Port Adelaide thrashed its crosstown rival by 75 points in last season’s only Showdown in Round 2. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

RICHMOND v GEELONG (MCG, Friday 7.50pm local time)
The Tigers have been pretty “stop-start” so far this season, but after some mixed results in the opening six weeks, they made their most significant statement of 2021 last week when they toppled the previously-undefeated Western Bulldogs. It was a masterclass in pressure/surge football, which has been the cornerstone of Richmond’s premiership run, and the Dogs simply could not cope. If people had doubts about the Tigers’ ability to win a “threepeat” this year, then that result would have dispelled them. And now they have the luxury of adding Dustin Martin (concussion) and Nick Vlastuin (knee) to the team, although the losses of Dylan Grimes (concussion) and Trent Cotchin (hamstring) are big. To say the Tigers have had Geelong’s measure in recent years would be an understatement. Damien Hardwick’s men have now won six of their last seven encounters with the Cats, including three from three in finals – the 2017 qualifying final, 2019 preliminary final and 2020 grand final. The manner in which the last two of those games were decided will no doubt still haunt Geelong, considering it gave up sizeable first-half leads both times. The Cats do regain some firepower of their own in Shaun Higgins and Sam Simpson, but they’ll have their work cut out to get the chocolates.
RONNY’S TIP: Richmond by 18 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Richmond by 18 points.

GOLD COAST v ST KILDA (Metricon Stadium, Saturday 1.45pm local time)
This would have to be the hardest game of the round to tip. The Suns look like a rejuvenated group in recent weeks with comprehensive victories over Sydney and Collingwood turning their season around. The thing that has been most impressive about Gold Coast in those two wins is that, led by the brilliant Hugh Greenwood and Touk Miller, the Suns’ pressure and attack on both the ball and man have been absolutely ferocious. They’ve essentially harassed the Swans and Pies into submission, and all of a sudden present a huge challenge to the inconsistent Saints, who eased some pressure on themselves with a smashing of lowly Hawthorn. After reintegrating the likes of Rowan Marshall, Paddy Ryder and Zak Jones into the line-up in recent weeks, the Saints will hope to regain Jake Carlisle (back) this round, too. St Kilda has won the last five against the Suns, but the last four have been thrillers, all decided by a kick or less and a combined total of just 11 points. Gold Coast has a huge chance to return the favour, but the one-two punch of Marshall and Ryder against no recognised ruckman tilts the contest the Saints’ way.
RONNY’S TIP: St Kilda by 3 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Gold Coast by 2 points.

GWS v ESSENDON (Giants Stadium, Saturday 2.10pm local time)
Hats off to Greater Western Sydney and its frequently-criticised coach Leon Cameron for being able to turn lemons into lemonade. After being smashed by injuries earlier this year, the Giants have now won three of their last four games to catapult themselves into the finals equation. As exciting and youthful as the Bombers are, they’re going to find it really hard to beat GWS this week, especially if their worrying trend of leaking way too many points from turnovers against Carlton last round continues. Toby Greene is in All-Australian form and Essendon doesn’t appear to have anyone in its line-up equipped to negate the stand-in captain’s influence.
RONNY’S TIP: GWS by 21 points.
ROCO’S TIP: GWS by 10 points.

NORTH MELBOURNE v COLLINGWOOD (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 4.35pm local time)
Make no mistake, the upset is on here, and on in a big way. How low can Collingwood go this season? Well, we’ll find out at about 7.15pm on Saturday, because the winless Kangaroos are getting closer to their first victory, and they’re not likely going to get a better chance at achieving that this year than against the disillusioned, dispirited and, let’s face it, disinterested Magpies, who are mirroring the off-field dramas at the Holden Centre and playing like a broken football club. The second-last Pies were bullied by the Suns at the MCG last week – let that fact sink in. Collingwood has well and truly hoisted the white flag for season 2021, and this could quite easily be Nathan Buckley’s last game in charge as coach. All of that spells good news for the Kangaroos, because after giving unbeaten Melbourne a run for its money last week, with Ben Cunnington, Aaron Hall and Jy Simpkin playing the way they are, a breakthrough victory is not far away for David Noble’s men.
RONNY’S TIP: North Melbourne by 11 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Collingwood by 16 points.

