Smiles all round for the Bombers when they last met Geelong in round nine of last year the MCG. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

COLLINGWOOD v PORT ADELAIDE (Marvel Stadium, Friday 7.50pm local time)
The reinvigorated Power have been in very good early-season form, thanks largely to their stellar crop of 2019 rookies, but they’re about to face a huge test in the form of the Magpies in Melbourne. However, it’s not as if they haven’t already been confronted with a massive task and passed with flying colours already this year. They smashed West Coast in Perth a fortnight ago, so they’ll doubtlessly take confidence from that experience. Robbie Gray (hand) is a huge loss and the continued absence of Tom Jonas (calf) could be keenly felt this week up against Collingwood’s dynamic forward line which, it must be said, will suffer without Mason Cox (ankle). However, the return of the in-form Jamie Elliott will go a long way to offsetting that omission. The Power have a superb recent record against Collingwood, winning six of their last eight meetings, including three at the MCG. However, the Magpies have won all four engagements with Port Adelaide at the Docklands venue and that record should remain intact this weekend.
RONNY’S TIP: Collingwood by 23 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 28 points.

MELBOURNE v HAWTHORN (MCG, Saturday 1.45pm local time)
Hardly anyone would have picked Melbourne to be bottom of the ladder after six rounds, but that is exactly the situation the Demons find themselves in after being touted a premiership fancy in the summer. It truly has been a stunning fall from grace, and their injury woes continue with co-captain Jack Viney (shoulder) ruled out. Yet again, the Demons are missing more than a third of their best 22, and while the Hawks aren’t exactly in red-hot form themselves, it’s hard to see how Simon Goodwin’s men get the job done this week. Already, Melbourne is 0-4 at the MCG this year. The Dees are getting found out badly there by quick teams. Even when they managed to curtail Richmond’s scoring last week for a long period, the dam walls eventually burst and they still suffered a hefty loss. Shaun Burgoyne’s class and poise will be a huge boost for Hawthorn this week and the Hawks should be able to get some form of revenge for their semi-final shellacking at the hands of the Demons last year.
RONNY’S TIP: Hawthorn by 22 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Hawthorn by 18 points.

GWS v ST KILDA (Manuka Oval, Saturday 1.45pm local time)
The Saints have been one of the stories of 2019 so far, but the first cracks appeared to surface in their meeting with Adelaide last week. The Crows’ precise ball use and accurate goalkicking when the game was up for grabs undid St Kilda, which suffered its worst result for the year by way of a 29-point loss. Jack Steven (mental health) and Jack Lonie (knee) are big outs, too, and while the Giants lose the brilliant Lachie Whitfield (corked thigh), they regain co-captain Phil Davis. GWS is starting to look as ominous as any team in the competition right now, especially with superstars Stephen Coniglio and Jeremy Cameron both arguably in career-best form. Fremantle recently proved it’s not impossible to beat the Giants in Canberra, but that was somewhat of an anomaly given GWS had won its previous nine games at the venue by an average of 42 points. Expect the Giants to put on a show for the locals again this week.
RONNY’S TIP: GWS by 32 points.
ROCO’S TIP: GWS by 38 points.

BRISBANE v SYDNEY (Gabba, Saturday 4.35pm local time)
For years, Sydney has prided itself on not relying on any one player to achieve wins, but these days without Lance Franklin in the side, it looks virtually impossible to see how the Swans can avoid defeat. They’re all but a one-man team now, and with Franklin missing again this week due to a hamstring injury, the Lions are salivating at the prospect of an easy kill. The 1-5 Swans have certainly lost their aura, and things could get very ugly up at the Gabba if they’re not careful.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 44 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 24 points.

WESTERN BULLDOGS v RICHMOND (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 7.25pm local time)
Another week, another addition to Richmond’s lengthy injury list. This time a pair of key players have been grounded with Jack Riewoldt (knee) and David Astbury (ankle) joining Alex Rance (knee), Trent Cotchin (hamstring), Shaun Grigg (knee/hip) and Jayden Short (elbow) on the sidelines. That’s some serious firepower that the Tigers don’t have access to at the moment, but at 4-2, unlike other sides, they are coping extremely well without their stars, thanks largely to the immediate impact their first-year players are having. However, this is certainly a danger game for them. The Dogs might have lost their last four, but they are Richmond’s bogey team, having won four of their last five meetings – their only loss in that period a three-point nail-biter. Interestingly, Luke Beveridge has made no changes to the side that lost to Fremantle last week in a public statement of support for the players who performed admirably in Perth. The Dogs are close to full strength, so don’t be surprised if they once again test Damien Hardwick’s men.
RONNY’S TIP: Richmond by 8 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Richmond by 6 points.

