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What your club is playing for in Round 3

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Roar Guru
31st March, 2022
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There’s plenty to look forward to in Round 3 that will give fans optimism, contrastingly, there will be some soul searching for other supporters as there are some teams that are struggling.

It will be intriguing Round of footy; there are two games between two rival teams, one in South Australia, the Showdown and the other in Western Australia, the Derby, as well as plenty of other discussion points. Here is what every team has to look forward to in Round 3.

Adelaide Crows

Will Matthew Nicks make it as an AFL coach? The Showdown could be a career defining game for him. He has yet to prove himself as a coach.

Brisbane Lions

Will the Lions have a more even contribution than they did in Round 2? They can’t rely on Lachie Neale being a standout every week. They will need to curtail the influence of the Kangaroos key forward Nick Larkey.

Lachie Neale

Lachie Neale (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Carlton Blues

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The Blues will go into their game against Hawthorn as favourites. It will be intriguing to see how the Blues cope with the expectation. Their game plan will be tested; in Round 1 Charlie Curnow was goalless and Harry McKay kicking one goal, while in Round 2 they kicked nine goals between them.

Collingwood Magpies

The Magpies should benefit from the inclusion of Brayden Maynard. It will take the pressure off Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe. They will want to prove that they are capable of playing finals in season 2022 when they play the Cats in Round 3.

Essendon Bombers

The Bombers face a test of depth as they were without Zach Merrett for approximately two months. He is arguably the most important player for them. They need more from the likes of Jake Stringer and Devon Smith showed in Round 2, just to name a couple.

Fremantle Dockers

The Dockers coach Justin Longmuir needs to vindicate that the decision to extend his contract was the right one; at the times they look like a top eight team, other times they look devoid of a viable game plan.

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Geelong Cats

The Cats will go into what could be a season-defining game against the Magpies. The Cats must improve as they face a danger game against an attacking Magpies team.

It’s a test of the Cats list management and whether Chris Scott’s game style can lead the Cats to the finals in season 2022 or will everything fall apart from the Cats?

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Gold Coast Suns

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The Suns have a game that they need to win as it’s integral that they build on their performance in Round 2. They may not have won in Round 2 against the reigning Premiers, but they didn’t lose any fans; can they back that performance up against the Giants?

GWS Giants

The Giants must bounce back from losing the first two games of season 2022. They need to improve if they are to make finals. There should be pressure to win their Round 3 clash with the Suns. It’s only early in the season, but if the Giants lose in Round 3 it will be difficult for them to recover from a morale perspective.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn will be looking to replicate the manner in which they performed in Round 2 against the Preliminary Finalists from season 2021, which were the Power.

Is Sam Mitchell a coaching genius? This is a stern test for him to prove that he is; Hawthorn was touted by many experts in the AFL to win the wooden spoon in season 2022.

If they can defeat an in-form Blues team then people may be talking about Hawthorn as contenders. Hawthorn will want to replicate their inside 50 efficiency as far as far as turning inside 50s into scoreboard pressure from Round 2.

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Sam Mitchell of the Hawks addresses players

Sam Mitchell: A coaching genius? (Photo by Cameron Grimes/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Melbourne Demons- The Demons go into a game against the Bombers, in Round 3 expecting to win the game. They will have areas of their game to work on from Round 2 as they narrowly beat the Suns and will want to improve on in Round 3.

North Melbourne Kangaroos

The Kangaroos will want to prove that they aren’t just rebuilding. They will be playing against one of the premiership favourites in the Lions. Nick Larkey should want to prove his display in Round 2 wasn’t an aberration. Do the Kangaroos have other strings to their bow in their forward line? Larkey kicked six of the Kangaroos ten goals in Round 2.

Port Adelaide Power

The Power will go into the Showdown with plenty to lose other than the four points. They need to respond and recover from a game against Hawthorn where they were obliterated against Hawthorn in Round 2. The Showdown is a big game for the club as a whole, including coach Ken Hinkley.

Richmond Tigers

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The Tigers were inspirational in Round 2, as they were missing some key players. In Round 3 the Tigers will face a Saints team that should have a high morale as they should be galvanised after a comeback win against the Dockers.

St Kilda Saints

The Saints will be looking to prove that the fight that they showed in Round 2 wasn’t an aberration. They need to take their chances on the scoreboard and prove that they can replicate the character they showed in Round 2, when they face the Tigers in Round 3.

Sydney Swans

The Swans will face a hungry Bulldogs team that have lost their first two games and will be desperate to get their first win on the board. Is Isaac Heeney a superstar of the game? Can he keep hitting the scoreboard? Are the Swans the real deal?

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West Coast Eagles

The Eagles have lost their first two games of the season, but have been extremely competitive when taking into consideration that they have had many players missing for different reasons.

They will go into the Derby with a chance of winning, but it’s not all about the four points.

Western Bulldogs- The Bulldogs must win in Round 3 against the Swans.

It’s early in the season, but their character will be tested and they may be without one of their most important players, Aaron Naughton due to injury.

The Bulldogs season won’t be completely over if they lose, but they need a lift to their morale

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