Back for another week, the SEN.com.au team gives you an insight into how every game will play out across the weekend.
Labelling something a ‘certainty’ in any sport is fraught with danger.
But we’ll attempt to find some anyway.
Here is what we consider certainties for the seven remaining games in Round 9.
Sydney versus Fremantle
Errol Gulden 20+ disposals, 3+ inside 50s
Errol Gulden is currently in the middle of the best year of his young career.
In just his third season of senior footy, the 20-year-old is averaging 24 touches per game, a full five possessions more than he averaged last season.
Deadly by foot, Gulden serves as one of the prime movers going forward for this Swans team, averaging a touch under seven inside 50s in every contest.
While Sydney has been quite inconsistent to start the season, this doesn’t apply to Gulden who has been incredibly reliable.
Sean Darcy 10+ disposals, 30+ hitouts
Sean Darcy is having a tremendous year.
Coming into the season, questions were raised about how Darcy was going to fit with the prized recruit Luke Jackson.
However, with Jackson playing the bulk of his minutes forward, Darcy has been able to dominate the ruck and put together one of his best seasons.
Averaging 15 touches and a league-leading 41.8 hitouts per game, the 24-year-old has stood out as one of the Dockers most reliable in 2023.
Expect him to do what he does best against the Swans.
Jack Makeham
North Melbourne versus Port Adelaide
Harry Sheezel to have 25 or more disposals
After Port Adelaide failed to tag Nick Daicos in Round 2, you can almost guarantee they won’t run with Harry Sheezel in a game they’re heavy favourites in.
Having only dropped below 25 disposals once this season, expect Sheezel to run freely around Blundstone Arena and pick up plenty of the footy.
Given the Power don’t have the type of player that can play as a defensive forward, Sheezel will get plenty of ball, particularly as we expect the footy to be more often than not in Port Adelaide’s front half.
It might not be a good day for the Kangaroos, but expect Sheezel to continue his strong start to his first season in Hobart.
Jeremy Finlayson to kick two or more goals
Port Adelaide’s Jeremy Finlayson has been a revelation in 2023, kicking 11 goals from six games.
Having kicked five goals, two goals and most recently 1.4 in his last three games, Finlayson is getting plenty of opportunities in front of the big sticks.
Against a North Melbourne side that looks set to concede a lot of inside 50s, Finlayson should kick at least two majors at Blundstone Arena.
Lachlan Geleit
Hawthorn versus Melbourne
Melbourne to win
It doesn’t get any simpler.
Coming off their worst performance of the year against Fremantle, Hawthorn now faces an even steeper challenge against a Melbourne team gathering in steam.
They blew North Melbourne off the park by 90 points a fortnight ago and will do something similar to the Hawks.
It’s just a matter of how much.
Mitch Lewis 2+ goals
Since returning from injury, Mitchell Lewis has immediately looked like Hawthorn’s most dangerous forward.
He kicked two against the Dockers from six marks and 11 disposals and will once again be the focal point.
Expect Lewis to get a few opportunities and make the most of them.
Nic Negrepontis
Brisbane versus Essendon
Lachie Neale for 25+ disposals
Curiously, Lachie Neale has proved more inconsistent in 2023.
On four occasions this year he’s dropped to 22 touches or below, well down on his average of 30 touches a game last year.
But every following round, Neale has bounced back and put up strong numbers. It’s a trend that he’s followed across his Brisbane career in rarely playing two quiet games in a row and after just 20 touches last week, expect the Lions co-captain to put Essendon to the sword on Saturday night.
Neale also has a strong record against the Bombers, averaging over 33 touches in his last three games against the club.
Essendon to kick under 90 points
Brad Scott’s Bombers have kicked over 87 points on six occasions this year, but they won’t make it a seventh on Saturday night.
Harris Andrews and Jack Payne have found their groove as a backline duo and Sam Weideman will struggle to have an impact as such.
Brandon Starcevich is a great matchup for Jake Stringer when he pushes forward and Sam Draper will have to compete hard against Oscar McInerney.
Put simply, if Essendon is to kick a big score, more than a couple of players are going to have to surprise.
Brisbane also hasn’t conceded more than 83 points at the Gabba this year, despite playing high-powered offences in Collingwood and Melbourne.
Seb Mottram
Carlton versus Western Bulldogs
Blake Acres 25+ disposals
Carlton wingman Blake Acres has been one of the few beneficiaries of the club’s chip-mark possession style of game.
The ex-Docker hasn’t dropped below 25 touches since Round 5 and has had free rein to cover the ground on the wing.
Expect Acres to find plenty of the footy on Saturday night.
Tim English 20 disposals
Tim English will have too much aerobic capacity for Marc Pittonet around the ground on Saturday night and shouldn’t have too much troubles finding the footy.
On top of that, he has averaged seven marks per game this season and should clear that comfortably given the Blues’ poor ball use and predictable inside 50 kicking.
This should see him comfortably to 20 disposals on Saturday night.
Nic Negrepontis
Adelaide versus St Kilda
Taylor Walker to kick two or more goals
Adelaide's spearhead will thrive on Sunday afternoon on what's promising to be a sunny arvo the Adelaide Oval.
Not potting Walker, but it's fair to say he's not a wet-weather football but rather a player that thrives in the sun.
The speed the Crows play with is a dream for a key forward and we're expecting Tex to kick at least two goals on Sunday.
Walker's record over the Saints is strong, he's kicked 13 goals in his last five games and is averaging 2.3 goals this year.
Lock it in.
Jack Steele to have 20 or more disposals
St Kilda's fearless leader has had an underwhelming year for the Saints, battling both injury and form.
Thankfully for the Saints, they've still been able to perform despite one of their best players struggling.
After coming back from a shoulder reconstruction in Round 6, Steele is slowly getting back to his best and we're tipping a big game from the All-Australian midfielder.
The last three times he's laced up against Adelaide, he's had 34, 26 and 26 touches, he's surely a moral to have over 20 on Sunday.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Collingwood versus GWS
Jack Ginnivan to kick at least one goal
After starting as the substitute against Sydney, Jack Ginnivan looks set to start against GWS.
Already averaging a goal a game in 2023, Ginnivan should get enough chances inside 50 if he plays four quarters of footy.
Last time out against the Giants, Ginnivan kicked 1.2 and had 18 disposals.
Expect similar output from the youngster on Sunday at the MCG.
Tom Green to have 30 or more disposals
GWS midfielder Tom Green has taken the next step in 2023 in the absence of Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper.
Having broken the 30-touch marker in each of his last five games, don’t expect that run to stop against a Collingwood side that will back themselves in instead of worrying about the opposition at the contest.
While he’s never gotten past 22 disposals against the Magpies, that should change in this game as he’s now the number one man on-ball.
He’s in a rich vein of form, expect him to pick up plenty of football again on the MCG.
Lachlan Geleit