AFL Blogs

26 May 2022

• 2022 AFL Round 11: Geelong vs Adelaide Preview & Betting Tips
  26 May 2022

  Geelong will take on Adelaide on Saturday afternoon from 1.45pm at GMHBA Stadium. Will the Crows snap a four game losing streak or can the Cats cement a place in the top eight? Check out our preview and betting tips for the Saturday clash here

  Cats vs Crows Betting Tips
• 5 nail-biting moments in Australian football history
  26 May 2022

  Australian Rules Football is popular for a number of reasons. Whether it’s the high-scoring games or controversial moments, it has a lot to offer fans. This is naturally true for the sport’s premier competition, the AFL. Many people also love to follow this sport because of the suspense and nail-biting moments it throws up.

  A Thrill Seeker’s Dream

  Many people also love to follow this sport because of the suspense and nail-biting moments it throws in every now and then. This is not surprising for those of us that are adrenaline junkies and love to be entertained in this way. Many people seek out nerve-jangling thrills through avenues such as rollercoaster rides, bungee jumping, skydiving or gambling.

  Online casino games, for example, give a similar feeling of suspense and this is actually something that makes them appealing to players. Megaways games are a case in point and they are a very popular type of game to play online as a result.

  When it comes to Australian rules football, this love of adrenaline-charged thrills is also important and keeps fans coming back to see what will happen in games. Over time, there have been some truly tense moments in the sport. But which have been the five most famous to know about?

  West Coast’s thrilling win in the 2018 Grand Final

  In terms of nerve-racking moments, perhaps the 2018 Grand Final between West Coast Eagles and Collingwood stands out most. Collingwood were hot favourites and seemed to be on course for an easy win after building up a five-goal lead early on.

  Although this seemed impossible to overcome, the Eagles were not out of it and set about producing a thrilling comeback. This not only saw them chip away at Collingwood’s lead throughout the game but they ended up going in front during the final two minutes of the match to clinch an unlikely victory!

  Liberatore’s ghost goal in 1997

  Although most memorable moments in AFL history usually centre around last-minute goals to secure wins, this is not always true. In 1997, the Bulldogs had made it into the preliminary final and seemed to be in full control of the game against Adelaide. A frenetic last quarter saw Adelaide’s Darren Jarman slot in multiple goals, though, to make it closer.

  Following this, Tony Liberatore sent in a kick at goal for the Bulldogs, which seemed to have gone through with no problems. As the Dogs players celebrated, fans endured a stressful wait as the umpires confirmed what had happened. Ultimately, they decided only a point should be awarded and this gave Adelaide the impetus to eventually snatch the match from the Dogs.

  Extra-time thriller in 2017 elimination final

  The most thrilling moment during the 2017 season was surely in the elimination final between West Coast Eagles and Port Adelaide. Although the Eagles built up a decent lead early on, Port Adelaide went after them and took the game into extra time. With just seconds to go in the last period of extra time, the Eagles’ Luke Shuey produced an astounding after-siren goal kick to take the win for his side.

  Close call leaves fans waiting in 2010

  The 2010 AFL Grand Final was a matchup between St Kilda and Collingwood. The game proved to be a tense, tight affair and one that would have left fans nervously wondering how it would pan out. Eventually, the contest ended in a draw and a replay was set to decide the winner.

  This was controversial at the time, as most people would have preferred extra time to decide the outcome. In the end, though, the replay happened and Collingwood won. The draw in the original match was a really unsettling affair for fans and one we will not forget.

  Sydney win by just four points in 2005

  The 2005 Grand Final match between Sydney and the West Coast Eagles was a truly nail-biting moment for AFL fans. This is because Sydney hung on to win by just four points! Whether you were a Sydney fan or desperately hoping the Eagles could claw this back as the clock ticked down, it made for a gripping game.

  This match also saw a memorable moment when Sydney player Leo Barry took a mark in the middle of a mob of Eagles players to stop them from kicking a winning goal. Due to Barry’s actions, his side hung on to their four-point lead for an exciting victory.

