Bulldogs champion Marcus Bontempelli bursts clear of Darcy Parish (left) and Sam Durham. Photo: MICHAEL KLEIN

ESSENDON v WESTERN BULLDOGS (Marvel Stadium, Friday 7:50pm local time)
Round 19 kicks off with a Friday night blockbuster that will have huge implications for the finals race. The Bombers (eighth) host the Bulldogs (seventh) in a match that will see the loser not only almost certainly drop out of the top eight with five games to go, but potentially drop as low as 12th on the ladder, such is the evenness of the competition. Essendon has been in this position recently when, again as the eighth-placed team in Round 17, it took on seventh-ranked Adelaide and won comfortably. This time Brad Scott’s men are coming off by far their worst performance of the year – a 77-point drubbing at the hands of Geelong – which was a dramatic aberration compared to how well they’ve been playing for most of 2023. Prior to the Adelaide win, it took an after-the-siren goal from flag contender Port Adelaide to defeat them. But after facing Geelong, which has now won 21 of its last 25 meetings with Essendon, the Bombers take on another team which has emphatically dominated them in recent times. The Dogs have won eight of their last nine encounters with the Dons by an average of 51 points, but they have been struggling for form recently, winning just two of their last seven games. This match looms as a toss-of-the-coin job, but the Bombers responded well the last time they produced a stinker against Fremantle by almost beating the Power, and having not yet been beaten at Marvel Stadium this year, they are capable of clinching victory in a thriller.
RONNY’S TIP: Essendon by 1 point.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 5 points.

RICHMOND v HAWTHORN (MCG, Saturday 1:45pm local time)
After a dreadful fortnight against Gold Coast and Carlton, the erratic Hawks have shown again in the past two weeks they aren’t pushovers after challenging GWS for most of the game in Round 17 and then smashing North Melbourne in the second half last weekend. Wins against Brisbane and St Kilda earlier this year also proved that they cannot be taken lightly by anyone, however Richmond is in stellar form recently, with five wins from its last six games, and now just two points outside of the top eight after slipping into the bottom four in Round 11. A victory over Hawthorn will strengthen Richmond’s bid for a finals spot and with so much to play for, the Tigers should get the chocolates.
RONNY’S TIP: Richmond by 27 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Richmond by 22 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Richmond by 13 points.

CARLTON v WEST COAST (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 2:10pm local time)
Like the Tigers, the Blues have made a stunning resurgence to roar back into top-eight contention. After they too slipped into the bottom four five weeks ago, they have exploded to win their last four games by an average of 56 points and this week are aiming to become the first team in VFL/AFL history to win five consecutive games by at least 50 points. It’s been some turnaround. Gone is the stagnant, slow, predictable ball movement that marred the first half of their season, and back is the electrifying, high-speed, high-scoring brand that set the footy world alight in the first half of 2022. Is this really the same team that averaged just 53 points between Rounds 9-13? They lose star trio Patrick Cripps (cork), Harry McKay (knee) and Adam Cerra (hamstring) to injury this week, but it won’t matter against the worst team in the competition.
RONNY’S TIP: Carlton by 58 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Carlton by 54 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Carlton by 57 points.

BRISBANE v GEELONG (Gabba, Saturday 4:35pm local time)
If this game took place in any other round that didn’t feature Port Adelaide v Collingwood, it would be match of the week nine times out of 10. What a salivating contest this promises to be as the third-placed Lions take on the fifth-ranked Cats who, at the right time of the season, are starting to look every bit the premiership side that they were last year. After winning four matches in a row, Brisbane all but won against Melbourne last week, before relinquishing the lead with 33 seconds to go in one of the most remarkable finishes to a game for the season. It would’ve been a shattering result for the Lions, but by the same token would’ve filled them with confidence that they can play great footy at their hoodoo ground the MCG. They face a Geelong outfit that has only lost one of its last six games and is fresh from a demolition job on fellow top-eight side Essendon. The fact that this game is at the Gabba probably swings it in the Lions’ favour considering they’ve won their last nine games there by an average of 40 points. But the Cats have that killer gleam back in their eye, ensuring this is a must-watch clash.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 10 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 6 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Brisbane by 7 points.

FREMANTLE v SYDNEY (Optus Stadium, Saturday 5:40pm local time)
The Dockers have been the most disappointing team of the season so far. After making it to the semi-finals last year, they find themselves wallowing in the bottom four with six weeks left in the season. Their wild inconsistency has made them completely unreliable, whether they play at home (4-4) or away (3-6). And they come up against a Sydney side that breathed some life into its finals tilt last week with a thrilling two-point win over the Western Bulldogs. The Swans will probably still fail to qualify for the top eight, considering they will likely still have to win five of their last six games to do so. But they are six points off the pace at the moment which means they still have a pulse. They don’t fear Optus Stadium either, having won three of six games there against WA teams, including their last two. With star duo Chad Warner and Jake Lloyd back from injury, they could quite easily turn the lights out on Fremantle’s season for good on Saturday night.
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 22 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 8 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Sydney by 14 points.

