Western Bulldogs youngster Rhylee West attempts to tackle star St Kilda wingman Bradley Hill. Photo: Michael Klein

ST KILDA v WESTERN BULLDOGS (Marvel Stadium, Thursday 7:30pm)
Both of these teams are under the pump for different reasons. The Saints because of their inability to generate meaningful scoring potency, as well as their record in close games which is already a worrying 1-3 (in matches decided by eight points or less). And the Bulldogs because of their disastrous performance against a middle-of-the-road team in Essendon last week. The Dogs are supposed to have one of the most talented teams in the AFL, yet got absolutely bullied into submission by the far hungrier Dons who produced their best performance of the year. The upset loss has led to all sorts of scrutiny being applied to the Bulldogs from off-field/administration relationships all the way to the football department, with curious selection decisions continuing to be a major point of contention. It was surprising, to say the least, to see the Dogs take on Essendon without All-Australian defender Caleb Daniel, who was dropped, and another All-Australian backman in Bailey Dale starting as the sub. Coach Luke Beveridge continues to confound footy fans and, depending on who you speak to, the selection strategy is apparently not going down well with senior players. Can the Dogs overcome all that drama and recapture the form that saw them blow away Gold Coast and West Coast in consecutive weeks recently? Well, their job is going to be made harder without Tom Liberatore (concussion) and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (personal reasons). But the Saints are still missing a host of key players in Max King (knee), Brad Crouch (knee), Liam Henry (hamstring), Mason Wood (collarbone), Hunter Clark (calf) and Jimmy Webster (suspension). This promises to be a really tight contest, but if we’re to line up the body of work of both teams so far this season, it’s hard to go against the Saints, even with all their outs, as they have one of the best defences in the league and have ensured each of their games have been hard-fought affairs.
RONNY’S TIP: St Kilda by 13 points.
ROCO’S TIP: St Kilda by 6 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: St Kilda by 9 points.

ADELAIDE v ESSENDON (Adelaide Oval, Friday 7:10pm)
The Crows’ season was half a quarter away from going up in smoke last week when Carlton shot out to a game-high 16-point lead. But something stirred in the previously 0-4 Adelaide which saw it get up off the canvas and kick the last three goals to secure a memorable road win against the previously undefeated Blues. Could that be the spark that Matthew Nicks’ men required to jolt them into action and consistently produce the form that many believed pre-season would catapult them into finals contention? That is the million-dollar question. But they don’t have much time to feel good about themselves after securing their first win of the year because, in order to back that performance up, they have to overcome a tricky challenge in Essendon. The Dons are already one of the most enigmatic teams in the league this year. The difference between their best and their worst, which was laid bare for all to see in the space of seven days in their games against Port Adelaide and the Bulldogs, is huge. That makes them a very unpredictable team. Considering how potent Essendon’s forward line has been this year, the loss of key defender Jordon Butts (hamstring) has come at an awkward time for Adelaide. But it’ll take more than one great win over the Dogs for the Bombers to earn the trust of the punters.
RONNY’S TIP: Adelaide by 8 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Adelaide by 10 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Adelaide by 3 points.

COLLINGWOOD v PORT ADELAIDE (MCG, Saturday 1:45pm)
The bye probably came at a good time for Collingwood, not only because they got a chance to recalibrate after almost being overrun by winless Hawthorn, but former captain Scott Pendlebury had more of a chance to recover from fractured ribs and is a good chance to not miss any football. Outside of their tremendous win over the Lions in Brisbane, the signs for the Magpies have been largely worrying so far this year, and they now must take on a team that has been looking pretty sharp on the way to a 4-1 start to the year. Granted, the only time they’ve played a 2023 finalist so far this year they lost, but crucially, they possess the ability to out-hunt the Magpies with intense pressure and run them off their feet with speed on the outside too like the Giants, Swans and Saints did in the opening three rounds. And the venue holds no fears for the Power either, having won their last three games there.
RONNY’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 17 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 16 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 13 points.