  Australian rules football always delivers

  Whether it is goals, tackles or talking points and despite the growing success of soccer in Australia – such as Melbourne City’s recent success – the AFL always delivers. The league has seen some truly enthralling moments down the years for fans to treasure. If you need a reminder about some of the most famous, those discussed here should help.

• “Sort of irks me”: King rubbishes Wilson’s Roos coaching claim
  26 May 2022

  David King has rubbished Caroline Wilson’s claims that he’s been looking to entice West Coast coach Adam Simpson back to Arden Street, stating he does not influence any decisions at the Roos.

  On Wednesday night’s episode of Footy Classified when discussing the declining situation at North Melbourne, Wilson suggested King had been “desperate” to get Simpson to coach North Melbourne “in the past”.

  "I know North Melbourne would be going hell for leather to get him back to their footy club."
  
  Could the Kangaroos chase Adam Simpson?#9FootyClassified | @Channel9 pic.twitter.com/T6cbv5I3Hr

  — Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) May 25, 2022

  “If Adam Simpson, who’s really struggling at West Coast at the moment, has coached them to a flag, but who could be coming to the end of his tenure there, not contractually but things are not going well, he’s a North Melbourne man,” she said.

  “We know David King has been desperate to get him back there in the past.”

  Simpson and the Eagles are currently feeling the full affect of an injury and COVID crisis, languishing on the bottom of the ladder with just one win to their name.

  The Eagles coach played 306 games for North Melbourne and is one of the club’s greats.

  Speaking on SEN’s The Picks on Thursday evening, David King rubbished claims that he has any say over decisions at North Melbourne.

  For the 100th time Caro, do not speak for me. I have no role at NM, never have yet you keep up this fanciful charade that I influence decisions. Enough of the complete drivel. I have not once in my life talked to Adam Simpson about coming to the Kangaroos. Get a new line. https://t.co/bSJUOrmba3

  — David King (@davidking34) May 25, 2022

  “It sort of irks me this line, because it comes out all the time,” the North Melbourne champion began, in reply to Wilson's comments.

  “If the Kangaroos ring and ask me to do something, I’d do it, I’m happy to help.

  “Everything that I have in life, in some way, shape or form has come from my origins at the Kangaroos, so I thank them every day I wake up.

  “So if they ask them you do something, you do it. Do (I) support them? Absolutely I do, but I don’t have a role at the club, I’m not invested to the point Caro (Wilson) thinks I am.

  “So it’s sort of a hard one because it just keeps getting mentioned all the time, Glenn Archer would ring when he was on the board there (and ask a few questions) and just have a chat, have a talk, and then at the end of the call, we might disagree on everything that he’s put up.

  “We disagreed regularly, when they re-signed Brad Scott one time, we disagreed about that, we had a good, old-fashioned, half-hour discussion about it, and in the end, we disagreed and we move on.

  “That’s footy, but I don’t have a bearing on any of the decisions that are made there, I don’t. I don’t have a role, Anthony Stevens is the footy director since Archer vacated that role, that’s his gig.”

  King continued: “So I just get frustrated. I think you’ve got to be separate, if you’re going to be in the media you have to be separate. I’ve heard Caro talk about (Adelaide director) Mark Ricciuto (saying), ‘you can’t hold both roles’, I’ve heard her talk about (Western Bulldogs director) Luke Darcy… So I don’t hold both roles, I have nothing to do with any decisions the Kangaroos make, none at all.

  “I give them as much support as I can, I hope they go well and I hope they go and win a flag someday. But I have nothing to do with it.

  “So it just frustrates me that I keep saying, ‘I don’t’, but I get lumped in like I do.

  “You can’t have it both ways.”

  North Melbourne CEO Ben Amarfio fronted the media on Thursday, and on the topic of Noble, said: “He’s our man”, saying the players and staff are “happy” and “highly engaged”.

