Collingwood megastar Nick Daicos is embraced by Steele Sidebottom after kicking a goal. Photo: AFL MEDIA

MELBOURNE v COLLINGWOOD (MCG, Friday 7:40pm)
In the words of Lloyd Christmas from Dumb And Dumber: “so you’re telling me there’s a chance?” That’s pretty much where the Magpies sit this week as their extremely faint finals hopes remain alive, heading into their last game, but in reality they will need a miracle to qualify. Not only do they have to beat the Demons by about 100 points and require either the Blues or Hawks to lose to the Saints or Kangaroos respectively by about 100 points, but they would also need Port Adelaide to defeat Fremantle in Perth. That scenario is just too far-fetched. But they still have more to play for than Melbourne, and even though the Demons got a morale-boosting win over Gold Coast last week, Collingwood is finishing the season stronger, and with Nick Daicos, Darcy Cameron, Steele Sidebottom and Jeremy Howe in the form they’re in, they should cap off the year on a winning note.
RONNY’S TIP: Collingwood by 16 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 16 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Collingwood by 11 points.

GEELONG v WEST COAST (Kardinia Park, Saturday 1:45pm)
After their stunning loss to St Kilda last week, if the Cats were playing almost any other team this round, you’d think that their top-four hopes would be in peril. But on the contrary, not only is their double chance all but secured, but they could actually finish second on the ladder. For you see, luckily for Geelong, it is playing the pathetic Eagles fresh from one of their most disgraceful performances of the last three years – and that’s saying something! They were basically playing half a Carlton VFL team, yet got absolutely destroyed and could only manage four goals at home. And on top of that, a whole stack of experience has exited the team in the form of Jeremy McGovern (thumb), Liam Ryan (personal reason), Andrew Gaff (retired) and Alex Witherden (hip). This has all the makings of an absolute slaughter in the triple-figure range, and it could serve as the final nail in the coffin for caretaker Jarrad Schofield’s hopes of winning the West Coast coaching gig on a full-time basis.
RONNY’S TIP: Geelong by 88 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 92 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Geelong by 75 points.

RICHMOND v GOLD COAST (MCG, Saturday 2:10pm)
The Suns have done the old switcheroo in the past fortnight. For so long incapable of winning on the road, and hardly ever losing at home, they have beaten Essendon at Marvel Stadium and lost to Melbourne at Carrara in their past two games. And surely they will keep that trend going this week against the downtrodden Tigers at the MCG. Richmond has to win to give itself a chance of avoiding its first wooden spoon in 17 years, and by bringing back Liam Baker, Marlion Pickett and Maurice Rioli, it seems determined to do so. But it would take a dramatic form turnaround considering the Tigers have lost nine games in a row for the first time since 2010, and have done so by an average margin of seven goals. The Suns haven’t been in flash form recently, and have only won at the home of football four times, but they have a great opportunity to add to that tally this week and achieve a club-record 11th win in a season while consigning Richmond to its worst ever campaign in its history.
RONNY’S TIP: Gold Coast by 12 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Richmond by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Gold Coast by 13 points.

HAWTHORN v NORTH MELBOURNE (Launceston, Saturday 4:35pm)
Forget about finals smokey, the Hawks are a legitimate premiership darkhorse now. Few teams are taking more meaningful momentum into September than Hawthorn, which has now won 13 of its last 17 games. A win against North Melbourne will not only guarantee the Hawks a top-eight spot, but could also see it snare a home elimination final in the event that Fremantle sneaks into the top-eight. Hawthorn isn’t just going to win, it’s going to win well. On numerous occasions this year, the young, hungry Hawks have shown that they can ruthlessly punish teams. In fact, six of their last seven wins have been by an average of 63 points. This weekend will be no different against one of the worst teams in the AFL.
RONNY’S TIP: Hawthorn by 77 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Hawthorn by 42 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Hawthorn by 41 points.

BRISBANE v ESSENDON (Gabba, Saturday 7:25pm)
Speaking of potential shellackings, another one looks to be in the cards up in Queensland on Saturday night when the immensely disappointing Bombers finish up another sorry season at the Gabba. For so long regarded as the outright premiership favourite, the Lions will be absolutely seething at basically throwing a top-four spot away in the last two weeks by suffering heartbreaking losses against GWS and Collingwood. Bad goalkicking has been a recurring theme for much of Chris Fagan’s reign, and it came back to haunt his team with a vengeance in the past fortnight. But Brisbane can rest assured that it can be as wayward as it likes in front of the sticks this week, it won’t make a jot of a difference to the result because, like last year, the bottom has fallen out from underneath Dons at the wrong time of the year and they will serve as sitting ducks for the Lions who need to win to ensure a home final in the opening week.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 45 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 38 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Brisbane by 33 points.

