Star Swan Isaac Heeney (left) shrugs off the Jeremy Howe tackle in Round 1 as Brayden Maynard watches on. Photo: AFL MEDIA

SYDNEY v COLLINGWOOD (SCG, Friday 7:40pm)
How the mighty have fallen. Four weeks ago, it was the Swans’ premiership to lose. They were three games clear on top of the ladder with not a worry (or challenger, it seemed) in the world. But after losing five of their last six games, they are now one of the most out-of-form teams in the finals frame, despite still sitting in first spot with three rounds to go. It’s an incredible scenario which sums up the unprecedentedly unpredictable nature of the 2024 season. Sydney’s last two losses have been especially alarming, and their 112-point defeat to Port Adelaide last week almost defied belief. No top team has ever suffered a loss as big as that at that point of a season, which brought into even sharper focus how wide open this premiership race is now. All of the uncompromising pressure and hard-running that came to define Sydney’s 13-1 start to the year has evaporated, and their star players look shells of themselves. That all means that the door has opened for the Magpies who, conversely, are starting to find some form again after a rough eight-week period which yielded only two wins. Back-to-back victories over Richmond and one-time flag fancy Carlton have jolted Collingwood back into life. For most of the game against the Blues, especially, they looked a lot more like the team that won the flag last year. But the Pies suffered a big blow in losing star playmaker Jordan De Goey (hamstring), while Sydney reinforce both ends of the ground with the returns of Dane Rampe and Joel Amartey. If the Swans don’t respond this week to one of their most humiliating fortnights in 40 years, they never will.
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 11 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 6 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Collingwood by 3 points.

NORTH MELBOURNE v WEST COAST (Blundstone Arena, Saturday 1:45pm)
While this isn’t exactly the battle for the wooden spoon (that was last week when North downed the Tigers), there will still be plenty of pride on the line for both of these perennially struggling sides. There’s no doubt these teams would like to prove how far advanced they are than the other. And the good news for the Kangaroos is that, even throughout what has been a horrific five-year span for them, the one team they have excelled against has been the Eagles. The Kangas have won four of their last five games against West Coast, including two in Perth would you believe. And after the mature way in which it overcame Richmond last week, North is looking the goods to register back-to-back wins for the first time in 17 months, despite how impressive West Coast was against Gold Coast last week.
RONNY’S TIP: North Melbourne by 17 points.
ROCO’S TIP: North Melbourne by 24 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: North Melbourne by 17 points.

BRISBANE v GWS (Gabba, Saturday 1:45pm)
Move over Sydney, there’s a new premiership favourite in town. And what a turnaround it’s been from the Lions. They looked absolutely cooked when they were wallowing with a 2-5 record, but they have now won nine games in a row for the first since 2019 to zoom up to second on the ladder and announce themselves as the team to beat heading into September. Like Brisbane, GWS has also hit form at the right time of the year, winning their last five matches after losing seven of their previous 10 and looking incredibly shaky. Their comeback win over Hawthorn last week will no doubt serve as a huge boon for their self-belief. And they will be further boosted by the return of star midfielder Josh Kelly this week. But while this might be a top-four clash, Brisbane is looking irresistible at the moment and is going to be very hard to beat for the remainder of the campaign.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 22 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 8 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: GWS by 5 points.

FREMANTLE v GEELONG (Optus Stadium, Saturday 2:35pm)
Perhaps no team last week experienced the sheer agony of the fickle snakes-and-ladders nature of this season than the Dockers. They were seemingly cruising towards third spot as they led the battling Bombers by 25 points early in the final quarter, but a late blast from Essendon derailed that script and sent the Dockers crashing to sixth courtesy of a heartbreaking one-point loss. The path for Freo is now treacherous with games against top-four contenders Geelong, GWS and Port Adelaide to close out the season. Incredibly, they are now in danger of missing the finals, let alone blowing the double chance. And the first of those assignments comes this week in the form of the Cats. They haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire of late but importantly they’ve won five of their last six matches to be just 2.3 per cent outside the top four in fifth. And although Sam De Koning (knee) is a huge loss for Geelong, it does regain experienced duo Mitch Duncan and Gary Rohan. The loss of in-form forward Josh Treacy (knee) is a big blow for Fremantle, however Nat Fyfe returns, and Optus Stadium has become quite a fortress for the Dockers this year.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 12 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 10 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Fremantle by 11 points.

