Do or die for Power and Tigers
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Jay Schulz will return for Port. Photo: Patrick Scala
Both Port Adelaide and Richmond are clinging onto their finals hopes by their fingertips, so the loser of their cut-throat showdown at Adelaide Oval on Friday night can officially kiss their September dreams goodbye.
After West Coast easily took care of Essendon on Thursday night, the Power and the Tigers find themselves three games outside the top eight with nine matches to play.
The winning team will stay within touching distance of the eight and ensure their faint finals hopes remain alive which should make for a gripping contest.
Port Adelaide forward Jay Schulz is back for his first game since Round 1 after overcoming a back injury while Richmond's Ivan Maric will play in just his third game of the year after preferred ruckman Shaun Hampson injured his knee.
Saints face up to interstate hoodoo again
Saints celebrate at the full-time siren against Cats. Photo: Getty Images/AFL Media
The footy world stood up and applauded last week when St Kilda caused one of the upsets of the season in defeating premiership favourites Geelong at Etihad Stadium.
But as harsh as it sounds, that performance will count for little if the up-and-down Saints can't back it up with a victory against the lowly Suns at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
Alan Richardson and his men are expected to win this game but their recent interstate record has been atrocious – they have lost their last eight games outside Victoria by an average margin of 57 points.
If St Kilda want to take the next step in their development, they simply have to beat the Suns. It will be an interesting contest though because Gold Coast are gradually getting more key players back and their last three efforts against Sydney, Richmond and Hawthorn have been encouraging. They seem due for a win, so the Saints will be made to earn it.
Eade Rockets his way to 350
Eade will reach milestone on weekend. Photo: Getty Images
If the Suns were to snap their long losing streak, it would serve as a fitting tribute to their coach Rodney Eade who will become just the 15th man in VFL/AFL history to coach 350 league games.
Eade has had a tough time of it in his third stint as an AFL coach, with a prolonged and devastating run of injuries to key players depriving him of any hope of achieving meaningful on-field results.
He has only overseen seven wins out of 35 games with the Suns. But he has a 51.2 winning percentage over his career.
The former Hawthorn premiership player guided Sydney to the 1996 Grand Final and steered the Western Bulldogs to three consecutive preliminary final appearances between 2008 and 2010 – something the club had never previously achieved.
Top spot beckons for sizzling Swans
Swans have been in hot form. Photo: Getty Images/AFL Media
Sydney and the Western Bulldogs will do battle at the SCG on Saturday in what promises to be the match of the round.
A win for the Swans will see them take top spot on the ladder while the eighth-placed Dogs will be aiming to return to within percentage of the top four.
The Bulldogs have fond recent memories of this ground, of course, after they produced their best performance under Luke Beveridge to date with a stirring four-point win in round five last year.
They also welcome back some big names for this clash with Easton Wood, Jason Johannisen and Will Minson returning. Young gun Lachie Hunter plays his 50th game as well.
It's been an eventful week for the club and it remains to be seen what kind of impact the revelations of the Tom Boyd-Zaine Cordy brawl will have.
The third generation of Silvagnis unveiled
Jack Silvagni will get his chance against the Pies. Photo: Pat Scala
After 15 years of waiting, the day has finally arrived for Carlton fans - the Silvagni name will return to the Blues' line-up this weekend when young Jack makes his AFL debut.
Jack is the son of legendary defender Stephen Silvagni who played 312 games for the club, won two premierships, won two best-and-fairests, earned five All-Australian jumpers and was named the full back of the century by the AFL in 1996.
Jack is also the grandson of the great Serge Silvagni who played 239 games for the Blues and was part of the 1968 and 1970 premiership sides. With that pedigree, it's fair to say there's a fair degree of expectation on the 18-year-old.
And just to make the script even more romantic, he will play his first game against the old foe Collingwood.
Walker reaches 200
Andrew Walker, right, will celebrate his double century of game. Photo: Pat Scala
The match between the arch rivals will also be a significant one for Andrew Walker who is due to play his 200th game. Walker will become just the 36th player in Carlton's history to reach the milestone.
The versatile former No.2 draft pick has been a valuable servant for the Blues over the past 13 seasons.
He has played in defence, in the midfield and up forward with effect and led the club's goalkicking with 56 majors in 2011 – their best season in the past 15 years.
He returned to form recently with consecutive bags of three goals and would love nothing more than another decent-sized haul against the Magpies to celebrate his milestone match in style.
