Round 8 of the AFL season was always going to be an entertaining one, with numerous clashes between top of the table teams, a Showdown, a Battle of the Bridge and a QClash. And while none of those derbies were particularly exciting games, the round overall certainly didn’t disappoint, with four games decided by single figure margins including an enthralling Friday night clash between the Magpies and Blues in front of nearly 90,000 fans at the MCG. This week kicks off with another big game at the home of football between the Blues and Demons, while other big games include the Cats vs Power on Friday night, and Crows vs Lions on Sunday afternoon. Take a look at our previews for all nine games set to take place over the course of the weekend below.
AFL 2024 Round 9
Carlton Blues vs Melbourne Demons
The AFL generally looks to make Thursday night clashes good ones, and this week is no exception. Both the Blues and the Demons are among this year’s Premiership favourites for good reason, though they have had contrasting fortunes over the past fortnight. The Blues have lost two on the trot during what has been a really tough three-week period, following up an impressive win over the Giants with tight losses to first the Cats and then the Magpies. But they were hardly disgraced in either of them, and last Friday’s six-point defeat at the hands of their arch rivals was a high-quality game that could easily have gone either way. The Demons, meanwhile, have bounced back well from a disappointing loss to the Lions with a couple of solid wins, first accounting for the Tigers in a grisly affair before last week, they handed the Cats their first loss of the season. They were the forgotten team in a way in the lead up to the season after consecutive straight set exits in the last two finals series, but they have finished in the top four for the past three years for a reason and should be right in the mix to do so again this year. The Blues are, at long last, a genuine Premiership contender, but the Demons are proving typically difficult to play against at the moment. This will be a high quality game, with both of these teams’ midfields among the best in the league and the battle between the Demons’ elite backline, and the Blues’ forward duo of Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, likely to make for compelling viewing. But as talented as the Blues are, the Demons are the more complete outfit and are in winning form. They can notch up a third consecutive win in a close game to start Round 9.
Predicted Squads
Carlton Blues: B: J. Boyd, Le.Young, L.Cowan HB: A.Cincotta, J.Weitering, N.Newman C: D.Cuningham, P.Cripps - C, B.Acres HF: M.Cottrell, H.McKay, E.Hollands F: M.Owies, C.Curnow, T.De Koning FOLL: M.Pittonet, S.Walsh, G.Hewett I/C: J. Binns, M.Kennedy, O.Fantasia, C.Durdin, A.Cerra EMG: B.Kemp, O.Hollands, J.Carroll
Melbourne Demons:
B: B.Howes, S.May, J.Lever HB: J.McVee, T.McDonald, T.Sparrow C: A.Neal-Bullen, C.Petracca, C.Windsor HF: J.Billings, B.Fritsch, K.Chandler F: K.Pickett, J.van Rooyen, D.Turner FOLL: M.Gawn - C, J.Viney, C.Oliver I/C: E.Langdon, B.Laurie, T.Rivers, H.Petty, T.Woewodin EMG: L.Hunter, M.Hore, B.Brown
Geelong Cats vs Port Adelaide Power
t long last, the Cats have suffered a loss, meaning there are no longer any undefeated teams left in the AFL. It was bound to happen at some point, and Geelong were far from disgraced when going down by eight points the Demons in a scrappy, contested game between two very good teams. The Power ostensibly suffered the same result, but their defeat was a lot more disappointing than that of the Cats. After an average couple of weeks which saw them belted by the Magpies and then just get over the line at home against the Saints, they put in a really poor showing in the Showdown. Admittedly the game would have been much closer than the five-goal difference at which it ended had they kicked remotely accurately, but they didn’t and the 78-48 loss was compounded by a hamstring injury to captain Connor Rozee after he was controversially selected to play after seemingly hurting it the week prior – a decision coach Ken Hinkley himself took responsibility for. The Power are a capable team but haven’t shown they have what it takes against the best of the best so far this year, a category which the Cats very much seem to be a part of. Particularly with Rozee set to miss, and with Port typically not playing all that well in Melbourne, the Cats should be able to bounce back from last week’s defeat with a solid win.