  North Melbourne clashes with top-four St Kilda in Round 11, the Roos hopeful of a strong performance after a tough week on media street.

• Brownlow Medallist joins All-Australian panel mid-season
  26 May 2022

  Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy has joined the All-Australian selection panel for the remainder of the season.

  The 1988 Brownlow Medallist agreed to accept the invitation to join the 11-person panel charged with selecting the prestigious team, with Healy sitting on the committee in the past.

  “Yes I am back,” he confirmed on Sportsday.

  “It’s no big deal and I’ve been on it many times, I was asked to do it for one year. I said ‘if you want my help, I’m happy to help simple as that’.

  “I’m back for one year.”

  Healy was named in the All-Australian team on three separate occasions throughout his 211-game career as a player at Sydney and Melbourne, earning the honour in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

  Nathan Buckley and Kane Cornes joined the panel ahead of the 2022 season, replacing Matthew Richardson and Warren Tredrea.

• ROUND 11 INS and OUTS: Axed Crows recalled, Tigers lose stars, Dixon named
  26 May 2022

  The teams have dropped for Round 11!

  Richmond have lost a couple of big names, but it's the opposite news at the Western Bulldogs, with Luke Beveridge's side to be bolstered for their trip to Perth.

  However, they've also lost star wingman Bailey Smith to illness.

  Sydney has named debutant Matthew Roberts for Friday night's clash with the Tigers, while Matthew Nicks has recalled two axed stars for the Crows.

  Check out all the changes below.

  Sydney Swans vs Richmond

  Sydney

  IN: James Rowbottom, Matt Roberts (Debut), Sam Reid

  OUT: Colin O'Riordan (Omitted), James Bell (Omitted), Josh P. Kennedy (Injured), Tom Hickey (Injured)

  Richmond

  IN: Jack Graham, Marlion Pickett

  OUT: Jake Aarts (Omitted), Kane Lambert (Injured), Tom J. Lynch (Injured)

  Brisbane Lions vs GWS Giants

  Brisbane Lions

  IN: Daniel McStay, Deven Robertson, Marcus Adams

  OUT: Hugh McCluggage (Injured), Jack Payne (Omitted), Mitch Robinson (Medi-Sub), Tom Fullarton (Omitted)

  GWS Giants

  IN: Lachie Ash, Lachlan Keeffe

  OUT: Adam Kennedy (Illness), Jake Stein (Medi-Sub), Xavier O'Halloran (Omitted)

  Geelong Cats vs Adelaide Crows

  Geelong Cats

  IN:

  OUT: Patrick Dangerfield (Injured)

  Adelaide Crows

  IN: Jordon Butts, Matt Crouch, Reilly O'Brien, Wayne Milera

  OUT: Chayce Jones (Omitted), Josh Rachele (Managed), Kieran Strachan (Omitted), Lachlan Sholl (Medi-Sub), Taylor Walker (HS Protocol)

  Melbourne vs Fremantle

  Melbourne

  IN: Jack Viney

  OUT: Ed Langdon (Injured), Luke Dunstan (Omitted)

  Fremantle

  IN: Brandon Walker, Darcy Tucker

  OUT: Bailey Banfield (Omitted), Neil Erasmus (Medi-Sub), Sam Switkowski (Suspension)

  West Coast Eagles vs Western Bulldogs

  West Coast Eagles

  IN: Josh J. Kennedy, Sam Petrevski-Seton

  OUT: Hugh Dixon (Omitted), Josh Rotham (Omitted), Patrick Naish (Omitted)

  Western Bulldogs

  IN: Cody Weightman, Taylor Duryea, Tim English

  OUT: Bailey Smith (Illness), Luke Cleary (Omitted), Roarke Smith (Medi-Sub), Zaine Cordy (Omitted)

  Gold Coast Suns vs Hawthorn

  Gold Coast Suns

  IN: Alex Davies, Caleb Graham, Jeremy Sharp

  OUT: Brayden Fiorini (Omitted), Jy Farrar (Injured), Rory Thompson (Injured), Sean Lemmens (HS Protocol)

