Could this be the best Round of the season so far?
We’re set for a tantalising four games of footy, headlined by Friday night’s blockbuster between Collingwood and Richmond which is expected to draw nearly 90,000 people to the MCG.
The Western Bulldogs’ season is on the line already as they host Brisbane in a crunch Thursday night clash, while the Saints’ big 150th year anniversary celebration will take play at the ‘G on Saturday. Who would’ve thought both these sides would’ve entered this clash undefeated?
In an action-packed round, we also have both the Showdown at Adelaide Oval and the Western Derby at Optus Stadium.
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Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane Lions
Thursday - 7.20pm - Marvel Stadium
It almost feels do or die already for the Western Bulldogs entering Round 3, having blown two winnable games and now facing a gauntlet of top teams. Can they turn things around before it’s too late?
Taking on Brisbane off a five-day break is as tough an ask as it gets, however.
The Lions were too strong for a Melbourne team that lost Max Gawn early and already missing key personnel in Steven May, Jack Viney and Christian Salem. The win likely will give them a ton of confidence going forward.
They were too strong for the Bulldogs in 2022, winning comfortably at the Gabba. Charlie Cameron booted four and Lachie Neale picked up 33 disposals.
If there’s a week for the Dogs’ key forwards to fire, this has to be it against a Brisbane backline that is capable of being exposed.
However, even at Marvel Stadium, it’s hard to back the Bulldogs given what we have seen so far this season.
Tip: Brisbane by 12 points.
Nic Negrepontis
Collingwood v Richmond
Friday - 7.55pm - Gabba
What a blockbuster this game is.
Perhaps the competition’s two biggest clubs under lights at the MCG on a Friday night, with both rivals yet to cop a loss this season.
While both teams are technically unbeaten, the Tigers split the points with Carlton and had to fight to hold the Crows off in Adelaide.
On the other side of Melbourne Park, Collingwood have quickly become the AFL’s hottest team with scintillating wins over Geelong and Port Adelaide to rocket into premiership favouritism.
While last year Tom Lynch and the Tigers got a hold of the Magpies, Collingwood deserve to enter this game as favourites given their early season form and they’ll say they’re a drastically different team to Round 8, 2022.
With several injury concerns at Punt Road and Craig McRae’s side clearly firing on all cylinders, Collingwood should be too strong for Richmond if they’re able to get their game going as they have in the season’s opening fortnight.
Tip: Collingwood by 20 points.
Lachlan Geleit
Hawthorn v North Melbourne
Saturday - 1.45pm - UTAS Stadium
Sam Mitchell versus Alastair Clarkson in the coaches box for the first time. It’s a tantalising prospect, especially considering the fortunes of both Hawthorn and North Melbourne so far this season.
Clarko’s Roos are up and about after heading to Perth last week and beating Fremantle in the most dramatic clash in Round 2 and would fancy their chances against the winless Hawks who currently sit bottom of the ladder.
Hawthorn has plenty of issues to contend with, but their forward like and lack of scoring generally would have to me Sam Mitchell’s big concern right now.
You have to tip North Melbourne here purely on form lines, but anything is possible.
One thing is for sure – this game in Launceston is deeply personal.
Tip: North Melbourne by four points.
Laurence Rosen
GWS v Carlton
Saturday - 4.35pm - GIANTS Stadium
Carlton enters this Round 3 clash on the back of an impressive victory over reigning premier Geelong.
Michael Voss’ side led by as much as 28 points midway through the third quarter before hanging on for dear life as the Cats threw everything at them.
In the end it was a mature performance that suggests this team is beginning to come of age.
GWS played well, particularly late, in Round 1 to give Adam Kingsley a dream debut win but they plummeted back to earth against the Eagles in Perth.
They’ll need to improve sharply from that so the possible returns of Lachie Whitfield and Josh Kelly (both concussion) only assists in their endeavours.
However, the Blues easily accounted for the Giants in Round 19 last year and are in arguably better form now. Of course, the Giants look a better side in 2023, but they’d have to play above themselves to win this one.
Charlie Curnow poses a major threat for the Giants. He kicked four last year after Harry McKay went off injured early. If the pair of them are up and about at the same time, it could spell danger for Sam Taylor and co.
Tip: Carlton by 28 points.
Andrew Slevison
St Kilda v Essendon
Saturday - 7.25pm - MCG
St Kilda will celebrate their 150th anniversary on Saturday night against the Bombers at the MCG.
Much to the surprise of the AFL community, both the Saints and the Bombers head into this clash in form having started the season 2-0.
The Saints made the Western Bulldogs look like witches hats last week, dominating Luke Beveridge’s side by 51 points.
That win however came at a big cost for Ross Lyon’s side with captain Jack Steele suffering a broken collarbone that will see him miss the next month.
Can the Saints continue this run of form without their skipper? Or will the injury toll finally catch up to them?
We’ll soon find out.
As for the Bombers, they’ve recorded two fairly dominant wins this year and will head to the ‘G with confidence.
