After six rounds, it’s starting to become clear who are the contenders, who are the challengers, and just who are the pretenders for this year’s AFL premiership.

The Geelong Cats sit alone on top of the ladder but will be wary of an Essendon side to whom they have lost their last two against, with the two sides to clash in the fourth Country Game.

Among other matches, the Brisbane Lions will have the chance to end a decade of misery against the Sydney Swans, while Collingwood and Port Adelaide clash under the roof in what promises to be a fantastic contest.

Here is your full preview to Round 7.

Collingwood vs Port Adelaide

The first match of Round 7 brings together two teams that have made impressive starts to the 2019 season.

The Pies have started this season with a 4-2 win-loss record, their last outing seeing them start strongly against Essendon before hanging on to win by four points, with captain Scott Pendlebury winning the Anzac Medal for the third time.

Before that, Nathan Buckley’s men registered their biggest win for the season, thrashing the Brisbane Lions by ten goals at the Gabba with Dayne Beams making a victorious return to the ground where he found success elusive between 2015 and 2018.

Port, on the other hand, were barely threatened by North Melbourne at the Oval last Friday night, but coach Ken Hinkley would not have been happy that his side coughed up the final five goals of the match.

In their previous match, they produced the best performance by any side so far this season to defeat the West Coast Eagles by 42 points in Perth on Good Friday, doing so by shutting down their vaunted forward line and restricting them to just eight goals.

Now, their task will be to repeat what they did in the west against the Pies in Melbourne on Friday night, in what will be former captain Travis Boak’s 250th game.

In a massive blow for the men from Alberton, though, Robbie Gray will miss up to a month after suffering a hand injury in the win over the Roos.

This will be the teams’ first meeting at Docklands Stadium since 2012, and will be the sixth time in eight meetings that this fixture has been played in Melbourne, thus giving the Pies the edge. Additionally, Port has never beaten the Magpies at the venue since it opened in 2000.

Prediction: Collingwood by 18 points.

Melbourne vs Hawthorn

As if things couldn’t get any worse for Melbourne, the last thing they would want is to face a Hawthorn side that is punching well above its weight.

Co-captain Jack Viney could miss after being on the receiving end of a heavy bump from Sydney Stack, from which he suffered a shoulder injury, in their Anzac Eve loss to Richmond, their fifth from six starts this season.

It is possible that the team could still be feeling the mental scars from their eleven-goal loss to the West Coast Eagles in last year’s preliminary final, in which they failed to kick a goal in the first half.

Another reason for their struggles this year could be the fact that we may have over-estimated them as premiership contenders in 2019, while Jesse Hogan’s absence up forward has also proven to be a factor.

On the other hand, the Hawks showed a lot of resilience in coming from six goals down to beat Carlton by less than a kick in Launceston and notch their third win for the season.

They will be without James Cousins, though, after he accepted a one-match ban for rough conduct.

This will be the first meeting between the Hawks and Dees since last year’s semi-final, which the latter won by five goals to progress to its first preliminary final since 2000.

Since then, however, Simon Goodwin’s side has lost six of seven matches, and the way things are going at the moment, I can’t see them turning a corner anytime soon.

Prediction: Hawthorn by 25 points.

GWS Giants vs St Kilda

On the back of its impressive win over the Sydney Swans in Sydney Derby XVII, the Giants return to their secondary home ground looking to make amends for its shock loss to Fremantle in the nation’s capital a fortnight ago.

Outstanding displays from stand-in captain Stephen Coniglio, Brett Kirk Medallist Tim Taranto and Lachie Whitfield saw the Giants register their fourth win for the season, while Jeremy Cameron booted three majors to extend his lead in the Coleman Medal race.

Their win was also made all the more impressive given they were without both co-captains in Phil Davis and Callan Ward for just the second time in club history, the other being in Round 22, 2014.

Thus, the Saints, who suffered just their second loss of the season against the Adelaide Crows at home last Saturday night, will have their work cut out for them if they are to spring another major upset in the nation’s capital.

Without injured captain Jarryn Geary, the Saints started well against the Crows, but capitulated after quarter-time to suffer its heaviest defeat so far, the result being proof enough that Alan Richardson’s men still have a long way to go.