  Hawthorn

  IN: Connor Macdonald, Jack Scrimshaw

  OUT: Jaeger O'Meara (Injured), Kyle Hartigan (Medi-Sub), Max Lynch (Injured)

  St Kilda vs North Melbourne

  St Kilda

  IN: Dan Butler, Jarrod Lienert, Mitch Owens

  OUT:

  North Melbourne

  IN: Jack Mahony, Jackson Archer (Debut), Jaidyn Stephenson

  OUT:

  Collingwood vs Carlton

  Collingwood

  IN: Caleb Poulter, Reef McInnes, Trey Ruscoe

  OUT:

  Carlton

  IN: Jack Martin, Jack Newnes, Jordan Boyd, Paddy Dow

  OUT: Brodie Kemp (Medi-Sub)

  Port Adelaide vs Essendon

  Port Adelaide

  IN: Charlie Dixon, Jed McEntee, Riley Bonner

  OUT:

  Essendon

  IN: Andrew Phillips, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Brayden Ham, Harrison Jones, Jordan Ridley, Jye Caldwell

  OUT: Mason Redman (Suspension), Matt Guelfi (Injured), Nick Bryan (Omitted)

• “I felt they could reload”: Brereton says Tigers haven’t met his expectations in 2022
  26 May 2022

  Despite Richmond’s four-game winning streak heading into Round 11, the Tigers have fallen below Dermott Brereton’s expectations in 2022.

  Damien Hardwick’s side was Brereton’s early fancy for the 2022 flag, tipping the club for a quick rebound off a sub-par 2021 campaign.

  They’ve seemingly overcome a slow start to begin to demonstrate the form that has them playing similar football to their recent premiership years.

  However, discussing his preseason expectations, Brereton says the 6-4 Tigers aren’t where he thought they’d be.

  “I felt they could reload and I thought that Robbie Tarrant going there would give them some coverage for a big key backman,” the Hawthorn champion told SEN’s The Run Home.

  “He hasn’t had his best season, he’s had an injury-interrupted run at it but he’s been beaten in a few one-on-ones, more than I had seen him beaten in the last couple of years… (he's) still a good player (though).

  “(They) just haven’t come on - because of a few injuries - the way I thought they would this season.

  “I expected them to be 7-3 or 8-2 or something like that even, I thought they might have really charged.

  Brereton continued: “I assumed Shai Bolton would have gone into the middle by now and really taken hold of it and been a premier midfielder, not a premier small forward who pinch hits in the midfield.

  “Unless you’re Melbourne… unless you’re Brisbane… every other team I think will struggle to win more than five in a row given how even the competition is between what I think is third and eight, and then a few of those clubs (just outside the eight).”

  Given his take on how difficult it is to win five games in a row, Brereton isn’t confident in the Tigers in round 11.

  Richmond heads up to the SCG on Friday night to take on the Swans, who are looking for a response having lost three of their last four games.

  The two sides are equal seventh on the AFL ladder with the same record and percentage, and the clash is set to provide a huge insight into what both teams can accomplish in 2022.

  “So four wins in a row for Richmond, the odds are sort of tough against them this weekend,” Brereton continued.

  “That’s not to say they can’t win three out of the next four or something, but I don’t think they’re going to be as big challengers as I thought this season.”

  He refused to rule them out of the flag race, but added he was “really worried” about the side without star forward Tom Lynch.

  Lynch suffered a left hamstring injury in Richmond’s win over Essendon in Round 10 and is expected to miss the next three to four weeks.

• How a “30-minute coffee” with a Brownlow Medallist helped mid-season draft prospect keep improving
  26 May 2022

  WAFL star Bailey Rogers says that a two-week training block with Fremantle earlier this year has made him want an AFL career “even more” as he hopes for a mid-season draft AFL lifeline.

  Rogers, 25, has nominated for Wednesday’s mid-season draft and is one of 25 West Australians to do so.