CARLTON v GWS (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 4:35pm)
Haven’t these two teams been smacked around by the injury stick? The Blues head into this clash without Adam Saad, Adam Cerra and Mitch McGovern due to hamstring injuries, and they join an unavailable list which already included Sam Docherty (knee), Jack Martin (hamstring), Caleb Marchbank (back), Jesse Motlop (hamstring), Jack Silvagni (knee), David Cuningham (calf) and Lachie Fogarty (wrist). Meanwhile, the Giants will be without two of their most important players in Sam Taylor (concussion) and Stephen Coniglio (knee) as well as Isaac Cumming (calf), but in better news for GWS, veteran on-baller Callan Ward could be a like-for-like replacement for Coniglio. Neither side has been in sparkling form recently, but on a lightning quick deck, one fancies that the Giants could really get their running game going and cause a lot of damage courtesy of the orange tsunami. Three of their last four meetings with Carlton at the Docklands venue have ended in victory, so this fixture certainly holds no fears for the undefeated ladder leaders.
RONNY’S TIP: GWS by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: GWS by 2 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: GWS by 7 points.

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BRISBANE v GEELONG (Gabba, Saturday 7:30pm)
Speaking of unbeaten teams, how about those Cats? Geelong’s ability to continually rejuvenate itself on the run is nothing short of awe-inspiring, and with five victories already in the bank, Chris Scott’s side looks destined for a return to its favourite month September. But this week the Cats face the vastly-improved Lions who have put a disappointing opening month behind them and are riding high after toppling the red-hot Demons at their bogey ground the MCG. Like WWF legend The Undertaker, Brisbane has risen from the dead, stepped out of its casket and looks set to wreak havoc. Unfortunately for the hosts, they lose Zac Bailey (ankle), but should regain Conor McKenna (hamstring), while Geelong is set to regain key trio Tom Hawkins, Patrick Dangerfield and Jake Kolodjashnij. Despite the Cats’ impressive group of forecast ins, it’s been six years since the Lions lost their first three games at the Gabba, and don’t be surprised to see last year’s runner-up prove that last week’s performance was no flash in the pan.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 17 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 4 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Geelong by 19 points.

WEST COAST v FREMANTLE (Optus Stadium, Saturday 6:10pm)
In what has been something of a rarity for the Eagles in recent years, they can proudly say they have put together two impressive games in a row. They were more than admirable in defeat to Sydney a fortnight ago, and last week they treated a depleted Richmond team with disdain, thumping the Tigers by 39 points for their biggest win in almost three years. But this week promises a much sterner test as they will have to negotiate the best defensive team in the competition. The Dockers might not be the most prolific scorers, but what they do extremely well is prevent the opposition from kicking goals. With defensive generals Alex Pearce and Luke Ryan in sensational form, expect Fremantle to bring West Coast, and exciting No.1 pick Harley Reid, back down to earth in Western Derby 58 as the Dockers aim for six consecutive wins over their arch rival for the first time since 2015.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 22 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Fremantle by 26 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Fremantle by 21 points.

SYDNEY v GOLD COAST (SCG, Sunday 1pm)
Historically, the Suns have loved this fixture. Between 2018 and 2022, they beat the Swans three out of four times at the SCG in what was truly one of the more remarkable bogey team scenarios in the AFL. Perhaps they achieved that extraordinary run due to the fact that Stuart Dew, a former Sydney assistant, was their coach during that run. Well, Gold Coast is under new management now, and with Damien Hardwick in charge, it has made a decent start to the season. And against GWS a few weeks ago, the Suns showed that perhaps they’re not that far off the pace. They will certainly undergo another serious audit this week from Sydney who, it must be said, wasn’t in the best form heading into its bye last week. But having recharged the batteries, John Longmire’s men should be just too good for the upstart Suns.
RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 20 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 22 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Sydney by 11 points.

NORTH MELBOURNE v HAWTHORN (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 4pm)
Our first true battle of the cellar dwellers has arrived for 2024, and – shock horror – it doesn’t feature West Coast! No, the Hawks have taken the Eagles’ place in the bottom two after a terrible start to the season which has seen them slump to 0-5 for the first time in 54 years. Their performance against Collingwood aside, there really hasn’t been much to get excited about for the Hawks. But if you think things are going bad for Hawthorn, spare a thought for the Kangaroos who have been obliterated on a weekly basis so far this season. Granted, they’ve played four of the best teams in the AFL, but their lack of competitiveness has been alarming, as has their average losing margin of 53 points. The Roos simply cannot defend with their developing midfield nowhere near mature enough to protect their undersized and threadbare backline. Hawthorn have been ordinary, but should still have enough answers to deal with the minor North threat.
RONNY’S TIP: Hawthorn by 25 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Hawthorn by 30 points.
ROCKET’S TIP: Hawthorn by 19 points.

SEASON TOTALS
RONNY 32
ROCO 32
ROCKET 31

*all times local