Polish up your big screens, because a classic round of AFL footy is coming

Two or three times a season a round comes along that is absolutely stacked, with almost every match full of meaning. Round 20 is one such event.

Collingwood and Carlton kick things off on Friday night, in what is at least the equal of their Round 23 clash last year as the biggest game between the two for decades.

The Pies have won five in a row since their bye, but haven’t always been the most convincing. They won another classic last week against Port Adelaide on the road, but could well suffer a little let down after a top-of-the-table clash. If they are slightly off their game, the Blues could well claim their scalp and catapult themselves into the eight – they have won five in a row themselves, each of them by 8-12 goals.

Geelong and Fremantle at Kardinia Park shapes as one of the most straight-forward games, but it wasn’t so long ago they were sneaky bitter rivals.

Two of the biggest wins in Docker history have been against the Cats in Victoria, in two famous finals wins at the MCG and Kardinia Park and 2012-13. This season is done for them, but what a flag in the ground for 2024 it would be if they could pull off an upset and put a dent in the Cats finals chances.

(Photo by Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )

Western Bulldogs and GWS have been bitter modern-day rivals, and get to write a surprise new chapter on Saturday given they are both in the eight on 10 wins apiece. The Dogs have been good, bad, ugly and indifferent, as has always been their way under Luke Beveridge, while Adam Kingsley has won six in a row to see his team surge from the bottom four into seventh position.

The Dogs still have Hawthorn and West Coast to come, while the Giants have a tougher run home over the last month and are essentially facing a series of elimination finals, so it just might mean more to them.

Brisbane should take care of Gold Coast at Carrara in what may be the most lopsided game of the round, but cross-town rivalries always carry extra weight and meaning. The Lions are a game behind Port in the race for second, but boast a far superior percentage, so have to keep winning and hope the Power falter.

Essendon and Sydney at Marvel is a true elimination final given they sit in 11th and 12th respectively, and the loser can kiss finals goodbye. The Bombers have the lowest percentage of those chasing a spot in the eight, while the Swans are half a game behind due to having had a draw.

Essendon had their confidence battered by Geelong two weeks ago, and subsequently looked down-in-the-mouth against the Dogs last round. They might have come to the end. Sydney seem to have come out of their down patch in the middle of the year, and are on the up again. That might be enough to win this.

(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

The Adelaide and Port Adelaide showdown has always been a must-watch, and is a must-attend for any footy fan if they can time a weekend in the city of churches to suit.

The Power will be smarting after throwing away a win against the Pies, proving they still have to shake the tag of choking at home in big games. They have to keep winning, lest Brisbane demote them to third.

For a team that has pushed Collingwood to less than a kick twice, plus beaten Port and Brisbane, the Crows have been a disappointment the longer the season has gone on. Three losses in a row, all in very winnable games against Essendon, GWS and Melbourne, has soured what could have been a year of achievement. They’ll have to win every game from here to make finals, so it is all on the line.

Hawthorn and St Kilda is a bigger game than it might appear on paper given ladder positions of 16th and 6th.

The Saints are going horribly, and it’s almost impossible to believe they are still so high. They’ve won two games since Round 10, both of them after playing horrendously against West Coast and North, and they haven’t played a decent game of footy in months.

Hawthorn on the other hand are having a good patch. They’ve certainly had some blowout losses this year, as befitting a team without a lot of quality or experience, but they’ve had plenty of games where they’ve won or been very difficult to shake. If the good Hawks and bad Saints turn up, this game will only go one way, and it’s not the way of the team 10 spots higher on the ladder.

(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Melbourne are two games behind second and two games and percentage clear of fifth. They’re in no man’s land at the moment, and playing like it. Since their bye they’ve lost to Geelong and GWS, won ugly against the out-of-form Saints, been comprehensively outplayed against Brisbane but won with 15 minutes of footy at either end of the match, and almost let Adelaide gobble them up last week.

Richmond are still trying to recapture former glories, having won three in a row and six of their last seven. Of the four teams with a draw, they have by far the lowest percentage, so need to win one more game than Carlton, Geelong and Sydney on the run home. A win this week should see them in the eight, so they have it all to play for on Sunday afternoon at the ‘G in front of 60,000.

There’s a particularly grim joyfulness to watching the bottom two sides square off, and even moreso given West Coast and North Melbourne have both lost 16 games in a row. It’s a reverse of the famous Geelong v St Kilda clash of 2009.

The Eagles have been beyond pathetic in recent times, averaging less than 50 points per game in their last 10 matches. The Kangaroos have been outclassed at every turn this year, but still shown spirit for the most part. They’re the team that deserves the win, but the fallout for the loser will be very real.

Cancel all plans. Give the TV a polish. Make sure the couch is in working order, and the fridge is stocked. Send the wife off to see Barbie, and let’s settle in for a classic round of footy.