Swans Dane Rampe (left) and Lewis Melican beset Sam Draper the last time Sydney played Essendon in Round 2. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

ESSENDON v SYDNEY (Marvel Stadium, Friday 7:40pm)
The Swans haven’t been in the best of form lately, but the ladder leaders seemed to awaken from their six-week slumber in the last quarter last week when they stormed home over the top of Collingwood to reproduce some of their best play of the season in a thrilling win. Will that be what gets their premiership assault back on track? It remains to be seen, but they’ll certainly like their chances of back-to-back wins for the first time in almost two months because they come up against one of the most mentally weak teams in the league, fresh from another humiliating loss with its final hopes in the balance. Yes, this time the Bombers lost to the Suns, who hadn’t won on the road in their previous 17 attempts. It was just the latest embarrassment for Essendon, who lost to another couple of bottom-six sides Adelaide and St Kilda in the past month to take a flamethrower to its top-eight aspirations. Even without the electrifying Chad Warner (calf), the Swans should be too good.
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 32 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Sydney by 21 points.

GOLD COAST v MELBOURNE (Carrara, Saturday 1:45pm)
The season is all but over for the Demons as well, capping off a frustrating three-year period since their 2021 premiership, which has also featured a pair of straight-sets exits from the finals. And with Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney and Alex Neal-Bullen all the subject of trade rumour and innuendo this week, their much talked-about culture has once again been the focus of intense media scrutiny. The end of the year can’t come quickly enough for Melbourne. Conversely, the Suns are riding a massive high following their heart-stopping victory over Essendon last week courtesy of an after-the-siren goal from Mac Andrew. Gold Coast is extremely tough to beat at home at the best of times, but with inspirational co-captain Touk Miller back in the fold, Melbourne will find it nigh on impossible.
RONNY’S TIP: Gold Coast by 25 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Gold Coast by 22 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Gold Coast by 25 points.

GWS v FREMANTLE (Giants Stadium, Saturday 1:45pm)
This one is going to be hard to beat for match of the round. All of a sudden the Giants are looking like a premiership threat again, having won their last six games, including snapping Brisbane’s nine-game winning streak on its home turf last week, if you don’t mind. GWS looks like its finishing the season in similar fashion to last year when it swept all before it to reach the preliminary final. The Giants are third – a position that Fremantle occupied not so long ago. But given the topsy-turvy nature of this season, the Dockers now find themselves in sixth spot and with a real battle on their hands just to make the finals, let alone capture a double chance. Fremantle finds itself in an urgent situation given it is only two points inside the top eight with games against GWS and Port Adelaide (second) to come. The Dockers probably have to win one more match to make the finals, but with the Giants’ on-ball division receiving a massive boost in the form of Stephen Coniglio and Kieren Briggs, it looks like it’s going to come down to the final round for Justin Longmuir’s men.
RONNY’S TIP: GWS by 18 points.
ROCO’S TIP: GWS by 18 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: GWS by 21 points.

COLLINGWOOD v BRISBANE (MCG, Saturday 4:35pm)
The Magpies are still alive, but only just, after their heartbreaking loss to the Swans that saw them blow a 27-point lead in the final quarter. And after claiming outright premiership favouritism last week, the Lions have dropped to fifth in the blink of an eye after wasting one of the most dominant first quarters of the season last week against GWS. They now have a job ahead of themselves to capture a coveted top-four spot. Collingwood has rediscovered its mojo in the past three weeks, and certainly cannot be ruled out, especially at the MCG. But with Eric Hipwood back in the side, the Lions are going to be hard to beat.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 15 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Brisbane by 15 points.

ST KILDA v GEELONG (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 7:30pm)
The Cats’ uncanny knack to be a contender more often than not is once again on show for all to see in all its glory. Amazingly, with two weeks to go, they find themselves in fourth spot, and with games against St Kilda and West Coast to come, it’s hard to see them failing to lock up a double chance. It’s been a remarkable recovery which has seen them win six of their last seven games after losing six of their previous seven. The Saints have been much better over the past six weeks, with three of their five biggest scores of the season coming in the past month. But the Cats look like they’re locked in again for another September assault and are going to take some beating.
RONNY’S TIP: Geelong by 22 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 24 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Geelong by 23 points.