History is in their favour, though, as they won on the only other time they faced the Giants in Canberra – by 78 points in Round 3, 2013.

In that match, Giants forward Jonathan Patton suffered the first of three serious knee injuries on what was a horror day for the then-second year club – but six years on, and still without him in the side after he suffered another separate knee injury last July, the club is in a better position today.

In front of their Canberra fans for the last time until Round 21, the Giants should claim the chocolates.

Prediction: GWS Giants by 20 points.

Brisbane Lions vs Sydney Swans

While Queensland has dominated New South Wales in the rugby league State of Origin for the better part of this decade, in the AFL it’s been the exact opposite.

Round 22, 2009, was the last time the Brisbane Lions managed to defeat the Sydney Swans in an AFL premiership match, while it’s been over a decade since the Swans last left Queensland without four premiership points.

From the Lions side that was victorious over the Swans at the SCG on August 29, 2009, only Daniel Rich, who was in his debut season, remains, while only four Swans – Heath Grundy, Kieren Jack, Jarrad McVeigh and Nick Smith – remain in the red and white today, though none of them played in their loss to the Giants last Saturday night.

But that could be all about to change this weekend with the Lions playing exciting footy on a consistent basis in 2019, while the Swans have struggled for form, their only win being against Carlton at Marvel Stadium in Round 3.

The Swans’ tough start to 2019 will be soured by the absence of Lance Franklin, whose hamstring strain kept him out of last Saturday night’s loss to the Giants and will also prevent him from flying north with the side.

However, if there was any good news for coach John Longmire, who will overtake Paul Roos as the Swans’ longest-ever serving coach, it’s that third-year forward Will Hayward could be in line to return nearly a month after suffering a broken jaw against the Blues in Round 3.

It’s very clear that the times have changed, and for the first time in a decade, the Lions will start favourites against the Swans at the Gabba.

Prediction: Brisbane Lions by 18 points.

Western Bulldogs vs Richmond

After defeating two of the most consistent sides this decade in the Sydney Swans and Hawthorn to start their season, the Western Bulldogs have fallen into a deep hole of sorts, losing their last four games to tumble down to 14th on the ladder.

Last week, they were competitive against Fremantle in the west, trailing by one point at half-time, but faded thereafter to lose by 19 points.

Things will not get any easier for them when they host Richmond, coming off a ten-day break following its Anzac Eve win over Melbourne, at Docklands on Saturday night.

The Tigers’ win over the Dees was soured by another injury to Jack Riewoldt, which will sideline him for up to two months.

This comes on top of the season-ending injury fullback Alex Rance suffered in Round 1, however, captain Trent Cotchin shouldn’t be too far away from a return.

The teams’ most recent clash, in the final round last year, saw the Tigers escape with a three-point win which ensured it ended the regular season undefeated at the MCG.

However, their most recent meeting at Marvel Stadium saw the Bulldogs escape with a narrow win of its own; it was the first of three consecutive losses Damien Hardwick’s side suffered by less than a goal, eventually costing it the minor premiership in 2017.

Despite the growing injury toll, the Tigers should get the job done this Saturday night.

Prediction: Richmond by 24 points.

West Coast Eagles vs Gold Coast Suns

For both the West Coast Eagles and Gold Coast Suns, this Saturday night’s clash at Optus Stadium will be about bouncing back.

The fact that both sides are 3-3 for the season is a major surprise for completely different reasons – firstly given the Eagles are the defending premiers but have already suffered three defeats by 42 points or more, and that the Suns have managed to win three matches despite many tipping them to endure a winless 2019 season in light of the players they lost at the end of last year.

Both sides are coming off sizeable defeats, the Suns against the Lions in the QClash and the Eagles kicking only seven goals in a 58-point thrashing at the hands of the Geelong Cats at Kardinia Park.

While the Eagles were without premiership players Tom Barrass and Jack Redden, they were still made to look second-rate at a venue where they haven’t won since 2006, the year of the second-most recent premiership.

This followed on from similarly disappointing losses to the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide in rounds one and five, respectively.

