Round Nine: Previews and predictions

Geelong vs. Western Bulldogs Friday, Simonds Stadium 7:50pm, AEST The Cats will make their long awaited return to Simonds Stadium on Friday night. They will will also be striving to get back on the winner's list, having lost their past three games. The Bulldogs continue to find ways to win, however, could not get across the line last week against the Eagles. They now sit eighth on ladder and will need to win games to get themselves out of the deadlock in the middle of the table. Geelong has won their past 10 games against the Dogs, their last loss was in Round 21 of 2009. The reigning premiers also have not beaten the Cats at Simonds Stadium since 2003. After coming under some fire this week for their tackling pressure, or lack there of, expect Chris Scott's men to come out all guns blazing. They need to match the intensity of the Dogs, and if they can, they will be well on the way to winning the game. Tip: Cats by 13 St Kilda vs. Sydney Saturday, Etihad Stadium 1:45pm, AEST The Swans have strung two wins together, and will look to make it three when they clash with the Saints on Saturday. It will be a tough game for Sydney, as St Kilda have a very impressive record at Etihad. Keep an eye out for Dan Hannebery, he looked impressive against the Roos last week, and in his last three games against the Saints averages 34 disposals per game. It's been an interesting week for St Kilda, the club has been heavily criticised over the Marc Murphy sledging incident. It has the potential to act as a distraction, but for the hopes of their supporters, let's hope Alan Richardson has his players ready to go. The Swans are on a roll, but are forced to make another trip down to Melbourne, against a side who plays Etihad very well. It might be tough for them to get the four points in this one. Tip: Saints by 21 GWS vs. Richmond Saturday, Spotless Stadium 4:35pm, AEST Things don't get any easier for the Tigers, going up against a raging Giants side. GWS has won six of their past seven games, that one loss was by only two points to the Bulldogs. This will be another big test for Richmond, who have now lost three in a row. Considering the fashion of last week's loss, they may react one of two ways. Either they come out firing, with a point to prove, or they play with a lack of confidence after the heartbreak against Fremantle. The midfield battle will be important, if the Tigers can't limit the ball sent into the Giants' fifty, their defence will have a really tough day. Richmond have a very real possibility of slipping to 5-4. Tip: Giants by 27 Brisbane vs. Adelaide Saturday, Gabba 7:25pm, AEST This game couldn't have come at a better time for the Crows. Coming off the back of two straight losses, they face the Lions, who sit on the bottom of the ladder. You have to feel for Brisbane, who have given their supporters hope with their style of play so far this year. It's just a shame they have very little to show for it. Now they have to go up against a side who is on the hunt for a win, and is having questions raised about them. It will be interesting to see if Chris Fagan decides to send somebody to Rory Sloane. In the past two weeks he has been tagged, and his impact nullified. If it happens for a third week in a row serious questions will be asked. Adelaide will be too good in this one and should maintain their spot on top of the ladder. Tip: Crows by 44 Collingwood vs. Hawthorn Saturday, MCG 7:25pm, AEST It's been a strange season for both of these sides, and after a tough start, Hawthorn now sit 3-5, and are a finals contenders. Collingwood has looked strong in parts, but only have two wins to show for it. The Hawks have beaten the Pies in their past nine match-ups. The last time Collingwood got one over Hawthorn was in the 2011 preliminary final. This is a tough game to predict, with both side showing inconsistencies in their games this season. The bookies have Collingwood as the favourite, but they don't have the win-loss record to support that status. In saying that, they appear to be playing slightly better football than the Hawks at the moment. Tip: Pies by 7 Essendon vs. West Coast Sunday, Etihad Stadium 1:10pm, AEST Essendon appear to be flying high. Their performance against the Cats last weekend was particularly impressive. The Eagles managed to scrape home against the fast-finishing Bulldogs, in what was an important win. There has been a lot said about West Coast's problems at the MCG, however, Eithad is a different story. They have won three of their past four games at the ground, including a win over North Melbourne earlier this year. The result of this game could hinge on the performances of the two big forwards. Joe Daniher was amazing last week, but can still be inconsistent at times, while Josh Kennedy's inaccuracy (six behinds) almost cost the Eagles in round eight. Tip: Eagles by 21 Melbourne vs. North Melbourne Sunday, MCG 3:20pm, AEST Two young and exciting teams will do battle in this one. The Demons have had a tough week, with the announcement that Jesse Hogan was diagnosed with testicular cancer. They will be looking to perform well for their star forward. North Melbourne have the bragging rights over the Demons, winning their past 15 games against them. The last time Melbourne won against the Roos was in 2006. On that day Adem Yze kicked four goals, while current West Coast coach Adam Simpson had 25 disposals. These two have a history high-scoring games, so hopefully we see a goal-fest. It's a tough game to predict, however, North's record against Melbourne is too hard to look past. Tip: Roos by 19 Fremantle vs. Carlton Sunday, Domain Stadium 4:40pm, AEST The final game of the round sees Carlton make the trip to Western Australia. Fremantle have bounced back from a poor start to the year to sit 5-3, while Carlton have surprised some people by winning three games. It's going to be tough for the young Carlton side, as Fremantle play so well at home. It should however be a good learning experience for the likes of Petrevski-Seton, and Jack Silvagni. Keep an eye on Marc Murphy to see how he responds after what's been a tumultuous week for himself and his family. No doubt he will be keen to hit the park and attack the football. Fremantle at home and playing well, should be enough to take this one. Let's hope the Blues can make it a contest. Tip: Dockers by 39 BYE: Gold Coast, Port Adelaide

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	ADEL	23	18	5	72	139.3
2	GEEL	23	17	6	68	141.5
3	BL	23	16	6	66	114.2
4	COLL	23	16	7	64	122.4
5	GWS	23	16	7	64	115.3
6	FRE	23	16	7	64	109
7	GC	23	15	8	60	124.9
8	HAW	23	15	8	60	120.9

Round Nine: Previews and predictions

3. Essendon vs. West Coast

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