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We are nearly at the halfway point of the season, and Round 11 will see a reduced round with only six matches played as the second of the four bye rounds gets underway.
Once again, Port Adelaide will be involved in Thursday night football, this time hosting Hawthorn who have revived their season by winning three of their last four matches to rocket back into finals calculation.
But the match of the round is without a doubt that between the Geelong Cats and Adelaide Crows, where the latter will again be tested at a ground where they have not saluted since 2003.
Elsewhere, Brendon Goddard will bring up his 300th game when the Bombers travel to Sydney to face the GWS Giants, while Collingwood heads west in search of their first win in Perth since 2011.
Here is your full preview to Round 11.
Port Adelaide versus Hawthorn
While Port Adelaide may have lost to the Geelong Cats by just two points last Thursday night, they did, for the most part, show why they are genuine finals contenders, making the Cats work hard all match.
The outcome could have been totally different had Charlie Dixon not taken so long to take his set shot at goal, such was that the Cats went the other way and kicked the match winning goal through Patrick Dangerfield.
Tomorrow night, they face a Hawthorn side that has breathed life back into its season after losing five of their first six matches of the season, igniting fears their halcyon days may be coming to an end.
The Hawks trailed the Swans late in the final quarter but two goals, through Shaun Burgoyne and Jarryd Roughead (with less than two minutes remaining) gave them a six-point win against the odds.
Alastair Clarkson’s men are on the road for the second consecutive week, and will be keen to continue their good record at the Oval, where they have won three of their five matches. Both of the losses were against the Power.
They will also head into the match on the back of a six-day turnaround; that, and the travel, could eventually conspire against them.
Prediction: Port Adelaide by 22 points.
(AAP Image/David Mariuz)
Geelong Cats versus Adelaide Crows
Friday night’s clash between the Geelong Cats and Adelaide Crows at Simonds Stadium shapes as a potential grand final preview, if not a sneak peek of what to expect in September.
The Crows have been the form team of the 2017 season by a country mile, bullying teams into submission week in, week out, at home or far away.
Last week Don Pyke’s men put Fremantle to the sword, winning by 100 points, though the margin could so easily have been larger had the Crows been more accurate with their goalkicking (they kicked 20.23).
Now they face arguably their first genuine test of the season – the Geelong Cats at a venue where they have not won for 14 years.
Chris Scott’s men dropped a hat-trick of matches after starting the year with five straight wins, but have hit back with wins over the Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide, both at home.
Again, Patrick Dangerfield will be central to their chances of victory on Friday night – in both games against his old club last year, he amassed nearly 70 possessions and gained six out of six Brownlow Medal votes.
He also kicked the match winning goal against the Power inside the final two minutes to give his side a narrow two-point win.
But as strong as the Cats’ recent record against the Crows may be, I can sense another victory by the men from West Lakes this Friday night.
Prediction: Adelaide Crows by ten points.
Gold Coast Suns versus West Coast Eagles
Another road trip, another test for the West Coast Eagles.
And it’s just got harder following the news that Josh Kennedy will miss three weeks due to a calf injury he suffered in the final quarter of the eight-point loss to the GWS Giants last Sunday.
The injury came at a crucial time in the match and the end result saw the Eagles drop to sixth on the ladder ahead of a long trip to the Gold Coast this Saturday afternoon.
As well-documented as the Eagles’ travel woes are, they have enjoyed playing in Queensland in recent years, winning six of their last eight matches in the Sunshine State.
They have also feasted on the Suns in recent years, including winning by 126 points in Perth in Round 14, 2012. The closest the Suns have come to beating the Eagles was through a draw at home in Round 18, 2015.
This weekend shapes as their best chance yet to notch their first win over the Eagles, one of three clubs (the others being the Adelaide Crows and Sydney Swans) they are yet to beat since entering the AFL in 2011.
They will also be smarting after giving up a 30-point lead against Melbourne last week to go down by 35 points, a result that wouldn’t have happened had Gary Ablett not been ruled out due to a shoulder injury.