Predicted Squads
Geelong Cats: B: J.Henry, S.De Koning, J.Kolodjashnij HB: Z.Guthrie, T.Stewart - C, M.Holmes C: Z.Tuohy, T.Atkins, M.Blicavs HF: B.Close, J.Cameron, G.Miers F: T.Stengle, T.Hawkins, O.Henry FOLL: R.Stanley, C.Guthrie, T.Bruhn I/C: O.Dempsey, M.Duncan, J.Bowes, G.Rohan, J.Clark EMG: M.O’Connor, B.Parfitt, S.Neale
Port Adelaide Power: B: K.Farrell, B.Zerk-Thatcher, D.Williams HB: J. Sinn, E.Ratugolea, D.Houston C: M.Bergman, O.Wines, W.Drew HF: D.Byrne-Jones, T.Marshall, D. Visentini F: T.Boak, C.Dixon, W.Rioli FOLL: J.Sweet, J.Horne-Francis, Z.Butters I/C: J.McEntee, J.Burgoyne, R.Burton, J. Finlayson, J.Mead EMG: R. Burton, F.Evans, T. Clurey
Fremantle Dockers vs Sydney Swans
After knocking off the Giants by five goals in the Battle of the Bridge last weekend, the Swans have established themselves as shared Premiership favourites alongside the Cats, but they won’t have things all their own way in the second Friday night game of the week. Fremantle might not be the most exciting team to watch in the league, but they haven’t really been convincingly beaten by anyone this year with the exception, bizarrely, of West Coast. Their two losses prior to that both came when they led in the final few minutes, and since those three consecutive defeats they have bounced back with solid wins over first the Bulldogs and then the Tigers. Last week’s win over Richmond was nothing to write home about – it was a listless Sunday afternoon affair, but they were clearly the better team for the bulk of the game and the 54-point margin at the final siren was reflective of that. This will be an excellent test for Justin Longmuir’s chargers, with the Swans having lost just a single game all year – oddly enough, to the Tigers – and four consecutive wins in the past month all coming by pretty significant margins. This will be an intriguing affair between the highest scoring team in the league so far this year in the Swans, and a team that locks its opposition down as well as anyone else. The Swans certainly won’t score with the ease that they have in recent weeks at Optus Stadium this weekend, but the question will be whether the Dockers themselves can generate enough offence to kick a winning score. This should be a high quality game that, unfortunately, not all that many people will probably watch due to the scheduling of two Friday night games, and in a tight game the Swans might just have too much midfield firepower for the home side.
Predicted Squads
Fremantle Dockers: B: J.Aish, A.Pearce - C, J.Draper HB: H.Chapman, L.Ryan, J.Clark C: J.O’Meara, A.Brayshaw, H.Young HF: J.Sharp, J.Treacy, M.Frederick F: M.Walters, J.Amiss, L.Jackson FOLL: S.Darcy, C.Serong, N.Fyfe I/C: T.Emmett, M.Johnson, B.Banfield, B.Walker, C.Simpson EMG: N.Erasmus, P.Voss, E.Hughes
Sydney Swans: B: J. Lloyd, D.Rampe - C, L.Melican HB: H.Cunningham, O.Florent, N.Blakey C: E.Gulden, Ch.Warner, J.McInerney HF: J.Jordon, L.McDonald, T.Adams F: T.Papley, H.McLean, W.Hayward FOLL: B.Grundy, I.Heeney, J.Rowbottom I/C: M.Roberts, L. Parker, J.Amartey, S.Wicks, R.Fox EMG: A. Sheldrick, P.Ladhams, B.Campbell
Hawthorn Hawks vs St. Kilda Saints
The Hawks are finally beginning to show something in 2024, following up their first win of the year three weeks ago against the Kangaroos with another victory, this time over the Bulldogs, last Sunday night. Granted there was a shellacking at the hands of the Swans sandwiched in the middle, but after losing their opening five games of the season, two wins in the last three weeks is something they can hang their hat on. They are in with a chance of making it three from four this weekend at a ground which has historically been a happy hunting one for them, with the University of Tasmania Stadium down in Launceston remaining a second home for them for the time being – though obviously not for much longer with the Devils coming into the league in a few years. The team they will welcome down there is coming off a solid win last weekend which broke a three-game losing streak, but a 38-point win over the Kangaroos is nothing to get too excited about. The Saints looked lethargic early in that game but took over partway through the first quarter and dominated thereafter, and with a couple of their losses in the three weeks previous being pretty competitive against good team, their form probably isn’t bad as it looks. But as has been the case for a long time, they are struggling to separate themselves from the middle of the pack. They have finally begun to develop a list which has a little bit of run and carry ability, rather than the workmanlike team which has for so long hung around the mid-section of the ladder, but they’re still far from world beaters. This is a real danger game for the Saints, and at good odds it would be no great surprise to see the Hawks notch up their second consecutive win.
