We've run our eye over every game from Round 7 and ranked them from most appealing to least.
Between Thursday night's blockbuster between Geelong and Collingwood, Carlton's big game against Port Adelaide on Sunday and the western derby between Fremantle and West Coast, there's plenty to look out for in the next few days.
Here's how we see Round 7 shaping up:
Thursday, 8:10pm, Optus Stadium
#1
Rather than saving the best to last, Round 7’s best game might come first between two Victorian powerhouses in front of over 20,000 fans for the first time in 2020.
Footy returns to Perth after a four-month hiatus and Thursday night’s clash promises to be a cracker between two sides fresh off big wins last round.
The real fascination here is Collingwood’s inclusion of Jordan De Goey and who Geelong decides to send to the enigmatic forward.
Meeting for the first time since their qualifying final at the MCG last September, you won’t want to miss this one.
Sunday, 1:05pm, Gabba
#2
2020 has been a weird year for so many reasons and you can add another to the ever-growing list with Carlton’s clash against Port Adelaide being one of the games of the round.
The Blues were magnificent against the Western Bulldogs last weekend and now sit in the top eight for the first time since 2013. Meanwhile, Port Adelaide sit top of the ladder and are rightly premiership favourites as it stands.
Win here and Carlton deserve to be seen as a credible finals challenger this season.
Friday, 7:50pm, Metricon Stadium
#3
Make no mistake, Essendon will still be smarting after the corresponding clash last year ended in a Western Bulldogs victory to the tune of 104 points and saw the Dogs kick a staggering 21 goals in a row.
There’s plenty to get excited about here with the Bombers flying at the moment and Luke Beveridge’s side in need of a bounce back performance after their loss to Carlton last week.
Look out for Cody Weightman (Western Bulldogs) and Ned Cahill (Essendon), who will both make their debut under the lights at Metricon Stadium.
Saturday, 1:45pm, GIANTS Stadium
#4
The early Saturday afternoon fixture is a pivotal one for both sides after GWS and Brisbane both lost last round.
There’s been plenty of talk around Giants captain Stephen Coniglio’s place in the side this week, but in truth the side overall needs a response after a meek final term surrender against Port Adelaide last week saw them slump to their third loss in 2020.
The Lions may be in the top four but they need a big scalp away from home to prove their worth as genuine title challengers.
Sunday, 6:35pm, Optus Stadium
#5
Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe won’t play in Sunday night’s western derby, but that won’t dampen the spirit of 30,000 fans, who will see their sides play live for the first time this season.
The Dockers have won consecutive matches and are starting to find their groove under rookie coach Justin Longmuir while for the Eagles, they return home after splitting their first six games with the prospect of a long stretch of home games to come.
A primetime clash between two in-form teams who haven’t play at home for at least four months is an occasion not to be missed.
Saturday, 7:40pm, Metricon Stadium
#6
There’s been no shortage of talk following Richmond’s dour win over Sydney last week so one hopes their clash against North Melbourne is at least a better spectacle.
There’s no sugar-coating the form line of both these teams – the Tigers are banged up and missing a litany of star players through injury and the Roos have lost four in a row and are in bad need of a win.
Will North Melbourne’s drought-breaking victory come on Saturday night?
Sunday, 3:35pm, GIANTS Stadium
#7
Melbourne are slowly but surely building into this season and need to beat the Hawks on Sunday in Sydney to keep their finals hopes alive.
The fascination here is whether Alastair Clarkson can galvanise his side after both losing lost week and doing while playing dour and safe-first footy.
The Dees will be without Tom McDonald for the clash, after he suffered an eye injury during their won over Gold Coast last week.
Monday, 7:40pm, Adelaide Oval
#8
Can St Kilda finally beat the Crows at Adelaide Oval? They’ve played five times since the ground was reopened in 2014 and are yet to taste victory against Adelaide.
While this doesn’t look like a great game on paper, footy’s first Monday night game in a number of years will hopefully deliver an entertaining clash between a winless Crows and a Saints side who will still be hellbent to bounce back after blowing a 37-point lead against Fremantle last Saturday.
25,000 fans should also be on hand for the first match at Adelaide Oval since Round 2.
Saturday, 4:35pm, SCG
#9
There isn’t much to say here, other than Gold Coast need to notch up the win after consecutive losses against a struggling Swans whose season is currently being wrecked by injury.
The Saturday twilight slot is about right for what we think is the least appealing match of Round 7.