  The 2021 Sandover Medallist and Claremont star has consistently been overlooked for an AFL list spot, but he still holds out hope he’ll live his dream one day.

  “I still believe there’s time,” he told SEN WA Breakfast.

  “I just turned 25, so I’ve definitely got a couple more years to make that dream come true, it’s been a long time, been pushing for it ever since I started playing footy.

  “There’s been a lot of heartbreak along the way, but I’m still confident I can get there in the end.”

  He’s averaged 22.5 disposals over his four WAFL games this season and kicked three goals in a state game against South Australia earlier this month after being hampered by an achilles injury throughout the pre-season.

  After claiming the WAFL’s best and fairest last year, Rogers received some timely advice from former Eagles midfielder and 2014 Brownlow Medallist Matt Priddis that has stuck with him.

  “I did have a conversation with Matt last year, and that was great, I took out a lot just from a 30-minute coffee with him,” he said.

  “The main message was just to play the highest level of football you can each week, everything else is out of your control.

  “So just aim to be the best you can each week and after last year finished, he said the aim this year is to come back and be a better footballer than you were last year, for your team and personally.

  “That’s something that stuck with me and I’m doing everything I can to do that.”

  Despite the strong start to the season, Rogers had a glimpse into the player he could be after spending time at the Dockers in March.

  It left him thinking “there’s so much upside” to his game.

  “I spent two weeks down there in March, that was great,” Rogers added.

  “I was a little bit injured, I was about 80 per cent so I wasn’t doing much training.

  “But what I learnt was there’s so much upside to my football, the things you can learn at an AFL club, and I was only there for two weeks, is amazing.

  “I can’t thank Fremantle Football Club enough for the opportunity in those two weeks and giving me a taste of AFL footy, AFL life, and now I want it even more.”

  Fremantle and West Coast have one and two spots respectively open on their lists for a mid-season draft pick.

  Melbourne, Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs are the only three clubs who won’t be able to make a selection on Wednesday night.

• 2022 AFL Round 11: Brisbane vs GWS Preview & Betting Tips
  26 May 2022

  The Lions and Giants will kick off the Super Saturday slate in the AFL in Round 11 in what should be an interesting clash. As always, we have you covered with a full preview and betting tips for the game here

  Lions vs Giants Betting Tips
• Who will win and why? The predictions and tips for Round 11
  26 May 2022

  Round 11, the second week of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, has headline matches across all three days.

  The weekend kicks off with an enthralling clash between Sydney and Richmond on Friday night in a game that will provide plenty of insight into where both sides sit in the scheme of the competition.

  That’s followed by Melbourne looking to keep their unbeaten streak alive against the 7-3 Dockers on Saturday, while the biggest game of the week will no doubt be Collingwood and Carlton at the ‘G on Sunday.

  See our tips and predictions for Round 11 below:

  All times AEST

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  Sydney v Richmond

  Friday – 7:50pm – SCG

  Sydney and Richmond meet in a Friday night clash that will shape the top eight come the end of the round.

  The Tigers have come a long way since their last visit to the SCG.

  Damien Hardwick’s job was hanging by a thread following a 113-point loss to the Swans in the final round of 2016.

  Since that horror evening, Hardwick has guided Richmond to three flags and has his side in the mix for another finals campaign in 2022.

  Four consecutive wins over West Coast, Collingwood, Hawthorn and Essendon has the Tigers in eighth spot and just a game outside the top four.

  The seventh-placed Swans should provide a sterner test, although they’ve lost three of their last four games, including two defeats on their home deck.

  In a quirky stat, both clubs share the same 6-4 win-loss record and identical percentages of 120.4.

  Richmond will be without Tom Lynch (hamstring) and Kane Lambert (hip) for the club’s trip to the harbour city, while Jack Graham could return from a toe injury. Marlion Pickett is available after serving his one-match ban.

  Sydney is at close to full strength with only Josh Kennedy (hamstring) and Harry Cunningham (abdominal tendon) currently on the sidelines.