Predicted Squads
Hawthorn Hawks: B: J.Impey, S.Frost, J.Weddle HB: J.Scrimshaw, J.Sicily - C, B.Hardwick C: C.Nash, D.Moore, K.Amon HF: J.Worpel, J.Newcombe, H.Morrison F: J.Gunston, C.Macdonald, J.Ginnivan FOLL: L.Meek, C.Mackenzie, W.Day I/C: C. Jiath, F.Maginness, M.D’Ambrosio, J.Ward, C.Dear EMG: E.Phillips, S.Mitchell, M.Ramsden
St. Kilda Saints: B: J.Battle, D.Howard, C.Wilkie HB: J.Webster, J.Sinclair, N.Wanganeen-Milera C: L. Ryan, S.Ross, M.Wood HF: D.Wilson, B.Hill, M.Phillipou F: M.Owens, M.King, J.Hayes FOLL: R.Marshall, J.Steele - C, M.Windhager I/C: R.Byrnes, L.Stocker, T.Membrey, R.Bonner, H.Garcia EMG: L.Collard, A. Hastie, T.Campbell
Essendon Bombers vs GWS Giants
The Bombers have long been a team mired in mediocrity, and they still aren’t getting a whole lot of press this season, but nine weeks into the season they find themselves in fifth spot on the AFL ladder and haven’t lost a game in over a month. Admittedly, however, that’s probably not really reflective of where they are at. A percentage of just 95.2% despite a 5-2-1 record is better than only four other teams in the league, and while they have had a couple of good performances in that past month – most notably a big win over the Dogs and their ANZAC Day draw against the reigning Premiers – last week’s win wasn’t really one to write home about, coming by just six points against the Eagles – though maybe beating the Eagles is a bit more of an achievement this year than we’re used to. Still, it’s safe to say they are a fair way behind the Giants, and Essendon will need to put a much better foot forward this Saturday if they are to notch up a sixth win of the season. The Giants have had a topsy turvy last three weeks after a scintillating start to the season, losing their first game of the year to the Blues, pummelling the Lions the week after and then going down by five goals to the Swans last weekend. That Battle of the Bridge, however, looked very much like a game between two contenders for the most part, before Sydney raced away with it in the final quarter. They might have lost two of their past three games, but the Giants are still one of the best teams in the league, and will likely hand the Bombers their first loss in a few weeks on Saturday afternoon.
Predicted Squads
Essendon Bombers: B: D.Heppell, B.McKay, J.Laverde HB: N.Martin, M.Redman, A.McGrath C: X.Duursma, D.Parish, J.Kelly HF: S.Durham, K.Langford, S. Draper F: H.Jones, P.Wright, A.Perkins FOLL: T.Goldstein, J.Caldwell, Z.Merrett - C I/C: B.Hobbs, J.Gresham, N.Cox, J.Stringer, M.Guelfi EMG: E.Tsatas, S.Weideman, N.Hind
GWS Giants: B: H.Himmelberg, S.Taylor, H.Perryman HB: L.Whitfield, J.Buckley, L.Ash C: J.Wehr, J.Kelly, F.Callaghan HF: H.Thomas, A.Cadman, T.Bedford F: T.Greene - C, J.Hogan, C. Stone FOLL: K.Briggs, C.Ward, S. Coniglio I/C: D.Jones, J.Peatling, C.Idun, J.Riccardi, B.Daniels EMG: N.Haynes, M.Gruzewski, X.O’Halloran
Richmond Tigers vs Western Bulldogs
The Tigers did well early in the season to weather the injury storm which has engulfed the club, but the wheels appear to gradually be falling off in Adem Yze’s first season as head coach. They’ve lost four games in a row since surprisingly knocking off the Swans, and each of those defeats has been progressively more dispiriting. Sunday’s effort against the Dockers was their worst for the year; after kicking the first goal of the game they didn’t really look like scoring another for the rest of the first half. Granted they have plenty of young players running around out there, but the performances of a couple of their senior core were disappointing to say the least. But there is at least some respite on the way, with Noah Balta set to make a desperately needed return to a forward line which is seriously lacking a target, and Dion Prestia a chance to bolster their midfield group. If they perform like they did last weekend they’d hardly beat the Kangaroos, but at the same time it’s hard to completely rule them out of this one given the Bulldogs’ inability to play at any sort of consistent level from week to week. They were dreadful against the Hawks, losing by seven points after kicking the first three goals of the game in three minutes, and after that performance Luke Beveridge might be the most under pressure coach in the game at the moment. A loss to the Tigers would only amplify that pressure, and would very possible put his head squarely on the chopping block. They will have a lot more talent out there than the Tigers and should be able to get the job done, but they are a mighty hard team to trust. They could win this game by ten goals or lose it, but I’m setting somewhere in the middle and backing them to win by 20 or 30 points.
