Western Bulldogs V Geelong: Etihad Stadium Friday 7.50pm
At the start of the year few experts would have predicted that the Western Bulldogs and Geelong would share the same win-loss record (4-4) after eight rounds.
After a shaky start to the year, the Bulldogs have won four of their past five matches and head into tonight’s clash full of confidence.
The turnaround in the Dogs’ year has coincided with the return to form of full-back Brian Lake.
Lake endured a nightmare 2011 season that included a stint for the club’s VFL-affiliate Williamstown before culminating in hip, knee and minor surgery in the offseason.
However, the two-time All Australian defender has made an impressive comeback in 2012.
Lake has averaged 20 disposals and eight marks; numbers similar to the 30-year old’s 2010 All Australian season (20 disposals, 10 marks).
Geelong comes into the game after consecutive defeats to Adelaide and Collingwood.
Despite the reigning premiers sitting at a precarious 10th spot on the ladder, coach Chris Scott is adamant his side is being groomed to perform at the pointy end of the year.
However, the Cats need wins with the race for a top-eight position in 2012 shaping to be among the tightest in recent memory.
The Bulldogs have named Adam Cooney for tonight’s clash after the Brownlow medallist missed the past fortnight with knee soreness.
The Cats have also recieved their own boost with six-time All Australian defender Matthew Scarlett set to return.
Geelong has had a stranglehold on the Bulldogs in recent years, winning seven of the past eight games between these two clubs.
Prediction: Form says one things, the head says another. Cats by 20 points.
Richmond V Hawthorn: MCG Saturday 1.45pm
Three straight wins has Hawthorn’s season back on track and in the top eight.
One of the shining lights for the Hawks this year has been the return of Jarryd Roughead.
The Hawks forward has kicked 13 goals and averaged 17 disposals since returning from the achilles injury that cut short his 2011 season.
Tiger fans will have another reason to be nervous tomorrow afternoon given the impressive record superstar Lance Franklin has against their club.
Franklin has averaged eight shots on goals in his past six games against the Tigers.
Richmond again showed plenty of fight but failed to convert its potential into four points against the Bombers.
Brett Deledio (35 disposals, 10 tackles, 5 clearances) had arguably the best game of his career however the form of full-forward Jack Riewoldt continues to frustrate the Tiger army.
Riewoldt has managed just 17 goals for the year and currently sits outside the top 10 goal kickers in the competition.
However last year the 2010 Coleman medalist sat at 33 goals after 8 rounds.
The Tiger army will be looking for its spearhead to lift if it is to belt out another stirring rendition of that famous song.
Coach Damien Hardwick has dropped forward Brad Miller for the clash with the Hawks as Tyrone Vickery returns after overcoming a calf injury.
Prediction: This has another honourable loss writen all over it. Hawks by 16-points.
Gold Coast V Port Adelaide: Metricon Stadium Saturday 2.10pm
This week the Gold Coast will have the opportunity to snap a ten game losing streak, and record its first ever win at home.
Last week the Suns were good for a half, then atrotious for another.
Leading by three points at half time, Guy McKenna’s side wiltered in the Darwin heat to manage just two goals and one behind after half time.
Such fadeouts have become an all too common occurrence for the Suns, who are yet to win a second half this year.
In total Gold Coast has been outscored by 41 goals after half time in season 2012.
Port Adelaide managed to keep the wolves at bay for at least another week with an inspired comeback against North Melbourne.
Down by 32 points with less than 10 minutes to play the Power came storming home to record a memorable two-point victory.
The return of Jay Schulz to the line-up was a huge boost for Matthew Primus’ side, as the former Tiger booted seven straight goals in a starring role.
Schulz has been a revelation for Port Adelaide, kicking 18 goals in six games this season.
Last year the 27-year old managed just 31 goals for the year.
The Power will be looking to atone for last season’s humiliation when Justin Westhoff’s miss after the siren handed the Suns an historic first ever win.
Prediction: Gold Coast have to win sooner or later… surely. Suns by 7-points.
St Kilda V Sydney: Etihad Stadium Saturday 4.40pm
In a rematch of last year’s elimination final these two side’s will continue a rivalry that has become renowned for tight affairs.
From their past eight meetings, the ledger sits at four wins apiece for the Saints and the Swans with just two of these games being decided by over three goals.
The Saints have shown improvement in recent time, with last week’s gallant performance against West Coast adding to their stirring victory over the Blues a week earlier.
However, coach Scott Waters is now faced with a ruck crisis after Rhys Stanley injured his hamstring in last week’s loss to the Eagles, ruling the 21-year old out for up to six weeks.
It is a big blow to the Saints given Stanley was already filling the hole left by first choice big man Ben McEvoy who underwent knee surgery at the start of the month.
The ruck load is now likely to be shared between veteran Jason Blake and Justin Koschitzke.
The Swans were granted an extra training session when they accounted for Melbourne by 101 points last weekend.
Sydney will look to strangle the Saints by applying its lock down style on the small-sized Docklands surface.
In its past four victories at the ground the Swans have restricted their opponents to an average score of 68.
History suggests this contest will be a low scoring, tight affair.
In the past eleven games between these two clubs only once has a team managed to break the 100-point mark (Sydney- round 12, 2009).
Prediction: Sydney lock-down style to reign supreme. Swans by 10 points.
Greater Western Sydney V Essendon: Skoda Stadium Saturday 7.40pm
Tomorrow night, Kevin Sheedy will face the club he coached for 629 games during 27-year career.
Sheedy is immortalised at Windy Hill but for one night will attempt to inflict defeat on the club he guided to four premierships.
However, it will prove an improbable feat- the Bombers are flying.
With just one loss to its name Essendon are a team on a mission in 2012.
James Hird and Mark Thompson have groomed this side into a scoring machine.
