Round 23 is finally here as one of the closest and more exhilarating home and away seasons in recent memory comes to a thrilling conclusion.
Brisbane versus Melbourne starts off on Friday night as two of the best sides in the competition face off in a straight shoot out for a top four spot.
Saturday night sees the second Showdown of the season, as well as Essendon’s clash against Richmond which could have plenty of intrigued attached to it after the events of this week.
But on Sunday, three games that should have finals ramifications will take place in quick succession in what promises to be a fitting finale to the season.
See our previews and tips for all nine Round 23 matches below:
All times AEST
SUBSCRIBE TO THE AFL RECORD AND GET IT DELIVERED TO YOUR HOUSE EVERY WEEK.
Brisbane Lions v Melbourne
Friday – 7:50pm – Gabba
Just seven weeks after their last meeting at the MCG, Brisbane and Melbourne will clash again in a game that has monumental finals ramifications.
The winner of Friday night’s clash is guaranteed to finish in the top four and will be in a good position to make a genuine run at this year’s premiership.
But for the loser, they are in grave danger of tipping out of the top four and being vulnerable to an early finals exit in week one.
When these two sides met a few short months ago, Melbourne played the Lions off the park to win easily but this will be a very different prospect in front of a packed Gabba crowd.
This is genuinely hard to pick, as two of the best sides in the competition square off in a final before the finals.
If we have to pick, you have to back Melbourne as they look to make it back to back premierships.
Tip: Melbourne by six points.
Laurence Rosen
GWS Giants v Fremantle
Saturday – 1:45pm – Manuka Oval
There’s still plenty to play for when GWS hosts Fremantle on Saturday afternoon.
First and foremost, the Dockers are still very much in the top four race. With Brisbane playing Melbourne, Justin Longmuir’s side is guaranteed to rise at least one spot on the ladder to 5th should they win.
If Collingwood loses to Carlton or Sydney to St Kilda, Fremantle suddenly has a double chance in the finals series.
Meanwhile, it’s also no overstatement to suggest Saturday’s game could lay the platforms for years to come. Mark McVeigh is still right in the race to win his club’s full-time coaching role and has somewhat revitalised the Giants.
A win over a premiership contender tips the balance right into McVeigh’s favour with a decision expected in the coming weeks. But in the same breath, a disappointing effort from GWS could essentially rule him out of the job.
In terms of the clash, Fremantle enters strong favourites. However, they’ve been unconvincing in recent weeks, only winning two of their last five.
Longmuir’s men will look to take plenty of momentum into the finals with a big win, but if McVeigh can fire up the Giants, they too will have plenty to play for.
Fremantle has looked like the real deal all year, and while they’ve stumbled in recent weeks, they’re still the team we think they are.
Tip: Fremantle by 32 points.
Seb Mottram
North Melbourne v Gold Coast
Saturday – 2:10pm – Marvel Stadium
North Melbourne will be keen to wrap up their season with their last game home fixture against Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon.
With just two wins on the board in 2022, it looks unlikely that the Kangaroos will pick up a third here with the Suns much improved this campaign.
While the Suns will also end up missing finals, they still have plenty to play for with a win potentially handing them their best season ever.
A win in this game would equal the 10 wins that the side achieved under Gary Ablett Jr in 2014, while there’s a chance they earn a club-best 11th-placed finish with a percentage booster or if Port Adelaide loses the Showdown against Adelaide.
Last time out, it was the Suns who earned the victory with a 109-49 win at TIO Stadium in Round 12, with Touk Miller and Matt Rowell dominating in the middle.
Although the likes of Luke Davies-Uniacke have improved as the year has gone on and Ben Cunnington has returned to senior football, it’s hard to see the Kangaroos getting the upper hand in this all-important positional battle.
Expect Stuart Dew’s side to get on top at the source and ultimately have far more scoring shots than their struggling opponents.
Unfortunately for North fans, a second-straight wooden spoon beckons.
Tip: Gold Coast by 34 points.
Lachlan Geleit
Geelong v West Coast
Saturday – 4:35pm – GMHBA Stadium
The competition's best do battle against one of the competition's worst on Saturday afternoon at GMHBA stadium.
Geelong’s recent record over the Eagles is dominant, winning four of their last five clashes by an average of 48 points.
Wanting to continue their winning run of form heading into the finals, the home side look primed for an win whilst also celebrating club champion Patrick Dangerfield’s 300th game in style.
While West Coast has proven a tougher task in the last month compared to earlier in the season, they’re still lacking the firepower to match it with quality opponents.
Currently occupying 17th position on the ladder, saved only by percentage to North Melbourne, the Eagles find themselves a live chance to claim their second wooden spoon.
As for the Cats - who are flying in all aspects - they’ll be looking to get through this game unscathed having already claimed the minor premiership.
Tip: Geelong by 57 points.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Essendon v Richmond
Saturday – 7:25pm – MCG
While Saturday’s clash between rivals Essendon and Richmond doesn’t really have much riding on it, there’s plenty of intrigue attached to it considering the week the Bombers have had.
While at the time of writing it is still unclear whether Ben Rutten will be coaching this week, there’s a genuine watch on how Essendon responds after a turbulent week following their 84-point hammering at the hands of Port Adelaide.
For the Tigers, their finals fate is essentially sealed – they’ll either finish seven or eight depending on other results.
