Bulldogs defender Jason Johannisen (left) gets a kick away as Tom Green looks on in Round 7 this year. Photos: AFL MEDIA

WESTERN BULLDOGS v GWS (Marvel Stadium, Thursday 7:30pm)
Do not adjust your sets. Yes, we finally have a Thursday night game between a pair of top-eight aspirants! As much as the footy public has loved snore fests involving teams near the lower reaches of the ladder, this will be a refreshing change. And what a game it promises to be between two sides who certainly have no shortage of animosity towards each other. The Giants are aiming to stay in touch with the top four, but this is virtually an elimination final for the Bulldogs because if they lose, they will almost certainly be two games outside the top eight with three games to go, and with the eighth-placed Suns having a game in hand, that’s as good as a final nail in the coffin. Crucially, Luke Beveridge’s side has already received a huge boost before a ball is even bounced with key GWS trio Toby Greene (suspension), Jack Buckley (calf) and Josh Kelly (calf) all out. Much has been made of the Dogs’ terrible record against the top-eight sides (1-8), but that one victory came against the Giants in Canberra. On their home deck, with so much to play for, the Bulldogs should repeat the dose.
RONNY’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 18 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 6 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 15 points.

ADELAIDE v HAWTHORN (Adelaide Oval, Friday 7:10pm)
If one primetime match-up between finals contenders isn’t enough for one round, footy fans won’t know what to do with themselves when they get a second one in as many nights! Maybe this whole blockbusters-to-kick-off-the-weekend thing might actually catch on. Unlike the Dogs-Giants match, this clash is between two top-five sides who are in ripping form. The Crows have now won their past five games and the Hawks six of their last seven. In fact, the last team to beat Adelaide was Hawthorn down in Tasmania a mere seven weeks ago (let’s hear it again, for AFL fixturing), so Sam Mitchell’s side will no doubt garner plenty of confidence from that. However, the Crows at Adelaide Oval is a different proposition. They’re second on the ladder for good reason as they’re arguably the most well-balanced team in the league and fresh from a record 98-point destruction of arch rival Port Adelaide, they head into this clash with a head full of steam. Adelaide should bring back Isaac Cumming (soreness) at the expense of Max Michalanney (hamstring) and all eyes at Hawthorn’s match committee will be on Mabior Chol (groin) and whether he is brought back into a forward line that has been functioning very well without him. Regardless of the make-up of the Hawks’ team, though, the Crows are an irresistible force at present and are building ominous momentum at the right time of the year.
RONNY’S TIP: Adelaide by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Adelaide by 22 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Adelaide by 19 points.

MELBOURNE v WEST COAST (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 1:20pm)
A pretty ho-hum Saturday trifecta begins at Docklands where the shellshocked Demons host the historically insipid Eagles. Melbourne must still be wondering what the hell happened to them last Sunday as they coughed up a 46-point lead to St Kilda who recorded the greatest comeback from three-quarter time in league history. Given how horrid the Demons’ season already was prior to that catastrophe, a result like that would easily be enough to take the wind out of their sails completely and leave the playing group devoid of any spirit whatsoever. It could leave them vulnerable to another upset result this week if they’re not careful. But given how poor West Coast continues to be, it would require something truly abysmal from the Demons for the Eagles to register their second win of the year.
RONNY’S TIP: Melbourne by 26 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Melbourne by 38 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Melbourne by 31 points.

GOLD COAST v RICHMOND (Carrara, Saturday 4:10pm)
Full credit to the Tigers who continue to play out the season in an admirable manner, despite the sizeable obstacles they have had to grapple with all year from a list demographic perspective. But they had a crack at the Magpies last week, and will undoubtedly test the Suns for portions of this week’s game as well. However, Gold Coast is fresh from arguably its biggest win in its history after smashing reigning premier, and local rival, Brisbane by 66 points and will be keen to teach the young Tigers a lesson after they upset the Suns earlier this year. Gold Coast is certainly a different team at home (as evidenced by its recent win over Collingwood as well) and will be far too strong for plucky Richmond.
RONNY’S TIP: Gold Coast by 62 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Gold Coast by 42 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Gold Coast by 37 points.