| Bookmaker | James’ Tip | Odds |
 | Bulldogs to win | $1.39 |
 | Bulldogs 1-39 | $2.20 |
 | Jamarra Ugle-Hagan first goal scorer | $9.00 |
Predicted Squads
Richmond Tigers: B: B: B.Miller, N.Broad, D.Grimes HB: N.Vlastuin, T.Brown, D.Rioli C: H.Ralphsmith, D. Prestia, S.Banks HF: S.Campbell, N. Balta, M.Rioli F: S.Bolton, D.Martin, M.Lefau FOLL: T.Nankervis - C, L.Baker, T.Dow I/C: J.Short, T.Young, T.Sonsie, R. Mansell, M. Pickett EMG: S.Green, K. McIntosh, K.McAuliffe
Western Bulldogs: B: E.Richards, L.Jones, B.Dale HB: T.Duryea, B.Khamis, J.Johannisen C: B.Williams, A.Treloar, J.Harmes HF: L.Vandermeer, A.Naughton, R.Garcia F: S.Darcy, J.Ugle-Hagan, L.Bramble FOLL: T.English, M.Bontempelli - C, J. Macrae I/C: H.Gallagher, J.O’Donnell, R. Sanders, C.Clarke, O.Baker EMG: R.Lobb, C.Daniel, C.Poulter
Gold Coast Suns vs North Melbourne Kangaroos
The Suns have been trading wins and losses for a few weeks now, and that looks exceedingly likely to continue this weekend when they take on the hapless Kangaroos at TIO Stadium up in Darwin. Not only have they been trading wins and losses but they’ve been doing each of them in convincing style; in the past five weeks they haven’t been involved in a game decided by less than 28 points. That was five weeks ago against the Giants, and since then they’ve beaten the Hawks by 53 points, lost to the Swans by 53 points, beaten the Eagles by 37 points and then last week lost to the Lions by 34 points. As they have from their last couple of heavy defeats, they should be able to respond this weekend with a big win. North Melbourne were finally a little bit more competitive last week than they have been for some time prior, but the bar is pretty low; ‘competitive’, in this case, refers to a 38-point loss against the Saints in which, after a strong start, they were comprehensively outplayed. Typically games in Darwin are relatively contested due to the dewy conditions which invariably come with them, and for a young Kangaroos team against one of the better contested ball teams in the league, that could spell trouble. Hopefully they can find a way to keep this margin to a reasonable number, but this should be a pretty hefty win for the Suns after a disappointing performance against the Lions last Sunday.
Predicted Squads
Gold Coast Suns: B: S.Collins, C.Ballard, J.Lukosius HB: W.Powell, S.Flanders, M.Andrew C: B.Fiorini, T.Miller, S.Clohesy HF: J.Rogers, M.Rowell, T.Berry F: J.Walter, B.King, B.Ainsworth FOLL: J.Witts - C, N.Anderson, W.Graham I/C: R.Atkins, N.Holman, A. Sexton, D.Swallow, J. Jeffrey EMG: E. Read, S.Day, B. Long
North Melbourne Kangaroos: B: C.Comben, A.Corr, L.McDonald - C HB: R.Hardeman, H.Sheezel, B.Scott C: D.Tucker, L.Davies-Uniacke, C.McKercher HF: Z.Duursma, T.Powell, Z.Fisher F: P.Curtis, N.Larkey, C.Zurhaar FOLL: T.Xerri, G.Wardlaw, J.Simpkin I/C: L.Shiels, B.Drury, J.Archer, H. Greenwood, C. Lazzarro EMG: T. Pink, J. Stephenson, W.Phillips
Collingwood Magpies vs West Coast Eagles
Sunday’s action kicks off with a clash between last year’s Premiers and Wooden Spooners, though fortunately for the Eagles, the gap between the two appears to have closed this year. That’s more to do with them than the Pies; Collingwood didn ‘t have the ideal start to the season but contrary to some of the alarmist commentary which surrounded them after that start, they are still a very, very good side and have shown as much with six weeks passing since their past defeat. The Eagles, however, with every passing week are demonstrating that they are at long last on the improve. In their past five games they have now beaten the Tigers and the Dockers, been competitive against the Swans and last week took the Bombers to within a goal. Harley Reid is every bit as good as advertised, Jake Waterman is suddenly playing like Tony Lockett, and a couple of their remaining Premiership heroes – most notably Elliot Yeo – have wound back the clock through the first couple of months of the season. Unfortunately, Yeo has suffered yet another soft tissue injury and will likely miss this game and perhaps another, while Waterman will also miss through concussion, though that won’t exactly be a determining factor in this game. Improved though the Eagles might be, they aren’t getting near the Magpies just yet, particularly in Melbourne. After a strong few weeks for them, they might be in for another of the ten-goal losses which were so common last year.