  The Tigers enter the Round 11 match in better form as they gun for a fifth straight win.

  Tip: Richmond by 12 points.

  *Alex Zaia *

  Brisbane v GWS

  Saturday – 1:45pm – Gabba

  Brisbane hosts GWS at the Gabba on Saturday afternoon and will be looking to bounce back after last week’s surprising loss to Hawthorn.

  When these two teams met last year, the Lions won comfortably by 10 goals without Lachie Neale.

  A lot will fall on Eric Hipwood’s shoulders to bring the ball to ground and not allow the Giants’ elite intercept markers to pick them off and slingshot the other way.

  GWS need their backline to dominate and their midfield to hold up if they’re going to have any chance of kicking a winning score.

  The Lions are the number one scoring team in the competition by a fair margin, while the Giants rank in the bottom six and struggle to hit the scoreboard.

  We are still learning how GWS wants to play in the Mark McVeigh era and it’s hard to see them overcoming Brisbane at the Gabba given what we’ve seen from them this season.

  Tip: Brisbane by 45 points.

  Nic Negrepontis

  Geelong v Adelaide

  Saturday – 1:45pm – GMHBA Stadium

  Geelong hosts the Adelaide Crows on Saturday afternoon down the highway at GMHBA Stadium.

  The Cats record over the Crows is strong, winning three of their last four clashes by an average of 27 points.

  Having lost four on the trot, Adelaide will have their work cut out for them against a well-oiled Geelong side at a ground they haven’t won at in their last 11 attempts.

  Geelong’s forward trio in Tom Hawkins, Jeremy Cameron and Gary Rohan will be a genuine headache for a Crows backline that lacks tall defenders. Max King, Charlie Curnow and Toby Greene are a prime example of this – with the trio kicking 16 goals between them in recent weeks.

  Adelaide will be without star forward Taylor Walker, a monumental blow for a side that is so reliant on their former skipper - in Walker’s absence, expect Geelong defender Tom Stewart to have his way.

  You can’t question Adelaide’s effort this year, meaning it shouldn’t be a complete shellacking – but Geelong should be too good.

  Tip: Geelong by 48 points.

  Hugh Fitzpatrick

  Melbourne v Fremantle

  Saturday – 4:35pm – MCG

  Melbourne is set to face their stiffest challenge of their year so far when taking on Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday evening.

  The reigning premiers haven’t lost this sean and arguably haven’t been seriously challenged once, their narrowest win coming by ten points courtesy of a late Hawthorn fightback in Round 7.

  However, their wins have only come against two top-eight teams, with just one of those a top-four opponent.

  For a fair part of 2022, Fremantle were one of only a handful of teams that could have challenged Melbourne. Their defence was rock solid and Justin Longmuir’s troops smashed their opposition on turnover, but that hasn’t been the case in losses to Gold Coast and Collingwood in recent weeks.

  Despite the games being played in the wet, the Dockers scoring capabilities have gone out the window to total just 77 points across the last two games.

  Factor in Melbourne’s excellent defence that has by far conceded the least points of all clubs, and Fremantle have to find a way to get their attacking flair back if they're any chance.

  They may be aided by the weather. Two days out from the clash there’s just a 30 per cent chance of rain in Melbourne, and when the weather is dry the Dockers have a 7-1 record this year.

  However, the Demons are yet to hit their straps in 2022. Round 11 could be the test they need to get them up and about for the rest of the year, and they’ll enter the game as strong favourites.

  Tip: Melbourne by 18 points.

  Seb Mottram

  West Coast v Western Bulldogs

  Saturday – 7:30pm – Optus Stadium

  The Bulldogs head to Perth to take on the embattled Eagles on the back of a hard-fought win over the Suns in Ballarat.

  THe Round 8 loss to Port Adelaide aside, Luke Beveridge has the Dogs humming in recent times in terms of their attack.

  They’ve scored 103, 99 and 106 in their three recent wins and meet the competition’s leakiest defence here.

