Power pair Kane Farrell (left) and Aliir Aliir (right) try to stop Carlton’s Charlie Curnow back in Round 12. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

CARLTON v PORT ADELAIDE (Marvel Stadium, Friday 7:40pm)
The Blues might be second on the ladder still, but all of a sudden they’re starting to look vulnerable, especially considering how tight the competition is with just eight points separating second and 13th spot. Carlton has been hit hard by the injury stick again this week with key playmakers Tom De Koning (foot) and Blake Acres (foot) both joining Caleb Marchbank (illness), Zac Williams (hamstring), Jordan Boyd (shin), Sam Docherty (knee) and Jack Silvagni (knee) on the sidelines. Although they do welcome back a handy trio in Mitch McGovern, Brodie Kemp and Marc Pittonet. Meanwhile, the Power regain important defensive duo Kane Farrell and Lachie Jones but their forward line is still hit hard by the absences of Sam Powell-Pepper (knee), Todd Marshall (hip), Jeremy Finlayson (spleen) and Jed McEntee (concussion), which made the omission of Ollie Lord a bit surprising, even though he was subbed out last week with two touches. And ruckman Ivan Soldo (knee) is still missing too. The Blues haven’t been in great form recently, winning one of their last three games, and their usually powerful midfield has been underperforming during this period. They’re back to the bad old days of Patrick Cripps or bust. Conversely, the Power have regained some touch with three wins from their past four matches. Carlton should still be good enough to win, but its on-ball brigade has to regain its best form, because if it doesn’t, the Blues could easily find themselves overwhelmed by a Power midfield containing Connor Rozee, Zak Butters, Jason Horne-Francis, Ollie Wines, Travis Boak and Willem Drew.
RONNY’S TIP: Carlton by 4 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Carlton by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 11 points.

NORTH MELBOURNE v GEELONG (Blundstone Arena, Saturday 1:45pm)
The Kangaroos were competitive again last week in its 19-point loss to Carlton and, really, the only time since Round 11 that the bottom-two club hasn’t put up much of a fight was against Sydney a fortnight ago at the SCG. But the tough challenges keep coming for North and although the Cats’ growing momentum was abruptly brought to a halt last week by the fantastic Western Bulldogs at a sodden Kardinia Park, Geelong will be too strong as it looks to stay in touch with the top four. Hobart isn’t much of an advantage for the Kangaroos either, given they’ve lost 10 of their last 11 games there.
RONNY’S TIP: Geelong by 27 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 28 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Geelong by 11 points.

ST KILDA v ESSENDON (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 4:35pm)
The Bombers have seen this movie before. Similarly to last year, when they were fifth on the ladder after Round 17 before crashing out of finals contention, the Dons were fourth after Round 17 this year, but have lost their last two games to slip down to eighth spot. In fact, Brad Scott’s men have now lost five of their last seven matches to teeter precariously on the edge of the finals race. And they come up against a team that almost beat them last time they played each other in Round 3. St Kilda might be in the bottom four, but it is still a very hard team to score against with a No.3 league ranking in defence. That spells danger for the Bombers who are eminently capable of being wasteful when moving the ball forward. Peter Wright gets a reprieve in that part of the ground, while experienced duo Darcy Parish and Dyson Heppell have also been recalled. St Kilda has what it takes to upset the Bombers and deliver a hammer blow to their finals hopes, but the loss of Liam Henry (knee) is a significant one.
RONNY’S TIP: Essendon by 11 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Essendon by 12 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Essendon by 25 points.

GOLD COAST v BRISBANE (Carrara, Saturday 4:35pm)
By virtue of the fact that this game is being played on the Gold Coast, the Suns are a big chance to triumph. They have won all seven of their games there this year, as well as their home fixtures in Darwin – a far cry from their road record which currently reads 0-16 in their last 16 games. However, sooner or later, Gold Coast’s high-risk strategy of relying on all of their home games to win enough matches to make the finals will blow up in their face, and it feels as though that time is now. Brisbane is one of the form teams in the competition, having won their last seven games to catapult themselves from 13th up to third. It’s all clicking for the Lions, who have lost just one of their last 11 games, and fresh from toppling premiership favourite Sydney, they are belatedly looking like the flag threat that most viewed them as pre-season. They are going to be hard to stop from clinching Q-Clash 27, even with star defender Harris Andrews (concussion) missing.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 12 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 6 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Gold Coast by 9 points.