New recruit Will Setterfield is playing like a man possessed, providing another layer to a midfield that has previously been one-dimensional.
Essendon’s forward stocks have however copped a big hit this year and against a defence that is arguably the best in the competition right now, there’s a big query on whether the Bombers can kick over 70 points.
It will be the first time these two have played each other at the MCG since 2006 and it was the Saints who ran away the victors.
That will be the case again on Saturday.
Tip: St Kilda by 16 points.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Port Adelaide v Adelaide
Saturday - 7.30pm - Adelaide Oval
The Showdown has come early this season and looks poised to be another thrilling instalment.
Port Adelaide came back to earth after their statement victory over Brisbane in their season opener, falling victim to the freight train that is Collingwood in Round 2.
The Power showed glimpses last week of their electric game style that saw them overrun the Lions, yet they simply weren’t able to keep up with the white-hot Magpies.
On the other hand, Adelaide is winless after their first two games, yet have been much more competitive than their record suggests.
In both the match with GWS and the one with Richmond, the Crows were able to put together a single quarter of dominance, outworking their opponents through pressure and willing their way onto the scoreboard.
However, Adelaide has not been able to sustain this level of play through an entire contest, allowing their opponents to resume playing their preferred brand of footy.
Port Adelaide certainly look the stronger side heading into the clash, yet if the Crows are able to bring the ferocity throughout all four quarters, they are more than capable of causing an upset.
The Power holds a slight edge in the overall history of the Showdown, winning 27 of the 52 fixtures between the two clubs, including four of the last five.
Tip: Port Adelaide by 14 points
Jack Makeham
Gold Coast v Geelong
Sunday - 2.10pm - Heritage Bank Stadium
It has not been the start to 2023 either team would have hoped for.
Gold Coast and Geelong both enter Sunday’s clash with nothing in the win column, and both sides would be desperate to see that change.
Despite sitting in similar positions on the ladder, the situation each club is in couldn’t be more different.
The Cats are the reigning premiers who are still yet to truly kick into gear, while the Suns have gotten off on the wrong foot as they aimed to make finals for the first time in their history.
Geelong’s record is clearly not reflective of their talent, falling just shy of taking down top four contenders Collingwood and Carlton in back to back weeks.
Meanwhile Gold Coast look a step slower than the competitive side they were last year, receiving a drubbing from Sydney in Round 1 before being on the receiving end of a late Essendon surge last week.
The Suns have struggled on the defensive end so far this season, conceding over 100 points in both their matches so far, the only team other than Hawthorn to do so.
As a result, this could be the matchup that kicks Geelong into gear, giving the Cats an opportunity to make use of the sluggish defence and remedy the ball movement issues that have plagued them to start the season, sitting near the bottom in both average disposals and inside 50s.
However, it wouldn’t be out of the question for the Suns to show a renewed fight, with senior coach Stuart Dew set to be under plenty of pressure should they fall to 0-3.
Tip: Geelong by 20 points.
Jack Makeham
Melbourne v Sydney Swans
Sunday - 3.20pm - MCG
A replay of last season’s Qualifying Final, Melbourne will hope to put out a better performance this time around.
While Sydney are 2-0 and sit atop the ladder, this is their first real test after playing Gold Coast and Hawthorn to start the season.
As for Melbourne, they’ll go into this game without Max Gawn who went down with a knee injury in last Friday’s loss to Brisbane at the Gabba.
Although Gawn will miss, the Demons will be buoyed by the return of Steven May who may be the club’s second most important player behind the missing skipper.
In last year’s finals series, the Demons simply couldn’t cope with Sydney’s pressure when the ball hit the ground near goals as the likes of Will Hayward and Tom Papley got to work.
In their first trip to the MCG since last year’s Grand Final disaster, the Swans will be eager to write some wrongs in what shapes up as a tight contest.
Tip: Sydney by 7 points.
Lachlan Geleit
Fremantle v West Coast
Sunday - 5.20pm - Optus Stadium
After Fremantle’s horror start, and West Coast’s first win in 10 matches, this might be the most evenly matched Western Derby since 2015. A year when both sides finished in the top four.
But both sides find themselves far from that level now.
The Dockers will be looking to avoid an 0-3 start but will have to find goals from somewhere after scores of 52 (against an undermanned Saints) and 72 (against a Kangaroos side which were predicted for a bottom two finish).
Former captain Nat Fyfe is no certainty to play this weekend after being a late withdrawal from the match against North Melbourne with a plantar fascia injury. While prized recruit Luke Jackson is facing pressure to perform after failing to make an impact across his first two matches in purple.
For the Eagles, it’s an opportunity to win consecutive matches for the first time since rounds 18-19 in 2021 while almost ruling out finals for their cross-town rivals.
Forward Jake Waterman will be buoyed after kicking four goals and taking eight marks in what was the best performance from his 74-game career.
Eagle’s fans will be sweating on the fitness of Elliot Yeo as he races the clock to be fit for Sunday’s twilight match.
Tip: Fremantle by five points.
Marcus Beeck