With the former captain back, and the Eagles without Josh Kennedy, there will be no excuses.
Prediction: Gold Coast Suns by eight points.
GWS Giants versus Essendon
Over the past month the GWS Giants have become the kings of winning close matches, saluting in three of their last four matches by a grand total of 18 points.
Not much was expected from them against the West Coast Eagles last week, but somehow they were able to pull off an upset eight-point victory in the west with nearly half of their best side out due to varying injuries.
In the end, it was Toby Greene’s two late majors that got them over the line in what was a high-quality match which was close for the most part.
Their opponents this Saturday night, Essendon, are also coming off a recent win over the Eagles, pummeling them by 61 points in Round 9.
They looked to have carried that form into last Saturday night’s Dreamtime at the G clash against Richmond, but John Worsfold’s men then endured a goalless final quarter en route to a 15-point defeat.
Again the Bombers will start underdogs against the Giants but if they need some inspiration, it’ll come in the form of Brendon Goddard, who will bring up the 300-game milestone this weekend.
The former Saint arrived at Windy Hill with high hopes of featuring in a premiership team, but instead walked into a place thrust into one of the most controversial AFL scandals of this decade.
When twelve of the club’s players, including then-captain Jobe Watson, were suspended for the entire 2016 season, Goddard was appointed captain and he led by example as the club finished with the wooden spoon.
That’s what makes him the leader he is today.
But as much as the Bombers would love to mark his milestone with a win, back at home the Giants should be too strong, despite the six-day break.
Prediction: GWS Giants by 14 points.
North Melbourne versus Richmond
After five straight losses to start the season, North Melbourne have revived their fortunes with four wins out of their last five matches to prove that they are anything but a spent force.
Of their four wins to date, none was more impressive than their 59-point shellacking of the Adelaide Crows in Hobart, in which they kicked 64 points to nothing in the first quarter, setting up their win.
Last week they survived a massive comeback from Carlton to win by 17 points and improve their season record to 4-6, ahead of another winnable clash against Richmond this weekend.
The Tigers broke a frustrating four-game losing streak by defeating Essendon by 15 points in the annual Dreamtime at the G clash last Saturday night, coming from behind to keep the Bombers goalless in the final quarter.
Speculation over Dustin Martin’s future continues to intensify after he submitted a best-on-ground performance to win the Yiooken Medal for the second consecutive year.
Stopping him, along with captain Trent Cotchin, will be key to North winning its fifth game of the season this Saturday night.
In a plot twist, the match falls exactly one year to the day since the Kangaroos thrashed the Tigers by 70 points in Hobart – they have won just six of their subsequent 22 matches since (the win over the Tigers was their tenth in eleven matches to start the 2016 season).
Prediction: North Melbourne by 16 points.
Fremantle versus Collingwood
To finish off the shortened round, Fremantle will be out to bounce back following their second embarrassing loss from as many trips to the Adelaide Oval this season.
After being thrashed by 89 points against Port Adelaide in Round 2, the Dockers’ second trip to the City of Churches for the season ended in a worse defeat – by 100 points to ladder leaders the Adelaide Crows.
The margin could so easily have been worse had the Crows been more accurate with their goalkicking – but nonetheless it was the worst defeat suffered by Ross Lyon in what was his 250th AFL game as a coach.
(AAP Image/Tony McDonough)
This Sunday they host a Collingwood side which has revived its season with three wins from their last five matches, including impressive efforts against the Geelong Cats and Hawthorn in rounds six and nine respectively.
They were also challenged by the Brisbane Lions at home last week, but lifted their intensity in the final quarter to win by 45 points and improve their season record to a rather modest 4-6.
Sadly, the Pies will be without Alex Fasolo as he has taken leave to deal with depression, and there is no doubt that will play into the players’ heads when they take the field on Sunday.
Nathan Buckley’s men will have to buck a long hoodoo if they are to win – they have not beaten the Dockers in Perth since Round 23, 2011.
Prediction: Fremantle by 23 points.
Byes: Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Melbourne, St Kilda, Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs.
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