It’s no stretch to say Essendon is a club in turmoil right now as they deal with a change of president, uncertainty over the coaching and a playing group that turned in two successive listless performances.
Michael Hurley’s farewell game will provide a welcome distraction and could provide a lift for the team, but we still expect Richmond to win this one easily as they sharpen up for finals.
Tip: Richmond by 37 points.
Laurence Rosen
Subscribe to the SEN YouTube channel for the latest videos!
Port Adelaide v Adelaide
Saturday – 7:30pm – Adelaide Oval
The City of Churches is set for Showdown LII on Saturday night with the Power and Crows both featuring for the last time in 2022.
After multiple years atop the table, Port Adelaide won’t feature in finals this season as they can finish no higher than 11th this campaign.
While they’ve been below their best, they still enter this game as favourites as they meet an Adelaide side that sits three spots below them in 13th.
Although the Power are the more experienced team, the Crows will be hoping for a repeat of Showdown LI from Round 3 this season which saw Jordan Dawson’s after-the-siren goal hand his side a three-point win.
While the Crows earned the four points in that game, the Power were enduring a horror run of form throughout that period and they’ll hope recent performances hold them in good stead this time around.
Port Adelaide enter this game on the back of a huge 84-point win over Essendon in Round 22, while the Crows also found themselves on the winner’s list after beating the last-placed Kangaroos at home.
Even though the Crows have picked up three-straight wins, you’d expect the big names of Port Adelaide to shine through in this one and earn their side and the retiring Robbie Gray one final win for 2022.
While most will lean towards the Power, it wouldn’t surprise many if this one went down to the wire with both teams lifting for the rivalry clash.
Tip: Port Adelaide by 17 points.
Lachlan Geleit
Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs
Sunday – 1:10pm – University of Tasmania Stadium
It all comes down this for the Western Bulldogs.
A win coupled with a Carlton loss will see them sneak into eighth and allow the Dogs another tilt at a finals fairy tale.
They first need to tick the box from their end, but beating Hawthorn in Tasmania is no easy task.
The Hawks have won two of their three games in Launceston so far this season, beating Gold Coast and Brisbane and losing to Sydney.
They know the ground better than everyone and will be looking to finish the season on a high after a poor loss to Richmond.
Finn Maginness has been used in tagging roles this season, including on Shai Bolton last weekend, and may find himself on one of the Bulldogs’ elite on-ballers.
The Dogs won when the two sides met earlier in the season at Marvel Stadium 125-83, Aaron Naughton kicking three goals.
The Hawks have depleted key position stocks, which could again open the door for the likes of Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
Their desire to play James Sicily up the ground allowed Tom Lynch to dominate last week on inexperienced defenders .
The Bulldogs have everything to play for and the Hawks looked a team limping to the line last week and have lost further players to injury. You would have to think the Dogs will get the job done in Tasmania.
Tip: Western Bulldogs by 29 points.
Nic Negrepontis
Carlton v Collingwood
Sunday – 3:20pm – MCG
It looms as one of the biggest home and away games in recent memory.
There’s a lot on the line when arch-rivals Carlton and Collingwood lock horns in a Sunday afternoon blockbuster at the MCG.
The Blues are clinging onto eighth spot having lost their last three games.
Their latest defeat came in heartbreaking circumstances when going down to reigning premiers Melbourne by five points after leading with less than 20 seconds left.
A win over the Demons would’ve guaranteed Carlton a spot in the finals. Instead, they’ll have to dust themselves off and look to beat the old enemy to clinch a first berth since 2013.
It’s also a huge game for the Magpies as they look to secure a top four finish and an all-important double chance in September.
Collingwood’s 11-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of Sydney last week, falling to a 27-point defeat the SCG.
The Pies were held to their lowest score of the year, restricted to just 50 points by a stingy Swans defence.
In their previous meeting in Round 11, it was Collingwood who prevailed in a four-point thriller in front of a crowd of over 80,000.
Another huge crowd is expected for the Round 23 clash in what promises to be an enthralling contest with massive finals implications.
Chaos could ensue.
Tip: Carlton by 4 points.
Alex Zaia
St Kilda v Sydney
Sunday – 4:40pm – Marvel Stadium
St Kilda hosts Sydney at Marvel Stadium in the final fixture of the home and away season.
The Saints missed their chance to keep their season alive last weekend, losing to the Brisbane Lions by 15 points despite having plenty of chances.
That result has them sitting out of the top eight by four points and more than eight per cent in arrears of eighth-placed Carlton prior to the round commencing.
For the Saints to remarkably land a finals berth, it all depends on what happens with the Blues, who are in action against Collingwood earlier on the same day, as well as the Western Bulldogs versus Hawthorn contest.
With both results (which must include an enormous win by the Pies) going their way an unlikelihood, it may just present as simply a game of pride for Brett Ratten’s outfit.
They are up against a Swans side that holds second position leading into the round and is playing for a home final.
John Longmire’s Swans have won six in a row and are showing no signs of slowing down after ending the Magpies’ 11-game winning streak last week.
These two clubs have traded barbs across the last five meetings, so on form it’s St Kilda’s turn to win, but the Swans are well placed to buck that trend.
The Swans have a 1-2 record at Marvel this year but should improve that by taking care of the Saints in a grind.
The match does hold a little bit of extra significance in that it is Saints midfielder Dan Hannebery’s final AFL appearance, against his former club with whom he won the 2012 premiership.
Tip: Sydney by 17 points.
Andrew Slevison