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PORT ADELAIDE v ADELAIDE (Adelaide Oval, Saturday 7pm)
The Power are once again proving themselves to be one of the best home-and-away teams in the comp, shooting up to second place, having won six of their last seven games. But how often have we seen the Crows spoil the party for their more-fancied arch rivals in recent seasons? In fact, Adelaide has won its last three meetings with the Power, and will take supreme confidence heading into Showdown LVI that it can do so again. Fresh from thumping another flag threat in the Western Bulldogs, the Crows would love nothing more than to throw a huge spanner Port Adelaide’s top-four works and time and time again they’ve proven they’re capable of doing so. Don’t be surprised if another upset occurs in what promises to be the latest in a long line of sensational chapters in one of the league’s fiercest rivalries.
RONNY’S TIP: Adelaide by 11 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 28 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 19 points.

WESTERN BULLDOGS v NORTH MELBOURNE (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 1:10pm)
After taking down premiership contender after premiership contender, and being talked about as a huge flag threat themselves, the Bulldogs copped a rude awakening last week at the hands of the lowly Crows. It was probably the result they needed to recalibrate their focus as they plan a tilt at a flag that will likely need to again be launched from outside the top four. And nothing says “easy kill” more than North Melbourne under the lid at Marvel Stadium. The Dogs have dined out on North in the past four years, winning their last six encounters by an average of 52 points, and it won’t be surprising to see a similar margin this week, especially with Kangaroos whiz kid Harry Sheezel (ankle) out.
RONNY’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 45 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 42 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 37 points.

HAWTHORN v RICHMOND (MCG, Sunday 3:20pm)
And you can expect a similar outcome down the road a few hours later. The Hawks made another massive statement last week by dismantling the injury-ravaged Blues by 74 points to charge into the top eight for the first this year. The beauty about the carefree, relentless Hawks is that once they get a sniff of blood in the nostrils, they mercilessly go in for the kill, and that spells disaster for the last-placed Tigers who head into this game fresh from an eight-goal drubbing at the hands of bottom-five St Kilda. This one could get really ugly as the hungry Hawks look to strengthen their bid for a spot in the finals.
RONNY’S TIP: Hawthorn by 68 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Hawthorn by 36 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Hawthorn by 45 points.

WEST COAST v CARLTON (Optus Stadium, Sunday 2:40pm)
Last Sunday truly was one of the darkest days in Carlton’s recent history. With its finals hopes on the line, it spectacularly capitulated against the Hawks in front of a record home-and-crowd for a game between the two clubs (84,773). And to cap off the match from hell for the Blues, they lost star trio Charlie Curnow (ankle), Harry McKay (quad) and Adam Saad (hamstring) to injury, as well as Jack Martin (hamstring), Lachie Fogarty (collarbone) and Jordan Boyd (adductor). Things could not have gone any worse for Michael Voss’ side. And while it remains in the finals hunt, Carlton is now ninth with its destiny out of its hands. For all intents and purposes, it looked as though the Blues’ top-eight hopes blew up last week. And what a fall from grace it’s been for the team that spent seven weeks in a row in second spot, only to lose five of its last six games and implode at the wrong time of the season. Things have become so desperate for Carlton that it has named four untried players in its extended squad this weekend. And the Blues’ timing of playing West Coast couldn’t have been worse given the Eagles are in their best form of the year since registering consecutive thumping wins over Richmond and Fremantle earlier in 2024. Back at home, West Coast is looking the goods to make it three wins in a row for the first time in over three years and hammer another nail in the Blues’ coffin.
RONNY’S TIP: West Coast by 25 points.
ROCO’S TIP: West Coast by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: West Coast by 17 points.

SEASON TOTALS
ROCKET 116
RONNY 113
ROCO 112

*all times are local