Meantime, a hat-trick of narrow wins over Fremantle, the Western Bulldogs and Carlton appeared to take its toll on the Gold Coast Suns, who have now lost their past two matches by a combined total of 122 points.

Unfortunately, for Stuart Dew, there appears to be no respite this week at least, given the Suns’ appalling record against West Coast, whom they have only managed to steal six premiership points out of a possible 40 from (a draw in 2015 and a three-point win in 2017).

It will now remain to be seen how his charges embrace the task of facing the premiers on their home turf, their last trip across the Nullarbor ending in an 80-point loss in Round 4 last year.

Prediction: West Coast Eagles by 50 points.

Carlton vs North Melbourne

The first match on Sunday sees Carlton, fresh off another heartbreaking loss, face up to North Melbourne for the first time in over a year.

After leading by as much as 36 points in its match against Hawthorn in Launceston, the Blues capitulated after half-time to crash to yet another defeat, leaving more questions to be answered regarding coach Brendon Bolton’s future and where the club is headed.

It was their second defeat by a single figure margin in three weeks, this coming after they’d scored 100 points for the first time in nearly three seasons in its Round 5 win over the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.

Now they face a North Melbourne side which has also only won one match for the season, when they beat the Adelaide Crows at Marvel Stadium in Round 4.

The Roos appeared headed for a huge loss against Port Adelaide at the Oval last Friday night before they added some respectability to the scoreline, kicking the last five goals of the match to prevent a blowout defeat.

It was a much improved effort from their dismal Good Friday loss to Essendon in which they kicked just seven goals.

Recent history will favour Brad Scott’s men, who have won their last four matches against the Blues dating back to 2015. On that basis, a second win for 2019 beckons.

Prediction: North Melbourne by 15 points.

Geelong Cats vs Essendon

The fourth edition of the Country Game will see the Geelong Cats look to build on their excellent season so far when they face an Essendon side that has been up and down to start 2019.

After six rounds, the Cats sit alone at the top of the ladder with just the one defeat, a four-point loss to the GWS Giants at home in Round 4.

But they could not have been any more impressive than they were last week when they put reigning premiers the West Coast Eagles to the sword, with the two Garys, Ablett and Rohan, being among their best as they restricted the Eagles to just seven majors for the match.

In their third match at the MCG for the season, they will start favourites against the Bombers, who after a hat-trick of impressive wins over Melbourne, the Brisbane Lions and North Melbourne, came crashing back down to earth with a heartbreaking loss to Collingwood on Anzac Day.

John Worsfold’s side paid the price for yet another poor first quarter against the Pies, and they will not want to start this slowly again if they are to get on top of the Cats this Sunday.

History does favour the red and black, though, as they have won the last two Country Matches after the Cats won the inaugural fixture in 2016.

However, the form of Chris Scott’s side will make it hard to tip against them.

Prediction: Geelong Cats by 18 points.

Adelaide Crows vs Fremantle

Round 7 concludes with the Adelaide Crows hosting one of the AFL’s most improved sides in Fremantle at the Oval.

After a shaky start to the season, Don Pyke’s men have won their last two on the trot, first taking care of the Gold Coast Suns at home before overcoming St Kilda at Marvel Stadium to even their season ledger at 3-all.

Now they have the chance to move ahead to 4-3 for the season when they face the Dockers, who rose to the occasion of former captain David Mundy’s 300th game to defeat the Western Bulldogs by 19 points at Optus Stadium.

It was their fourth win for the season and saw them move up to second on the ladder, only behind the Geelong Cats.

But if they are to prove that they have indeed improved on previous seasons, which has seen them out of the eight for the past three years, they’ll have to overcome a very poor record at the Adelaide Oval, where it has lost six of seven matches, including the last five by an average of ten goals.

That being said, the last time they faced the Crows in the City of Churches, the Dockers were left embarrassed by a 100-point defeat in what was Ross Lyon’s 250th match as an AFL coach.

It was the sixth of seven times that the Crows kicked twenty goals or more that year as they coasted through to the grand final.

However, the Dockers were able to eek out a three-point win over the Crows at home last season, but that will mean nothing if they cannot replicate the result at the Oval on Sunday afternoon.

Prediction: Adelaide Crows by 28 points.