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SYDNEY v ADELAIDE (SCG, Saturday 7:40pm)
The Swans certainly haven’t been in convincing form in the past two months, and that includes their past two games which have resulted in victories over Collingwood and Essendon. But at the end of the day, they’ve still been wins and that will do their confidence the world of good after a horror stretch which was capped off by a 112-point obliteration at the hands of Port Adelaide. Next up for Sydney is a clash with the Power’s arch rival Adelaide which has been arguably the most disappointing team of the year, considering the extremely optimistic pre-season predictions that were attached to its 2024 campaign. Izak Rankine (concussion) is a massive blow as well, and with Chad Warner back in action for the Swans, they should have few troubles making it three wins on the trot as they clinch their first minor premiership since 2016 and their 10th in their history.
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 24 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 28 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Sydney by 17 points.

WESTERN BULLDOGS v GWS (Ballarat, Sunday 12:30pm)
Super Sunday kicks off with arguably the match of the round in Ballarat. Five teams in finals calculations are in action on the final day of the home-and-away season and two of them do battle in the historic Victorian town. The equation for the Dogs is simple: win and you’re win. Lose, and they can only afford a maximum of two of Hawthorn, Carlton and Fremantle to win otherwise they’re out. The Giants, who are already guaranteed a top-four spot, have plenty to play for as well. If they win, and Port Adelaide loses, they will finish second and earn a pair of home finals. They could still finish second if the Power win, but would need to thrash the Bulldogs by a big margin to do so. If GWS loses, it will likely slip to fourth and prepare for yet another finals meeting with cross-town rival Sydney, having won all three September clashes with the Swans. These are two of the hottest teams in the league, with the Giants winning their last seven games and the Dogs having won seven of their last nine. This is a genuine clash of the titans, but the Bulldogs’ best footy is probably better than anyone else’s and if they play close to their full optimum this week, with so much more on the line for them than GWS, they will be too good. There will definitely be a part of the Dogs that will want to atone for their stunning late-season capitulation last year which saw them crash out of the finals race as well.
RONNY’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 17 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 6 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 3 points.

CARLTON v ST KILDA (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 3:20pm)
Part two of Super Sunday takes place at the Docklands where the Blues simply have to win to guarantee themselves a seat at the finals table. A loss wouldn’t rule them out of September, but they would need Port Adelaide do them a big favour later in the day and knock off the Dockers. The Saints don’t have a lot to play for, but with five wins from their past seven games, they are finishing the season powerfully and are relishing the role of finals wrecking ball with victories over Sydney, Geelong and Essendon in that period. And the Blues look extremely vulnerable, as impressive as their win over West Coast was last week. Surprisingly, they have named Charlie Curnow (ankle) and Adam Saad (hamstring) in their extended squad, but given how they looked a fortnight ago against Hawthorn, it would be staggering to see either of them line up. And that isn’t where the injury concerns end for Carlton which will head into the game without Harry McKay (quad), Tom De Koning (foot), Adam Cerra (hamstring), Sam Docherty (knee), Jack Martin (hamstring), Matt Cottrell (shoulder), Caleb Marchbank (concussion), David Cuningham (shoulder), Jordan Boyd (adductor), Jack Silvagni (knee) and Lachie Fogarty (collarbone), while doubts also surround Mitch McGovern (hamstring). They might’ve been able to pull one out of the hat against the insipid Eagles last week, but to do it two weeks in a row with all of those absentees against a much strong opponent seems very unlikely.
RONNY’S TIP: St Kilda by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Carlton by 4 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: St Kilda by 7 points.

FREMANTLE v PORT ADELAIDE (Optus Stadium, Sunday 4:10pm)
And now we come to the Dockers who will be hoping like hell that their match doesn’t become a dead rubber, which will happen if the Bulldogs, Hawthorn and Carlton all win their matches. To make the finals, Fremantle needs just one of those teams to lose and then they will have to defeat the Power. Theoretically the Dockers could also qualify if Brisbane loses to Essendon as well, but that is very unlikely. Port Adelaide will have plenty to play for as well because if Geelong and/or GWS overtake them on the ladder, then it will have to beat Fremantle to finish second and assure itself a pair of home finals. If it loses to Freo, then it runs the risk of playing GWS, Geelong, or even Sydney, away in the first week. The Power are running hot at the right time of the year, having won their last five games, but Fremantle hasn’t been in terrible form, despite losing its last three matches. Its combined losing margin in those defeats has been just 21 points. It pushed GWS right to the end in Sydney last week, and if the Dockers are still alive at 4:10pm local time on Sunday, with so much to play for, expect them to break through for that elusive win that could deliver it a top-eight berth.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 8 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 8 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Fremantle by 11 points.

SEASON TOTALS
ROCKET 121
RONNY 117
ROCO 117

*all times are local