  It does’t get any easier here for Adam Simpson’s West Coast side and although they showed some signs of life by scoring their second biggest total of the year last week, they were still beaten by the Giants by 52 points.

  There’s not a lot of analysis that is required for this match-up with the Dogs hot favourites to win comfortably.

  They touched up the Eagles at Optus last season and the same thing should happen again this Saturday night.

  Tip: Bulldogs by 55 points.

  Andrew Slevison

  Gold Coast v Hawthorn

  Saturday – 7:40pm – TIO Stadium

  Gold Coast hosts Hawthorn in what looms as a very intriguing clash between two sides sneakily still in the finals hunt.

  Coming into the round, the pair were two games outside the top eight in 12th and 13th respectively, but both have percentages in the 90s and have shocked top eight teams this year.

  The Suns won comfortably when these two sides met last year at the SCG, and this clash is also being played on neutral territory up at TIO Stadium in Darwin.

  Before 2021 however, Hawthorn claimed the previous three encounters, dating back to 2017.

  Jarrod Witts will look to dominate the Hawks’ depleted ruck stocks and give Touk Miller, Noah Anderson and the Suns midfield the upper hand.

  Hawthorn put in their best performance of the season last weekend against Brisbane, putting 117 points past what many believe are the second best team in the AFL.

  One thing to watch is the Hawks coming into this Darwin game off a Tasmanian road trip, while Gold Coast is coming off facing the Bulldogs in Ballarat. Could there be some additional fatigue in these teams?

  Expect a tight tussle in classic Darwin conditions, but the Hawks have proven more reliable this season.

  Tip: Hawthorn by 10 points.

  Nic Negrepontis

  St Kilda v North Melbourne

  Sunday – 1:10pm – Marvel Stadium

  St Kilda and North Melbourne’s seasons are going in completely opposite directions.

  The Saints improved to 7-3 after a hard-fought 21-point win on the road against Adelaide last week.

  Max King had a night out in front of goal, kicking an equal career-high six goals without blemish, as the Saints’ accuracy in front of goal proved the difference.

  Sunday’s match against the lowly Kangaroos presents a golden opportunity for St Kilda to move to 8-3 at the bye and keep them in touch with the top four.

  North Melbourne were competitive for three quarters before eventually going down to Melbourne by 47 points last time out.

  The Roos got to within six points of the Demons in the third term, but were overrun in the final quarter to fall to their ninth defeat of the season.

  Sitting 17th on the ladder, North is on an eight-game losing streak, but have enjoyed recent success against the Saints.

  North Melbourne has won four of their last meetings with St Kilda, but did lose last year’s encounter by 20 points at Marvel Stadium.

  With some tough matches to come in the second half of the year, the Saints will look to bank another win to further entrench their spot in the eight.

  Tip: St Kilda by 25 points.

  Alex Zaia

  Collingwood v Carlton

  Sunday – 3:20pm – MCG

  There could be some new spice thrown into the mix when hostilities resume between the old enemies at the MCG on Sunday.

  The significance of the rivalry has been questioned in recent years, largely due to the fact that both Collingwood and Carlton have rarely been at the top of their respective games at the same time.

  But to the sprawling faithful of both the Magpies and Blues, this is certainly still important, and in 2022 it could yet be the best clash we’ve seen in some time.

  The Blues are up and about, sitting a game clear in third position prior to round 11, while the Pies find themselves a game out of the eight. It is a situation that sets this up to be a cracker.

  Carlton broke a five-game losing streak against Collingwood last year, and with that mini hoodoo broken, plus a brutal game style under Michael Voss, will be confident ahead of this fixture.

  Craig McRae has the Pies in better shape than most would have forecast prior to the season commencing, and he will have them prepared for this.

  While the Blues let Sydney back in last week, the way they played in the first half was scintillating, and if they are in that mood again then they will simply be too much for Collingwood to handle.

  Tip: Carlton by 22 points.