WEST COAST v GOLD COAST (Optus Stadium, Saturday 6.10pm local time)
The Suns shone brightly for the first month or so, but they’re now starting to get eclipsed, as evidenced by back-to-back thumping losses against Adelaide and the Lions. Praise certainly deserves to be thrown their way because many tipped them to go winless in 2019, but the long winter might just start to be setting in for them. The Eagles have been well down on their numbers from their premiership year last year and have been stung by an uncharacteristic pair of consecutive thrashings at the hands of Port Adelaide and Geelong. Back at home and in front of their adoring fans, the Eagles should have few troubles in getting their season back on track.
RONNY’S TIP: West Coast by 40 points.
ROCO’S TIP: West Coast by 52 points.

CARLTON v NORTH MELBOURNE (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 1.10pm local time)
You wouldn’t want to be the loser of this match, and there’ll be no shortage of macabre fascination from the public to see which side ends up failing to secure the four points. With just two wins between them, things are getting increasingly desperate for the Blues and the Roos. Carlton not only needs to prove that the ‘green shoots’ are continuing to show, but that it also hasn’t totally forgotten how to win, especially after last week’s capitulation against Hawthorn. Meanwhile, North Melbourne has to do all it can to arrest an incredibly worrying nosedive, to the point where the Roos are being regarded as the worst team in the competition. There were signs of a turnaround in form last week for North, though, and while most teams have a good recent record against Carlton, North Melbourne’s is particularly good as the Roos have won their last four meetings by an average of 10 goals. After coming so close to beating Hawthorn, Carlton has been ravaged by injury, with Kade Simpson (hamstring), Mitch McGovern (hamstring), Matthew Kreuzer (adductor) and Nic Newman (hamstring) all ruled out. If ever Brad Scott’s men were going to secure a win this year, this would be the time.
RONNY’S TIP: North Melbourne by 15 points.
ROCO’S TIP: North Melbourne by 10 points.

GEELONG v ESSENDON (MCG, Sunday 3.20pm local time)
This will be hard to beat for match of the round. The Cats are absolutely flying, a game clear of the massive chasing pack on top of the ladder. And the Bombers have been in super form too, having won three in a row before losing a thriller to premiership contender Collingwood last week. History is certainly on the Bombers’ side, with two upset wins from their past two encounters with Geelong. On each occasion, the Cats were sitting in the top three, while the Bombers were outside the top eight – so there are certainly some eerie similarities heading into Sunday’s clash. Essendon also looks set to be boosted by the return of Orazio Fantasia, who was struck down by illness last week. As good as the Cats have been so far this year, the Bombers’ take-them-on-at-all-costs game style has undone them in the last few years. Essendon knows what it takes to bring down Geelong, so don’t be surprised if the Dons achieve their first hat-trick of victories against the Cats since 2002.
RONNY’S TIP: Essendon by 19 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Geelong by 16 points.

ADELAIDE v FREMANTLE (Adelaide Oval, Sunday 4.10pm local time)
Are the Crows really back? It’s hard to tell after wins against the Suns and Saints, who admittedly both started the year very well, but aren’t expected to be there when the whips are cracking at the end of the year. Fremantle certainly poses a much sterner test, and Adelaide will get a clearer understanding of where it is at this week. It all seems to be finally clicking for Freo. The Dockers’ multi-pronged forward line is potent, they have a trio of gun key defenders, and the likes of Nat Fyfe, David Mundy and Brad Hill are starring in the middle. It’s never an easy assignment winning at Adelaide Oval, but the Crows aren’t exactly invincible at the venue, with six losses in the last 13 months there. And while Freo’s record at the ground (1-6) is nothing to write home about, at the moment the Dockers have what it takes to get the job done.
RONNY’S TIP: Fremantle by 11 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Adelaide by 20 points.

RONNY’S SEASON TOTAL: 29
ROCO’S SEASON TOTAL: 30