With the Easter weekend we get footy every day from Thursday until Monday as a full slate of games are ahead in a weekend that will see struggling teams like Hawthorn and Sydney looking for their first wins, while clubs like Fremantle are looking for a second straight win to surprise the pundits. Here is your full preview.
West Coast Eagles vs. Sydney (Thursday at Domain Stadium)
West Coast has won just one out of their last ten against Sydney, but they get to play at home in Perth and are a facing a winless Swans side that is under pressure early in the season. Lewis Jetta is the main omission for an Eagles side that lost last week to Richmond, fading late in the contest against the Tigers, while the Swans are bringing in Tom Papley, as they look to strengthen an attack that was pressured into a poor performance in the lost to Collingwood last round. Both teams are looking to bounce back from a loss and the West Coast midfield, particularly Sam Mitchell, need to respond, improving their play off the ball if they are going to win. Look for Elliot Yeo to have a good game in this one.
Sydney needs more production not just from Buddy Franklin, but from their midfield, and the rest of their forwards, including Sam Reid as they need goals. More experience for young guns Nic Newman and Will Hayward should be a benefit though, and the Swans can’t be counted out. That said, given this game is in Perth, I give a slight edge to the Eagles, and the Swans look set to suffer another nail biting defeat in my book. Eagles by 7
North Melbourne vs. Western Bulldogs (Friday at Etihad Stadium)
The new Good Friday fixture is a big one for both North and the Bulldogs, two of the smaller Melbourne clubs that have wanted a marquee game like this on a yearly basis. North is one of the winless clubs in the competition, despite spirited efforts at times, and will need to keep the on-ball pressure at an intense level against the Bulldogs, who suffered a loss to Fremantle last week in large part due to the Dockers pressure, and speed through the ground. Health is a concern for the Bulldogs with Liam Picken and Stewart Crameri still questionable, they’ll also need more production in the forward 50 from players besides Lachie Hunter. All of that said, outside of North Melbourne’s ruck revolution with Todd Goldstein and Braydon Preuss working together towards success, the Bulldogs have a clear edge and barring a shock should prevail, particularly if North’s defence continues to struggle. Bulldogs by 33
Melbourne vs. Fremantle (Saturday at the MCG)
Fremantle pulled a stunner last week to put themselves on the map in this contest, while Melbourne is missing their best player Max Gawn, plus Jordan Lewis and Jesse Hogan. The Demons are not going to be as good as they were in their two wins this week, and were poor kicking goals against Geelong. That said, Fremantle, having pulled off a great win last week, now has to travel and continue to show a refreshing free wheeling, pressuring style that helped them get that win. The Dockers aren’t that far behind the Demons in terms of talent, but I’m still not convinced they are better than Melbourne, particularly at the MCG. The likes of Nathan Jones will help Melbourne prevail. Demons by 19
GWS Giants vs. Port Adelaide (Saturday in Canberra)
Both teams are real contenders this year, and in terms of early season form this may be the best game of the week. GWS have won two straight and returned to expectations with their talented list, they pulled away in the second half against North Melbourne last week. Port pushed hard against the Crows in the Showdown, but they found themselves on the losing side, and after a 2-0 start, they need to bounce back quickly if they are going to compete in this one. I’m still a big believer in the Power making top 8, and would feel even stronger about that if they won this one, but GWS, if they avoid a shaky start, should pull through. Giants by 14
Carlton vs. Gold Coast Suns (Saturday at the Etihad Stadium)
Two teams that got surprising first wins last week, the Blues did so in a defensive contest marred by rain against Essendon, while the Suns thumped Hawthorn by a huge margin. Carlton has found some talented young players like Jacob Weitering, Sam Petrovski-Seton, and Tom Williamson, while captain Marc Murphy has made a flying return to the competition. The Suns will need to backup their win last week, and beyond Gary Ablett Jr’s. continued spotlight, the likes of Tom Lynch, David Swallow, Aaron Hall, and Jack Martin need to continue their strong play. The Suns are hard to predict, but as long as they avoid a slow start they should have more talent, and Carlton still hasn’t figured out how to produce a significant amount of goals. Suns by 11
Adelaide Crows vs. Essendon (Saturday at the Adelaide Oval)
The Crows are the best team in the competition right now, and are playing yet again at the Oval this weekend after winning the Showdown there last round. Focused, and great both on offense and defense, they simply look extremely difficult to beat right now. Essendon fans shouldn’t panic if they lose this one, the loss last week in a muckfest was difficult to stomach, but the Bombers are simply not a bad team. Look for the Crows, bolstered by a good portion of their on field players getting forward, to keep the pressure in the forward 50, control play through the midfield through Rory Sloane, and grab a win. Crows by 38
Collingwood vs. St. Kilda (Sunday at Etihad Stadium)
Both winners for the first time last week, with Collingwood taking the pressure off coach Nathan Buckley for now, St Kilda beat the Brisbane Lions as expected, and now has a step up in competition against the Pies. The Magpies midfield stepped up last week in the win against Sydney, and both Alex Fasolo and Will Hoskin-Elliot responded as forwards with strong goal kicking performances. St. Kilda has health concerns with Jack Steven in particular, and unless Nick Riewoldt puts up a huge performance, Collingwood’s tackling pressure should win out. Collingwood by 15
Brisbane Lions vs. Richmond (Sunday at the Gabba)
Brisbane has been nipping at opponent’s heels, and they are going to catch a top 8 at some point this season, but they are still staring down a 1-3 start if they lose to Richmond at home. Former Lions Coach Justin Leppitsch is on the Tigers staff against his former players, and should be helping Richmond prepare for a potential tenth straight win against Brisbane. Richmond’s 3-0 start has been highlighted by different players stepping up, whether it’s a team leader like Dustin Martin, or young guns like Daniel Rioli, Dan Butler, and Jason Castanga. The Tigers are going to continue to be doubted for a while, but it would take a serious lack of focus to lose to Brisbane in this one. Richmond by 17
Hawthorn vs. Geelong (Monday at the MCG)
Hawthorn will have a long week to think about their 0-3 start and the debacle against Gold Coast last round. The Hawks looked slow, dazed, and distressed last week, and their list changes have simply not worked out in the early going, with some of their key veteran players simply not performing up to a competitive level in the early going. That said, this Hawks team isn’t supposed to be terrible, and back in Melbourne they may make a big push to respond and please their fans, knowing the season is far from over.
Geelong has been the cardiac cats but they are 3-0 and beat Hawthorn twice last year. Their is still a question as to whether they can perform if Dangerwood don’t, but Daniel Menzel and Brandan Parfitt were among names that stepped up for them last week in the win over Melbourne. These teams are headed in opposite directions this season, and I can’t pick against the Cats in this one. Cats by 24
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