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MELBOURNE v PORT ADELAIDE (MCG, Saturday 7:30pm)
A season that promised so much for Melbourne has crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. After being 6-2 at one stage, the Demons have now lost eight of their last 12 games to exit the finals race. They received the final nail in the coffin last week when they were obliterated by the Western Bulldogs in a game that should’ve had a final margin in excess of 100 points. The Power are experiencing no such issues, and having won five of their last six games, like Brisbane and GWS, they are seemingly peaking at the right time. Ken Hinkley’s men are now third after magnificent back-to-back wins over Carlton and Sydney who, for so long, were touted as the two best teams in the league. If Port Adelaide brings anything close to its A-game, it should win comfortably.
RONNY’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 23 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 20 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 25 points.

ESSENDON v GOLD COAST (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 7:30pm)
Two of the year’s biggest disappointments do battle in this clash. The Bombers showed guts and determination last week against Fremantle, but unfortunately for them those attributes were sorely lacking in previous matches against bottom-five teams Adelaide and St Kilda which both ended in upset defeats and with Essendon’s finals hopes in serious limbo after spending much of the season in the top four. And what can you say about the Suns? Their ineptitude away from home was on display for all to see again last week as they lost to bottom-three West Coast in Perth. Gold Coast has now lost its last 17 games on the road. Coach Damien Hardwick hasn’t been afraid to send a message or two at the selection table this year, and he’s done so again this week by axing Jack Lukosius, Malcolm Rosas, Brayden Fiorini and Joel Jeffrey. But these big statements clearly aren’t having the desired effect. Essendon is certainly capable of being one of the few handful of teams that the Suns could break their long road drought against, but it looked as though the Bombers’ effort and grit from earlier in the season returned in their sensational one-point win over the Dockers.
RONNY’S TIP: Essendon by 19 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Essendon by 18 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Essendon by 21 points.

CARLTON v HAWTHORN (MCG, Sunday 1:10pm)
The Hawks have been one of the stories of the season so far, but they might’ve blown their chances of a fairytale finals berth last week when they gave up a five-goal lead to lose to GWS by two points. They had won 10 of their previous 12 games to rocket into contention, but their 0-5 start might end up being too big a hole to dig themselves out of. However they are still just a game outside the top eight and a win this week will get their September ambitions back on track, especially considering who they’re playing against. The Blues are another team who have hit the skids at the wrong time, losing four of their last five games to drop from second to eighth and they are now in a dogfight just to make the finals. Compounding things for Carlton are fresh injuries for Adam Cerra (hamstring) and Matt Cottrell (shoulder). The Blues continue to rely far too heavily on bursts within games, rather than consistent four-quarter performances, and their over-reliance on skipper Patrick Cripps is almost back to pre-2023 levels. The Hawks are a formidable force and well and truly have the ability to sink the Blues further into the mire.
RONNY’S TIP: Hawthorn by 15 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Carlton by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Hawthorn by 15 points.

RICHMOND v ST KILDA (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 3:20pm)
After a promising month of form, the Saints were brought back to earth last week with a thud as they copped their heaviest loss (85 points) in over three years courtesy of the ruthless Lions. But luckily for Ross Lyon’s men they take on the bottom-placed Tigers who just lost to fellow stragglers North. And with veteran duo Dustin Martin (retired) and Liam Baker (concussion) out of the team, Richmond shouldn’t pose St Kilda too many issues.
RONNY’S TIP: St Kilda by 30 points.
ROCO’S TIP: St Kilda by 26 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: St Kilda by 13 points.

ADELAIDE v WESTERN BULLDOGS (Adelaide Oval, Sunday 3:40pm)
If the Lions are the new premiership favourites, the Bulldogs aren’t far behind them. When talking about who the hottest team in the competition is right now, Luke Beveridge’s side is a very close second behind Brisbane. They have now won nine of their last 12 games, in a magnificent stretch which has included the scalps of Sydney, GWS, Geelong, Fremantle, Carlton and Collingwood – teams who have all been deemed as premiership threats at some stage throughout the year. The Crows were gallant in defeat against the Cats last week, but the Dogs at the moment are a different proposition altogether. The breathtaking form that they’re displaying suggests they are going to be right in the thick of it when the whips are cracking at the pointy end of the season.
RONNY’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 27 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 12 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 27 points.

SEASON TOTALS
ROCKET 112
RONNY 109
ROCO 108

*all times are local