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SYDNEY v ESSENDON (SCG, Saturday 4:15pm)
So dire is the Bombers’ personnel crisis that it has announced it will be unveiling its 14th debutant for the season this week, which is a VFL/AFL record (excluding first-year clubs). Jayden Nguyen is the latest Essendon player to run out for his first game, and that will probably make up the sum total of the excitement for the Bombers on the day. The Swans aren’t exactly firing on all cylinders, but if they play anywhere near the level they did in the first half against GWS last week, the decimated Bombers stand absolutely no hope as they stare down the barrel of a ninth consecutive loss – something they haven’t done since 2006 (excluding 2016 when half of their players were serving drug bans).
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 52 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 28 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Sydney by 33 points.

COLLINGWOOD v BRISBANE (MCG, Saturday 7:35pm)
After three average day/twilight games, Saturday looks like it will be saved by the night match as the long-time premiership favourite Magpies (recently dethroned by Adelaide) host the reigning champion Lions in what promises to be a spectacle of epic proportions between a pair of top-three sides that have a lot of history between each other. Collingwood is still on top of the ladder, but it has looked a lot more human in the past three games, while Brisbane is coming off a stunning 11-goal drubbing at the hands of ‘little brother’ Gold Coast which snapped its four-game losing streak. The good news for the Pies is that they look set to regain star trio Scott Pendlebury, Bobby Hill and Jordan De Goey while Billy Frampton is a good chance of returning too. However, the Lions have a knack of rising to the big occasion in recent years, and this writer gets the feeling that a vintage Chris Fagan-era performance is brewing, similar to the one they produce against the Cats in Geelong six weeks ago.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 9 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Collingwood by 7 points.

ST KILDA v NORTH MELBOURNE (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 1:40pm)
The Saints might be in the bottom five, but few teams would have been buzzing as much as they were during the week. It’s still hard to comprehend the incredible comeback they pulled off, which was inspired by the sensational Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera whose legend continues to grow seemingly with each passing week. At the other end of the morale spectrum are the Kangaroos who were utterly embarrassed by Geelong last round to the tune of 101 points. They’ve now lost their last five games by an average of 10 goals and coach Alastair Clarkson appears to be out of answers. North Melbourne’s inability to defend even at a basic level is alarming, and it’s something that will surely conspire against them when they face the up-and-about Saints.
RONNY’S TIP: St Kilda by 25 points.
ROCO’S TIP: St Kilda by 25 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: St Kilda by 29 points.

GEELONG v PORT ADELAIDE (Kardinia Park, Sunday 3:15pm)
The Power are another side whose season has had the bottom completely fall out from underneath it, and that is a recipe for disaster when taking on the Cats down in Geelong. Chris Scott’s side is purring, especially Jeremy Cameron who is fresh from a career-best 11 goals, and after smashing the Kangaroos by triple digits last week, it wouldn’t be surprising if a similar margin was posted this week as the Power just resemble a side treading water, waiting for a disastrous campaign to end after it was railroaded from the start by an ill-fated coaching succession plan.
RONNY’S TIP: Geelong by 75 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 44 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Geelong by 45 points.

FREMANTLE v CARLTON (Optus Stadium, Sunday 3:10pm)
The hapless Blues came back to earth last week, after experiencing the rare thrill of victory against Melbourne in the previous round. Carlton has now lost five of its last six matches, and it’s difficult to mount a case for it against one of the in-form teams in the competition Fremantle on its home ground. The Dockers are sprinting towards the finish line, having now won nine of their last 10 outings, and with a top-four spot well within reach, Justin Longmuir’s men will show the Blues little mercy.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 42 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Fremantle by 20 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Fremantle by 31 points.

SEASON TOTALS
ROCO 128
RONNY 120
ROCKET 115

*all times are local