Charlie Cameron kicked gour goals last time Brisbane played the Bulldogs in Round 16 last year. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

WESTERN BULLDOGS v BRISBANE (Marvel Stadium, Thursday 7.20pm local time)
It appears as though crunch time has come very early for the Bulldogs after two insipid performances against Melbourne and an injury-ravaged St Kilda outfit to start the year. History suggests that they need to win this week to keep their finals hopes alive. The Dogs haven’t started a year 0-3 since 2012 and have never made the finals after kicking off a campaign with three losses in a row. Coach Luke Beveridge has come in for some sharp criticism this week, and the premiership coach will have to dig deep into his big bag of tricks to defy the odds and defeat a Brisbane team which looked sensational last week before the Gabba was hit by a 40-minute blackout. Beveridge has a proven track record of orchestrating surprise victories against the odds, and he has responded harshly to his team’s timid showing against the Saints by axing Sam Darcy, Rhylee West and Toby McLean, even with Taylor Duryea unavailable due to illness. Star trio Adam Treloar, Jason Johannisen and Rory Lobb have been named in their stead, as well as debutant Arthur Jones. The Lions have gone a like for like with Daniel Rich (quad) making way for Keidean Coleman. It would be surprising to see the Bulldogs produce a third train wreck in a row. They’re much better than what they’ve served up so far and it wouldn’t be at all shocking to see them pull off an upset win.
RONNY’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 8 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Brisbane by 21 points.

COLLINGWOOD v RICHMOND (MCG, Friday 7.50pm local time)
What an early-season blockbuster this promises to be. Two undefeated Victorian heavyweights going toe-to-toe in front of as many as 90,000 people. In one corner we have the seasoned, proven and revitalised champion (Richmond) up against the up-and-coming superstar desperate for a shot at the crown (Collingwood). And haven’t the Magpies been irresistible so far? They have clearly been the most entertaining team to watch, and some of those party-trick goals they pulled off last week were just outrageous. They made a mess of Port Adelaide, and the week before ran over the top of reigning premier Geelong. They are super fit, super skilled and powered by a host of stars playing great footy such as Nick and Josh Daicos, Scott Pendlebury and newcomer Tom Mitchell. Conversely, the Tigers have looked good in patches, but they were ultimately held to a draw by Carlton and almost blew a 45-point lead against Adelaide. Now with Dustin Martin (hamstring), Jacob Hopper (knee), Nathan Broad (suspension) and Jayden Short (calf) all ruled out, the Pies will be hard to stop.
RONNY’S TIP: Collingwood by 25 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 22 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Collingwood by 41 points.

HAWTHORN v NORTH MELBOURNE (Launceston, Saturday 1.45pm local time)
Alastair Clarkson will coach against Hawthorn for the first time this weekend and based on how brilliant his start to life at Arden Street has been, there might be a part of the Hawks top brass regretting parting ways with him in 2021, especially considering how shocking their team’s start to the year has been. Granted, there are reasons for Hawthorn’s performance so far, having cut deep into their playing list this past off-season, but they look miles off the pace as they sit in bottom spot having copped a pair of smashings from Essendon and Sydney to kick off 2023. The Kangaroos, meanwhile, are having no such issues. Clarkson has them undefeated in their opening two games and they are now a realistic chance of going 3-0 for the first time since 2016 – the last time they made the finals. Clarkson coming up against his former pupil and protege Sam Mitchell will be one of the talking points of this game, but the re-energised Kangaroos look like a different team to the easybeats of recent years, and by 4.30pm on Saturday, the biggest talking point will be how North have bettered their 2022 win tally inside three rounds.
RONNY’S TIP: North Melbourne by 20 points.
ROCO’S TIP: North Melbourne by 12 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: North Melbourne by 15 points.

GWS v CARLTON (Giants Stadium, Saturday 4.35pm local time)
The injury-hit Giants came back to Earth last week, losing to one of the worst-performed teams of the past 18 months, West Coast, by 19 points. They should regain star duo Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield from concussion protocols, but even so, they’re going to find it very hard to take down Carlton fresh from downing the Cats. The Blues look like an improved version of their 2022 selves. Their speed and pressure overwhelmed Geelong for large parts of their game last week, and with George Hewett (hand) and Jack Martin (calf) possibly returning, they should make it back-to-back wins.
RONNY’S TIP: Carlton by 24 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Carlton by 10 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: GWS by 7 points.

ST KILDA v ESSENDON (MCG, Saturday 7.25pm local time)
Three weeks ago, who would’ve picked this match to be between two undefeated sides? Not many, that’s for sure. But here we are, with two teams coached by returning coaches who have made surprisingly positive starts to the year. St Kilda has been more impressive, defying the odds and a lengthy injury list to defeat top-eight hopefuls, and some might even say premiership fancies, Fremantle and the Bulldogs in impressive fashion. Ross Lyon has his team playing inspired football and as you’d expect from a Lyon-coached side, a key feature of their early success has been their relentless pressure. But the Bombers have shown they can bring the heat too in the opening fortnight, and their new coach Brad Scott has clearly instilled a much sterner defensive structure to the team. St Kilda could regain Jimmy Webster (hand) and Jack Bytel (knee), but the loss of inspirational captain Jack Steele (collarbone) is massive, and might prove to be the straw that breaks the brave Saints’ back in their 150th anniversary match. Conversely, the Bombers should welcome back Jake Stringer (hamstring) and Sam Weideman (toe) to bolster their forward line, which was well-served by Kyle Langford (five goals) last week.
RONNY’S TIP: Essendon by 9 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Essendon by 6 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Essendon by 7 points.