Predicted Squads
Collingwood Magpies: B: B.Maynard, O.Markov, B.Frampton HB: J.Howe, N.Daicos, D.Moore - C C: S.Sidebottom, S.Pendlebury, J.Daicos HF: H.Harrison, J.Noble, J. Bytel F: F. Macrae, J.Elliott, M.Cox FOLL: D.Cameron, J.Crisp, P. Lipinski I/C: R. McInnes, I.Quaynor, B.Hill, W.Hoskin-Elliott, L.Sullivan EMG: J. Richards, N. Kreuger, C.Dean
West Coast Eagles: B: A.Witherden, T.Barrass, J.Rotham HB: L.Duggan - C, J.McGovern, B.Hough C: R.Ginbey, D. Sheed, L.Edwards HF: C.Chesser, L. Ryan, J.Cripps F: N.Long, J.Darling, J.Petruccelle FOLL: B.Williams, T.Kelly, H.Reid I/C: L. Ryan, T.Cole, J.Williams, A. Gaff, H.Johnston EMG: Z. Trew, H.Edwards, J. Culley
Adelaide Crows vs Brisbane Lions
After a really poor start to the season, the Crows are finally beginning to kick into gear. They’ve now won three of their last four games with the only loss by just three points, and their latest win saw them pound their cross-town rivals in the Power 78-48. It is worth noting that they kicked 12.6 to their opposition’s 5.18 in that game, so the result could easily have been different, but nonetheless they are beginning to play with the kind of flair they so often displayed last year. This weekend will be a big test, with the last game of the round also one of the most intriguing. While the Crows are improving, the Lions still haven’t quite found their feet in 2024, but a really comfortable win over the Suns last weekend was certainly a step in the right direction following two consecutive losses. Unfortunately, that win came at a cost, with Darcy Gardiner and Lincoln McCarthy both suffering likely ACL ruptures, making it five members of their best 22 currently sidelined with that season-long injury. That is hard to come back from, but despite those injuries the Lions were four points away from a Premiership last year and still have plenty of talent running around. On their home turf the Crows will be expecting to win this game, but this looks much more like an even money match up. With Adelaide being given pretty comfortable favouritism, the Lions look like the value pick here and can wrap up Round 9 with an upset win.
Predicted Squads
Adelaide Crows: B: D.Curtin, J.Butts, B.Smith HB: J.Worrell, M.Keane, M.Michalanney C: M.Hinge, J.Soligo, J.Dawson – C HF: L.Sholl, T.Walker, J.Rachele F: E.Himmelberg, D.Fogarty, I.Rankine FOLL: R.O’Brien, R.Laird, B.Keays I/C: L.Nankervis, B.Cook, C.Jones, M.Crouch, N.McHenry EMG: S.Berry, L.Gollant, L.Murphy
Brisbane Lions : B: C.McKenna, J.Payne, R.Lester HB: D.Wilmot, H.Andrews - C, J. Prior C: J.Fletcher, C.Rayner, J.Berry HF: C.Cameron, E.Hipwood, H.McCluggage F: B. Ryan, J.Daniher, D.Zorko FOLL: O.McInerney, J.Dunkley, L.Neale I/C: K.Lohmann, H.Sharp, B.Reville, J. Lyons, L. Morris EMG: J. Tunstill, D.Fort, D. Joyce
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