  Andrew Slevison

  Port Adelaide v Essendon

  Sunday – 4:40pm – Adelaide Oval

  Both Port Adelaide and Essendon will be desperate to pick up a win in this encounter after both sides fell disappointingly last round.

  For the Power, their loss to Geelong snapped a four-game winning streak, while Essendon is now a torrid 2-8 through 10 games.

  While they’ve had a poor start to 2022, recent history suggests Essendon’s in for more strife in this clash, with the Power winning the last three games head-to-head – all by more than 50 points.

  In those games, Port Adelaide has dominated clearances and they’ll be hoping to get on top in the middle again.

  For the Bombers, their two wins in 2022 have come off the back of increased pressure and an ability to be daring with ball in hand, areas of their game that have let them down in recent weeks.

  While both sides sit outside of the eight and off the pace, it’s simply too hard to find many reasons to pick Essendon at the moment and that remains true here, particularly with their season just about over.

  For the Power, a big win at home could do wonders as they’d go to 5-6 overall and 5-1 from their last six games, genuinely breathing life into their September hopes.

  Tip: Port Adelaide by 29 points.

  Lachlan Geleit

• SEN's Footy Golf | Your team's Round 10 performance analysed
  26 May 2022

  Footy Golf is back!

  Paying homage to the concept created by legendary Australian Football player, coach and expert Terry Wallace, the SEN.com.au team will be reviving Footy Golf in 2022.

  Footy Golf aims to weigh performance versus expectation, with your team’s efforts on the weekend distilled to an appropriate golf score.

  For example, if a bottom four team beats a top four team, the bottom four team will likely receive a ‘birdie’ or an ‘eagle’, while the top four team picks up a ‘double or triple bogey’.

  If the top four team wins, they get a ‘par’, while the bottom four team’s result likely depends on how much fight they put up.

  Following Round 10, here are our scores for each team:

  LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND 10

  ROUND 10 SCORES

  Carlton: Birdie
  Sydney: Bogey

  The Blues were superb for a half and it led to a fairly significant win. One under par for their efforts. The Swans were blown away early and fought back late, but were beaten for the third time in four weeks.

  Geelong: Birdie
  Port Adelaide: Bogey

  The Cats were coming off a second loss in two weeks and eventually did away with the Power after a competitive beginning. Some forecast that Port would potentially nick that game from the Cats, but they came up well short.

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  Western Bulldogs: Par
  Gold Coast: Par

  The Dogs got the job done as many expected they would, which was par for the course. The Suns huffed and puffed, but could not quite pull it off in a result that was widely anticipated.

  North Melbourne: Par
  Melbourne: Par

  Sadly for North, a 47-point loss is actually not a bad result. They hung around and made their presence felt, but were no match for the Demons. A par for both sides suffices.

  Adelaide: Par
  St Kilda: Par

  The Crows were plucky and made life hard for the Saints. They dominated large portions of the match but inaccuracy cruelled them. The Saints got the win they travelled to Adelaide for, even if it was ugly.

  Richmond: Par
  Essendon: Par

  The Tigers were tipped to win by most pundits. They played ok and duly saluted comfortably in the end. The Bombers were challenged in the lead up and at least made themselves known on the night, with a fiercer attack on the contest, but simply lacked the quality to keep up.

  GWS Giants: Par
  West Coast: Par

  The Giants won by 52 points, comfortably kicking their highest score for the year, but they did concede points as well. It was the second biggest score of the season for the Eagles, aside from their sole win. The losing margin is one that is now expected for them.

  Hawthorn: Eagle
  Brisbane: Bogey

  The Hawks pulled off one of the best wins of the season, scoring 18 goals against a legitimate top-four team. It was a very good performance. The Lions were expected to win, but failed to do so.

  Fremantle: Bogey
  Collingwood: Birdie

  The Dockers lost a second straight game to an opponent they were expected to beat, both have been in the wet. The Magpies came to Perth with few giving them a winning chance given Freo were sitting inside the four.