- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The AFL might be the VFL in disguise, but there’s one game that never fails to stop the nation – the rivalry to end all footy rivalries.
That’s right – North Melbourne and Brisbane at Ninja Stadium in Hobart! Oh and there’s also a Showdown this week.
Aside from that aforementioned blockbuster in Tasmania, this week is a seriously difficult one for us tipsters – mostly because two of the teams who should be easybeats in Richmond and West Coast are facing each other.
Is this a week to back in the favourites … or get a bit risky and surge up the ladder?
AFL tipping is BACK on The Roar for 2025! Get your tips in here.
Fremantle, Carlton, Hawthorn, Sydney, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Richmond, Geelong, Brisbane
After the tipping year I’ve had, I’ll take last week’s 7 as a sign things are finally looking up. Thank you, Fremantle!
Naturally, given my best tip last week was expecting the Dockers to let everyone down, I’m beginning Round 9 by picking … the Dockers to beat Collingwood. It’s mostly because the Pies are down four stars in Scott Pendlebury, Brayden Maynard, Brody Mihocek and Jordan De Goey, plus are coming off a five-day break after a bruising loss to Geelong; but partly also because at home, after a week of intense scrutiny, now is the time for Freo to make a stand.
St Kilda somehow get themselves a second straight Friday night in a row – this time, though, without a rev-up from Ross Lyon to fire them up. That’s mostly why I’m tipping Carlton to continue the Saints’ topsy-turvy rollercoaster of a start to the year – well, that and my belief the Blues are better than what they are.
Saturday is chock full of interesting games: Hawthorn should beat Melbourne despite the Demons’ improved form of late, while Essendon are a big chance at home against Sydney, but I wouldn’t have picked them even if the Swans hadn’t bounced back into form last week.
Naturally, the AFL have slated the two best games of the weekend for Saturday night, running (mostly) simultaneously. I’ll probably one of the few people tuning into the Bulldogs-Gold Coast clash in Darwin over the Showdown, but this should seriously be a cracker: two of the game’s best midfields going head-to-head in the humidity. Familiarity with the conditions has me backing the Suns – but I’m hoping this is a reverse-mozz.
As for the Showdown, you couldn’t possibly pick Port Adelaide after last week’s horror loss, especially given Adelaide have won three of their last four against their fiercest foes. Still, weird things happen in Showdowns – will we get a goal after the siren, Josh Rachele pointing at his teeth, or another Port player knocking Izak Rankine into next week?
Sunday’s Tigers-Eagles clash will be morbidly fascinating; the Tigers will either be reminded just how bad they are against anyone who takes them remotely seriously, or the Eagles will be officially the worst team in the comp. West Coast will win a game eventually, but I’m not brave enough to pick them on the road against anyone. I’m even backing Richmond as my ‘Gauntlet’ tip on the AFL’s official comp, because I like the danger.
Here’s a fun fact: GWS have not lost at GMHBA Stadium since 2018. They love the ground, match up well on Geelong and should be raring to make a statement after a poor last three weeks … but you couldn’t possibly pick against the Cats, could you?
And finally, Brisbane will probably coast to a five-goal win over North Melbourne in Tasmania without breaking a sweat, such is the gap in class here. A tame end to an otherwise fascinating weekend of footy!
Crows players celebrate with Jordan Dawson. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Fremantle, Carlton, Hawthorn, Sydney, Gold Coast, Adelaide, West Coast, Geelong, Brisbane
Things are starting to settle in the competition and as time goes on, 2025 might well be the year filled with the biggest overreactions as the immediacy of releasing opinions supersedes logic.
Also, it’s the year of AFL players, coaches and media acting and talking like they’re in the NBA, in a multi-billion dollar entertainment industry. The tough guys, the potting former clubs, the piling onto struggling teams, it’s all a bit too fake – it doesn’t really suit our sporting culture.
Anyway, if Fremantle can’t win at home against a Collingwood team on a short break, travelling to Perth and resting a few players, then it’s truly curtains on the season. Regular readers will know my position on the Docker train as a neutral observer, but last Friday was diabolical.
Hayden Young missing most of the season is one of the worst possible results. Still, they’re percentage outside the eight and should win given the circumstances. I think we should all still take a breath and remember they’re not as bad as they were last week. Big watch on Justin Longmuir though.