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MELBOURNE v SYDNEY (MCG, Saturday 7.25pm local time)
To say the Demons are riding high would be an understatement. They’re the only remaining undefeated side in the AFL, they’re on top of the ladder for the first time since 2005, they’ve made their best start to a season since 1965, and their superstar Christian Petracca has just signed a massive seven-year deal to stay with the club. Things are as rosy at Demonland as they have been for a very long time. They definitely received a fright from North Melbourne last week, but in years gone by they would’ve capitulated, whereas the 2021 Demons regrouped and still ended up winning by a handsome margin. Make no mistake, there is a hard edge about Simon Goodwin’s team now. But the Swans aren’t exactly struggling for confidence, either. After grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat against Geelong last week, they hope to welcome back Lance Franklin, Dane Rampe and George Hewett from injury this round. For all intents and purposes, the Cats should have won last week, but to Sydney’s credit it found a way. Will John Longmire’s side be as lucky this week? I’m not so sure.
RONNY’S TIP: Melbourne by 22 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Melbourne by 6 points.

PORT ADELAIDE v ADELAIDE (Adelaide Oval, Saturday 7.10pm local time)
It looks as though the floor has fallen out from underneath the Crows after they made such a promising start to the season. Matthew Nicks’ team has now lost its last three, the last of which was the most galling of all – a 67-point hammering at the hands of GWS at Adelaide Oval. It really was a sobering afternoon for the Crows and saw their early-season optimism totally evaporate. And life doesn’t get any easier for Adelaide this week as it prepares for Showdown XLIX against crosstown rival Port Adelaide. The Power have dismally failed two massive tests on the road against top-eight aspirants so far this season, but we all know how much they love playing against teams further down the pecking order. On the rebound after a deplorable effort against Brisbane, and with Travis Boak (quad) and Ryan Burton (ribs) expected to line up, you can expect Ken Hinkley’s side to fill its boots and compound the misery the Crows are starting to endure.
RONNY’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 52 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Port Adelaide by 32 points.

HAWTHORN v WEST COAST (MCG, Sunday 1.10pm local time)
Are the wheels starting to fall off the Hawks or was last week’s effort just a hiccup? Hawthorn has been fairly competitive this season without winning many games, but its performance against St Kilda in round seven was atrocious – the Saints dominated from the first bounce, keeping the Hawks scoreless in the opening term as Zak Jones and co. ran amok. If that’s what can be expected of Hawthorn for the remainder of the year, West Coast will do it easily. But while the Eagles have a point to prove on Sunday, having gone 0-3 on the road so far this year, without Shannon Hurn (calf), Jeremy McGovern (groin), Liam Ryan (shin), Luke Shuey (hamstring) and Elliot Yeo (groin), and Tom Barrass (shoulder) a “wait-and-see” proposition, they are vulnerable – especially away from Perth. If the Hawks regain Chad Wingard (soreness), Jaeger O’Meara (soreness) and Jon Ceglar (ankle) for this clash, an upset could definitely be on the cards.
RONNY’S TIP: Hawthorn by 2 points.
ROCO’S TIP: West Coast by 20 points.

WESTERN BULLDOGS v CARLTON (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 3.20pm local time)
The Blues got an important result against Essendon last week to get their season back on track, but if they plan on playing like that against one of the hottest teams in the competition, they shouldn’t expect the same result. Sunday’s game against the Bombers was an entertaining shoot-out, and Carlton was able to get away with it because, after all, Essendon is a bottom-four side that one third of the way through the season is clearly in rebuild mode. The Bulldogs are a different proposition, especially after suffering their first lost of the year, and given they were bullied in the second half by reigning premier Richmond, they’ll have a point to prove. Carlton does have a good recent record against the Dogs, but Luke Beveridge’s side is the strongest it’s been arguably since he took over the reins six years ago.
RONNY’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 26 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Western Bulldogs by 24 points.

BRISBANE v FREMANTLE (Gabba, Sunday 4.40pm local time)
This game serves as the second switched match of the season following on from the Collingwood-Brisbane game played in Melbourne instead of Queensland due to COVID fears. And with this game being changed from Optus Stadium to the Gabba, any hope of a Fremantle victory has disappeared. The glint has well and truly returned to Brisbane’s eye after a hat-trick of wins, most notably a 49-point thrashing of fellow flag fancy Port Adelaide at the Gabba. Importantly, star defender Harris Andrews is back in All-Australian form and the whole side seems to be clicking beautifully again, even without talismanic midfielder Lachie Neale (ankle). The Dockers proved last week that they still can’t be taken seriously, as they were smashed by an injury-hit West Coast side in a game in which they really should have been a strong chance to win. It was an inexcusable performance, and if they think they’ll be able to make up for it against the Lions at the Gabba, they had better think again.
RONNY’S TIP: Brisbane by 48 points.
ROCO’S TIP: Brisbane by 36 points.

RONNY’S SEASON TOTAL: 39
ROCO’S SEASON TOTAL: 43