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MELBOURNE v GWS (MCG, Saturday 7:30pm)
The Demons were putting together some decent form before being smashed over the head with a purple frying pan for the second time in eight games on the weekend. And they come up against a side also in decent nick, with the Giants winning three in a row for the first time in over three months. And further boosting GWS is the inclusion of superstar backman Sam Taylor. But this writer is willing to treat Melbourne’s horror trip to Perth as a mulligan. Back in the familiar surrounds of the MCG, where they’ve won their last three games, and with big captain Max Gawn returning to combat Giants ruckman Kieren Briggs, Melbourne has what it takes to get the job done. It’s anticipated to be a cold and wet night at the MCG, too, and given the Demons had one of their best wins of the year so recently in those conditions against Essendon, that will serve as another boost for them.
RONNY’S TIP: Melbourne by 9 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Melbourne by 8 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: GWS by 29 points.

FREMANTLE v WEST COAST (Optus Stadium, Saturday 6:10pm)
After an improved showing against Brisbane following coach Adam Simpson’s sacking, it was business as usual last week for the Eagles who produced another embarrassing performance against the Saints. St Kilda has a bottom-four attack, yet still managed to register its highest score of the season (17.11.113) and biggest win (72 points) in seven years against the insipid Eagles. They do welcome back some much-needed star power in Jeremy McGovern, Jake Waterman, Elliot Yeo and Jack Darling, and Fremantle will be without Alex Pearce (arm) and Michael Walters (hamstring), but the Dockers are travelling so well at the moment, they’ll show the Eagles exactly why they’re at opposite ends of the ladder. West Coast stunned its fierce rivals in Round 6, but lightning won’t strike twice in Western Derby 59.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 28 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Fremantle by 42 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Fremantle by 41 points.

COLLINGWOOD v RICHMOND (MCG, Sunday 1:10pm)
How the mighty have fallen. The Magpies looked on course to wreak havoc in the finals once again when they were nestled in third spot after Round 14, having lost just one of their previous 11 games. But the wheels have fallen off the reigning premiers, and there was no more stark example of this than last week against Hawthorn when they conceded their biggest score (20.13.133) and suffered their heaviest defeat (66 points) in the Craig McRae era. It was also the first time the Pies lost four games in a row under McRae. The Pies are now 13th and their finals hopes look shot as they sit 1.5 games adrift of the top eight with five games to play. But they should get some relief this week against bottom-placed Richmond, which has lost its last five games by an average of 45 points.
RONNY’S TIP: Collingwood by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 30 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Collingwood by 13 points.

SYDNEY v WESTERN BULLDOGS (SCG, Sunday 3:20pm)
It seems counterintuitive to describe a game featuring a team outside the top eight as the match of the round, but such is the uniqueness of this season that this is exactly where we find ourselves. The Bulldogs are sitting in ninth spot currently, but are one of the form teams in the league, having won seven of their last 10 games, including the scalps of Carlton, Geelong, Fremantle, GWS and Collingwood. As is so often the case with the Dogs, it’s taken them a while to settle on their best line-up, but they’ve done so again late in the year and they look like they’re destined to have a big impact on the finals at this rate. And they are further bolstered by the inclusions of Liam Jones and Caleb Daniel in their extended squad. The Dogs will like their chances to keep their giant-killing ways going this week against the ladder-leading Swans who have lost three of their last four games and have been hit by injuries for the second week in a row. Tom Papley (ankle) and Dane Rampe (calf) will join James Rowbottom (cheekbone) and Justin McInerney (knee) in the stands, and Will Hayward (ankle) looked proppy last week too. But Sydney regains Callum Mills for what promises to be a cracking contest.
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 7 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 14 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 15 points.

ADELAIDE v HAWTHORN (Adelaide Oval, Sunday 4:10pm)
The Crows pulled off one of the best last-gasp heists of the season last week against the Bombers, but after the dust settled on their dramatic two-point win, the realisation set in that they would be missing three of their most important players for their next clash with the Hawks. Captain Jordan Dawson (concussion) as well as key defensive pillars Nick Murray (knee) and Jordon Butts (foot) have all been ruled out, and their unavailability couldn’t have come at a worse time against one of the hottest teams in the league. Hawthorn has now won nine of its last 11 games to rocket into finals contention and has become one of the most watchable teams in the competition. The young Hawks are brash, confident, carefree and fear nobody – as evidenced by their most recent performance against Collingwood. Coach Sam Mitchell has his team playing fantastic football at the moment, and it’s hard to imagine Adelaide coming up with the formula to prevent the Hawks from charging towards another victory.
RONNY’S TIP: Hawthorn by 17 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Adelaide by 4 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Hawthorn by 15 points.

SEASON TOTALS
RONNY 100
ROCO 99
ROCKET 99

*all times are local