After eight rounds the Bombers have converted 54% of their forward 50 entries into shots on goal (ranked 1st) and generate 32 scoring shots a game (1st).
Essendon’s early season dominance may have been greater had it not been for its poor accuracy in front of goal (52%)- ranked 14th.
The Bombers have chosen to rest ageless veteran Dustin Fletcher and young gun Dyson Heppell in what is one of the many luxuries a 7-1 record can bring.
Sheedy lamented the short six-day turnaround for his side’s thumping at the hands of Brisbane last week.
Greater Western Sydney rested several young stars and it showed, conceding seven goals to one in the opening term on the way to a 92-point loss.
With games against Melbourne and Sydney to come before its round 12 bye, Essendon are well poised for a top-four finish.
Prediction: Essendon will continue its best start to a season since 2001. Bombers by 47-points.
Adelaide V Collingwood: AAMI Stadium Saturday 7.10pm
After eight rounds, few pre-season predictions would have picked the Crows to be sitting above the Magpies at this stage.
Yet, this is the situation as both sides look to record their sixth consecutive win.
Adelaide put on a football clinic against the Blues last week, crashing in to win the ball, closing down its opponent and working as a cohesive unit.
The midfield has been vastly improved under new coach Brenton Sanderson.
The Crows lead the competition in clearances and contested possessions, last year they were ranked 15th and 14th respectively.
Scott Thompson has been outstanding this season, averaging 32 disposals (16 contested) a game and leads his side in disposals, contested possessions and clearances.
Adelaide will appear to have the edge in this area of the ground with Dane Swan ruled out of the game with a hamstring strain.
The reigning Brownlow medalist will be joined on the sidelines by defender Ben Reid who suffered a reoccurrence of a quad injury in the Magpies narrow win over the Cats.
The absence of Swan adds extra pressure on the performance of Collingwood vice-captain Scott Pendlebury.
Pendlebury has been outstanding in shouldering the burden in the middle after contested specialist Luke Ball suffered a season ending knee injury, however the Magpies midfield depth will be put to the ultimate test tomorrow night.
The black-and-white army can gain confidence from its side’s outstanding record at AAMI Stadium.
The Magpies have won their past seven games at the ground with their last loss dating back to round 18, 2006 against the Crows.
Prediction: This column has been proved wrong by Adelaide too many times. Crows by 8-points.
North Melbourne v Brisbane: Etihad Stadium Sunday 1.10pm
Last week’s final quarter capitulation by the Kangaroos was the icing on the frustration cake for the club’s supporters.
After a season that started with such promise, coach Brad Scott’s side has slumped to three consecutive losses to find itself two games behind the top-eight.
Youngsters Jack Ziebell and Ryan Bastinac have shown patches of their potential the demand for consistent performance is upon them.
The Kangaroos can no longer rely on 34-yeard old Brent Harvey to lead the way.
Brisbane enjoyed a forward line revelation last week with utility Daniel Merrett lighting up the Gabba with five first quarter goals to finish with seven for the match.
Though against questionable opposition, Merrett was able to provided the secondary target the Lions had yet to find since the departure of Mitch Clarke to the Demons.
Coach Michael Voss will be hoping his side does not endure a lapse in concerntraion which has plagued its year thus far.
With such a young Brisbane side the lack of experience often enables opposition teams to get a run on.
Heavy losses to Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon have all come on the back of quarters that have seen the Lions outscored by four goals or more.
The equation is simply for the Kangaroos this week- win or else it is another season of loss for those at Arden St.
Prediction: North fans will be nervous but surely their side will make amends. Kangaroos by 27 points.
Carlton V Melbourne: MCG Sunday 3.15pm
Two straight defeats have seen the one-time premiership favourites slump to seventh on the ladder with several Carlton fans calling for the head of coach Brett Ratten.
It appears clubs have discovered how to stop the Blues’ free flowing style of play- limit their uncontested marks.
Carlton has been on the negative side the mark differential in every game it has lost this season at an average of -33.
However, when the Blues have won they have out marked their opponents on every occasion by an average of 32.
Adding to a nightmare fortnight is the news star midfielder Marc Murphy will miss up to 12 weeks with a fractured shoulder.
A nightmare is probably a polite way to some up Melbourne’s 2012 season to date.
Winless after a 101-point thumping at the hands of the Swans, the Demons have had every faction of their club criticised with Fox Footy’s David King stating the club made ‘a massive error’ in appointing Mark Neeld as coach.
Even if the players are struggling to adapt to a new game style there is no excuse for the lack of effort and poor body language that has crept into the side in recent weeks.
Neeld was again not afraid to wield the axe at the selection table, omitting senior players Aaron Davey and Colin Sylvia.
Patience is needed from Demons fans however for a club which has not finished higher than 12th in the past five seasons, patience is no longer a virtue.
Prediction: Carlton to bounce back, if not be cautious of a riot. Blues by 40 points.
West Coast V Fremantle: Patersons Stadium Sunday 4.40pm
Regardless of ladder position the Western derby never fails to prove an enthralling contest.
In a two-team town there is little room to hide for the losing side.
History shows the Dockers have won seven of the past nine meetings between these two clubs however the Eagles took the four points in both games last year.
Fremantle put in another uninspired performance against the Hawks as it tries to adapt to the defensive mindset of coach Ross Lyon.
West Coast returned to the winners’ list against the Saints on the back of a five-goal haul from ruckman Dean Cox.
The Eagles will welcome back midfielders Matthew Priddis and Ashton Hams to the line-up as their injury woes begin to lessen.
Prediction: The derby factor will demand a fiery affair. Eagles by 7-points.
William Botoulas is a third-year Bachelor of Journalism student at La Trobe and upstart’s football writer. You can follow him on Twitter:@botoulas43
