP: GWS by 28 points.

WESTERN BULLDOGS v SYDNEY (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 3.20pm local time)
A close second for match of the round behind Port Adelaide v Melbourne, this clash promises to be an absolute doozy. After the Swans recently looked like the most vulnerable side in the top eight (Richmond then said “hold my beer”), they have recaptured the kind of form that had tongues wagging in the opening month of the season. A spirited showing against the Power in Adelaide, followed by an absolute belting of fellow top-eight side West Coast down in Geelong, indicates John Longmire’s side is back. And Sydney will have a huge chance to frank its recent form against the top-of-the-ladder Bulldogs. This is the Swans’ biggest test since their round eight encounter with Melbourne. If the Lions aren’t the hottest team in the AFL right now, then it has to be Luke Beveridge’s men. They are just cutting a swathe through the competition (as their league best percentage of 147.6 indicates) and were stiff not to conquer “Mission Impossible” against the Cats in Geelong a few weeks back. Aaron Naughton (concussion) is a big loss for the Doggies, but it shouldn’t be a big enough spanner in the works to completely derail them.
RONNY’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 25 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 2 points.

RICHMOND v COLLINGWOOD (MCG, Sunday 4.10pm local time)
How the mighty have fallen. Premiers and semi-finalists respectively last year, the Tigers and Magpies have been shunted to the “no man’s land” timeslot of Sunday twilight this year. It’s a stark reflection of the fact that both Victorian powerhouses find themselves at the lowest ebbs of their last five years. The wheels seem to have completely fallen off Richmond, which has slipped out of the top eight following stunning losses to St Kilda and Gold Coast, while Collingwood looks as though it’s already put the cue in the rack with a caretaker coach at the helm and its finals hopes long extinguished. The Tigers’ famous surge footy and manic pressure which came to define their premiership run is non-existent, and now they’ve got close to half their best 22 either injured or under a cloud. But ruckman Toby Nankervis (knee) could be back this week in what would be a huge fillip for the flagging reigning premier. The Pies just seem like they’re going through motions since Nathan Buckley’s departure, and while they could definitely win this week, as the Saints and Suns have recently proven against the Tigers, they don’t look like they have the necessary fire in the belly to produce such a result.
RONNY’S TIP: Richmond by 10 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Richmond by 16 points.

WEST COAST v NORTH MELBOURNE (Optus Stadium, Monday 5.40pm local time)
The Kangaroos continue to produce encouraging performances despite sitting rock bottom on the ladder, and their last outing against pacesetters the Dogs was no exception. However, the Eagles should win this one comfortably, and the strong likelihood of that occurring is actually an indictment on that footy club. Yes, North only has two wins to its credit, so that fact in itself should make victory for West Coast easier. But the main reason this is just about a certainty for Adam Simpson’s side is because the game is being staged in the comfort of its home ground Optus Stadium – just the way the pampered Eagles like it. It was all too hard for West Coast last week against Sydney down at Geelong, as the Eagles showed that for all the talent they possess, they are pound for pound the softest team in the AFL. They didn’t even give a yelp against the Swans, despite only percentage separating the two top-eight sides on the ladder at the time, and ended up losing by an inexcusable 92 points – just 10 weeks after losing to the Cats by 97 points at the same venue. It was an embarrassing display which saw the Eagles register the third-lowest score in their history. The pampered princes from WA have almost always refused to turn up this year if they have to venture past state borders, but they won’t have to do much travelling this week to mark the return of Monday night footy. And with an expected full house to greet them to make them feel all warm and fuzzy, the Eagles will be under minimal mental strain and should produce a strong performance.
RONNY’S TIP: West Coast by 32 points.
ROCO’S TIP: West Coast by 38 points.

RONNY’S SEASON TOTAL: 87
ROCO’S SEASON TOTAL: 92