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PORT ADELAIDE v ADELAIDE (Adelaide Oval, Saturday 7pm local time)
These matches are always must-watch affairs and if the first Showdown of 2023 is half as good as the first one of 2022, then we are in for a huge treat. On that occasion, Jordan Dawson, who has since been installed as Adelaide captain, kicked a memorable goal after the siren from a sharp angle to deliver the Crows an unforgettable four-point win over the old foe. The Power did get revenge in Showdown LII with a 56-point win, and they’ll be aiming to further their recent domination of Adelaide in the 53rd meeting of these two great rivals, having won five of their last six encounters. But in order to do so, they will have to shrug off the 71-point hiding they copped from Collingwood last week and recapture the spark that saw them smash Brisbane in the opening round. The Crows haven’t made a great start to the year, either, and despite showing good signs in the first two weeks, their inability to play four quarters has them 0-2. The Power look like a more capable side at this point in time.
RONNY’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 4 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 19 points.

GOLD COAST v GEELONG (Carrara, Sunday 2.10pm local time)
In a reversal of the Saints-Bombers clash, who would’ve picked this game to be a battle between two winless teams? The Suns and Cats are yet to taste victory so far in 2023, and it’s perhaps more surprising in Geelong’s case considering they are the reigning premiers and won their final 16 games of 2022. It’s been eight years since Geelong have started a year 0-2 (the only season in the past 16 where they failed to make the finals), and they’re trying to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2004 (the good news for them is that they made a preliminary final that year). Geelong certainly has its concerns, and while it’s been very competitive in its first two games, Collingwood and Carlton have shown that with increased leg speed, pressure and an ability to dominate the disposal and mark counts, a rough blueprint on how to beat the Cats is there for all to see. But it remains to be seen whether the Suns can execute that plan successfully. Stuart Dew’s men have been incredibly disappointing so far this year, especially last week when they had victory in reach at three-quarter time against Essendon before rolling over in the final term. The Cats could welcome back Mitch Duncan (calf) and Jake Kolodjashnij (concussion) and with Jeremy Cameron in the form that he’s in, should be too good.
RONNY’S TIP: Geelong by 25 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 28 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Geelong by 17 points.

MELBOURNE v SYDNEY (MCG, Sunday 3.20pm local time)
If the Swans are suffering from psychological scarring as a result of their grand final humiliation inflicted by Geelong last year, they certainly aren’t showing it. John Longmire’s team couldn’t have made a more positive start to 2023, demolishing Gold Coast and Hawthorn by a combined 130 points. However, the Demons represent their first serious challenge of the campaign. After thumping the Bulldogs in Round 1, Melbourne were largely outplayed by Brisbane, but almost pinched a win following a 40-minute blackout delay in the final quarter. The result was compounded by a knee injury to talismanic captain Max Gawn, who will miss the next month at least. It means that Brodie Grundy will be thrust into No.1 role and carry a heavier burden earlier than expected into his life as a Demon. In better new for them, star defender Steven May (calf) should be back, and his timing couldn’t be better because superstar Sydney forward Lance Franklin will be available, too, after serving a one-match suspension. Franklin hasn’t kicked a goal in his last two games against the Demons, so suffice to say, May has had the better of him. The Swans have great memories of playing Melbourne at the MCG, after beating them twice there last year, but the Demons should turn the tables this time around.
RONNY’S TIP: Melbourne by 10 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Melbourne by 10 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Sydney 15 points.

FREMANTLE v WEST COAST (Optus Stadium, Sunday 3.20pm local time)
Now if you were surprised to see Geelong and the Bulldogs winless to this point of the year based on your pre-season prognostications, then you would’ve been flabbergasted to learn that fate has also befallen the Dockers. After losing to an injury-battered St Kilda, Fremantle backed that up with a one-point loss to back-to-back wooden spooners North Melbourne in Perth. Seriously, Freo? Subsequently, the heat has been turned up on the Dockers, in particular their prized recruit Luke Jackson who has taken just one mark and is really struggling to have an impact up forward. Luckily for Justin Longmuir’s side, they take on arch rival West Coast in the 56th Western Derby, and should be afforded a circuit breaker. The Eagles did what they had to do against GWS last week, but don’t be fooled, they still have a lot of work to do to be considered a reliable team. Former captain Nat Fyfe (foot) is a chance to return for Fremantle, but even if he doesn’t, this is a non-negotiable match for the Dockers.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 22 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Fremantle by 18 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Fremantle by 3 points.

SEASON TOTALS
RONNY 9
ROCO 7
ROCKET 7