If the Saints play the same way they did against Fremantle, they’ll easily knock off Carlton, who just don’t know how to structure up. They’ve got a great record against the Blues, but there are slight concerns around whether the Freo game was an immediate response to Ross Lyon’s bake, or if they’re just a solid team. I still lean navy blue.
The Swans like to play the Bombers, both teams are considerably depleted, one team is likely to have a debutant in defence, one team just won a game with Aaron Francis and Joel Hamling as their key forwards – this season is crazy. Sydney are starting to bank wins, which is important; and even if Jye Caldwell is back, no Jordan Ridley to shape the backline is a concern.
Easily the game of the round is between two teams who should absolutely be aiming to reach a preliminary final at the very least this season. The Suns have won six in a row in Darwin, but they need their midfield to step up considerably here against the Bulldogs. I think they can do it, but a close game won’t hurt either team here.
Can the Eagles beat the Tigers? Yes, but that probably doesn’t matter as much as the Geelong-GWS game does for the latter. I’ve expressed my concerns about the Giants in the early stages of the season and they’re being torn apart at the moment simply by structure. No team has a better structure than the Cats at home.
GWS isn’t getting anywhere near as much attention for poor form as Fremantle are – perhaps they should.
(Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn, Sydney, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Richmond, Geelong, Brisbane
A hard, hard week to tip. Except for one game.
No, I’m still not over Freo’s last primetime match. Yes, the less said the better about their encounter on Thursday night. Maybe they win – which would, in a perverse way, be the most frustrating possible result. But I have no faith. The Pies, even resting players, will be too good.
Friday takes us to Spud’s Game – a stupidly important occasion, for what it’s worth. The Saints were superb tactically in demolishing the Dockers, and will sense a real chance against a Blues outfit who’d be frustrated with undoing a few good weeks with last Saturday’s loss.
I’m not exactly confident in the Saints, and the Blues have (inconsistently) shown that even when they’re down, they’re not exactly out. I’ll regret it, but I’ll back ’em.
Saturday’s quartet of matches are not particularly easy to predict. The Demons are far from the bad team they kicked off the season being, but the Hawks remain a few levels above and shouldn’t be seriously troubled in a rare MCG lunchtime encounter.
It’s tough to read into either the Bombers or the Swans (are they good, bad or, most probably, bang average?) and their respective injury lists don’t help. Sydney should continue their good form. And the Bombers don’t inspire.
You can absolutely expect Port to threaten in the Showdown, because of course they will. These games are always very, very fun, and Port’s INXS loving home fans will be a raucous one, but the Crows are favourites for a reason.
And in Darwin, a place where the Gold Coast especially love playing, they face the Doggies, who are loving playing anywhere at the moment. This’ll be a beauty. Let’s go Suns.
If you’re a fan of scrappy footy, there’s a beauty for you to launch our Sunday fixtures: the Tigers hosting the Eagles. If there’s a serious chance for the Eagles to get a win this year (especially one away from Optus), you’d think this is it. But, much like the Eagles crowds remaining strong at home, the Tiger Army will be in good voice. Home team it is.
The Giants absolutely love playing at GMHBA Stadium, need to bounce back and, in my eyes, remain a genuine premiership chance. But, my word, the Cats never fail to impress me – last week’s win was just so, so good. If the visitors are switched on, they’ll make it a game, but I’ll back Geelong.
Oh, and it goes without saying the premiers will close out the round with a win. If the Kangas blew winnable chances against Port and Essendon, they won’t get one against the Lions.
| Round 9 | Tim | Dem | Liam | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRE vs COL | FRE | FRE | COL | ? |
| STK vs CAR | CAR | CAR | CAR | ? |
| MEL vs HAW | HAW | HAW | HAW | ? |
| ESS vs SYD | SYD | SYD | SYD | ? |
| GCS vs WB | GCS | GCS | GCS | ? |
| PA vs ADE | ADE | ADE | ADE | ? |
| RCH vs WCE | RCH | WCE | RCH | ? |
| GEE vs GWS | GEE | GEE | GEE | ? |
| NM vs BL | BL | BL | BL | ? |
| LAST WEEK | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| ROLLING TOTAL | 46 | 50 | 46 | 53 |
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.