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PORT ADELAIDE v COLLINGWOOD (Adelaide Oval, Saturday 7:10pm local time)
This is the one we’ve all been waiting for. The match of the season between the two best teams. In one corner we have the second-from-top Power, who only last week had their club-record 13-game winning streak snapped by Carlton. And in the other corner is the irrepressible, seemingly unstoppable, Collingwood juggernaut. The Magpies are the premiership favourites for a reason. Turbocharged by their devastatingly slick ball movement and speed from the back half, they have overpowered almost all comers on the way to a one-game buffer at the top of the ladder heading into Round 19. But Port Adelaide has been almost as impressive this year, and propelled by its stacked midfield, it has shown on many occasions that it can also pile on multiple goals when the momentum swings its way. Ken Hinkley’s side has welcomed back the big guns for this top-of-the-table clash with Charlie Dixon, Jason Horne-Francis, Trent McKenzie and Willie Rioli all returning. Meanwhile, the Magpies regain a key duo of their own in Brody Mihocek and Darcy Cameron. The last time these two sides met, Collingwood thrashed Port Adelaide by 71 points in Round 2. Now clearly, the Power have become a much more formidable outfit since then, and while the result will most likely be the same, the margin will be much smaller this time around.
RONNY’S TIP: Collingwood by 9 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 4 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Collingwood by 17 points.

GWS v GOLD COAST (Manuka Oval, Sunday 1:10pm local time)
Season 2023 has been all about mid-year revivals. Like Richmond and Carlton, the Giants have also come from the clouds, winning their last five games to also lift themselves out of the bottom four and shoot up to ninth spot, with percentage the only thing keeping them out of the top eight. A win over the Suns will guarantee them entry into the top eight but, as funny as it sounds, Gold Coast is also still in the finals hunt despite sacking coach Stuart Dew last week. The Suns are still only a game outside the eight, which makes this match massive for them as well. However, GWS is riding a huge wave of momentum heading into this clash and having also bolstered its squad with Nick Haynes and Finn Callaghan, the Suns will find it hard to stop the Giants from making it six wins in a row.
RONNY’S TIP: GWS by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: GWS by 32 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: GWS by 19 points.

MELBOURNE v ADELAIDE (MCG, Sunday 3:20pm local time)
The one thing that the Jekyll-and-Hyde Crows could hang their hat on this year was taken away from them last week when they stunningly lost at their Adelaide Oval fortress to the surging Giants. Prior to that game, Adelaide had won seven of nine games at home. But with just two wins from their last six, the Crows’ season has plunged into uncertainty, and to get back on track, they must somehow find a way to win on the road – something they’ve only done once from seven attempts in 2023. And they could barely have picked a tougher opponent to try and buck that trend against this weekend. Melbourne is still riding high following its sensational last-gasp victory against Brisbane last week, and will be further boosted by Michael Hibberd being added to its squad. Curiously, Brodie Grundy has been as well, but it would be surprising to see the former Magpie make the final cut given you’d assume it would take more than one 14-v-14 VFL practice match to improve his “forward craft”. The Crows head into battle without Rory Laird (shoulder), Josh Rachele (suspension) and Max Michalanney (managed), making their job even tougher at the MCG.
RONNY’S TIP: Melbourne by 25 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Melbourne by 16 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Melbourne by 17 points.

ST KILDA v NORTH MELBOURNE (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 4:40pm local time)
If West Coast is the least fun place to be in the AFL right now, North Melbourne wouldn’t be far off. The Kangaroos have now lost their last 15 games, and worryingly for them, they’ve been borderline uncompetitive in their last three matches after showing some fight in their first five outings under caretaker coach Brett Ratten. Their only genuine chance for victory in the remainder of the year would appear to be against West Coast next week, and even then that’s no guarantee given the game will take place at Optus Stadium. After starting the year 7-3, the wheels have started to fall off the Saints like they did last year at the halfway point. Ross Lyon’s men have only won two of their last seven games, but they’re still sixth on the ladder, and their next assignment shouldn’t pose too many issues. Let’s just hope this match is better than the last time these two sides met back in Round 8 which was one of the worst games of 2023.
RONNY’S TIP: St Kilda by 42 points.
ROCO’S TIP: St Kilda by 28 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: St Kilda by 41 points.

SEASON TOTALS
RONNY 103
ROCO 102
ROCKET 95