Let’s be honest, at the start of the season, no one would have picked some of the outcomes that have eventuated so far this year.

West Coast beat Fremantle in the first Derby for 2024. Surely only the most delusional of Eagles fans would have tipped that one. But has it finally clicked for Adam Simpson’s men? Will they no longer be the punching bag of the competition?

Geelong is undefeated after six rounds, after a year which made it seem like the Cats were finally heading down the ladder.

Brisbane is still trying to get their season started and, after being in last year’s Grand Final, are now only above West Coast on percentage.

Will the unpredictable continue? We’ll soon find out.

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Games To Watch

Essendon vs. Collingwood (MCG, Thursday Afternoon)

Regardless of ladder position, this is always one to watch. But with both the Pies and Bombers in hot form, hungry to make a statement in front of a sellout crowd, you simply can’t miss it.  

Essendon has produced more storylines than wins this year, and just a few weeks ago the fans were livid with the poor start to the season. All of a sudden, they’ve won back-to-back games over the Bulldogs and Adelaide (albeit by just three points, in controversial circumstances), sit 4-2 in seventh place on the ladder, and supporters are bullish about the chances of September footy. 

The Pies are in a similar situation, notching up three consecutive victories after starting their campaign 0-3. Last week’s win over Port Adelaide at the MCG was arguably the best of the lot, flexing their muscles after conceding five of the first six goals of the game. 

The 42-point victory was a top team effort that reminded the competition of why they won the flag last year. 

All eyes will be on them once again this Thursday in the 29th edition of the ANZAC Day match, described as a “great occasion,” by coach Craig McRae earlier this week.

“We’re really grateful to be part of it,” the premiership coach said. 

“I was really looking forward to it last year, but I was surprised at the enormity of the day,” McRae’s counterpart Brad Scott said ahead of his second ANZAC Day fixture as Dons coach. 

The Bombers fans will be hoping the enormity of the day doesn’t overwhelm them this time around, although looking at the recent history between the two sides might. Collingwood has won the past four games against Essendon, with the Pies recording a 70-point thrashing the last time they met.

Prediction

If last week is anything to go by, Collingwood looks back to its best, while the Bombers got fairly lucky in the end. Should be a tough, tight clash, but can’t go past the Pies.

Magpies by 10 points

Geelong vs. Carlton (MCG, Saturday Afternoon)

What a matchup this promises to be! 

The undefeated Cats are full of confidence and momentum, while the Blues have solidified their status as one of the genuine flag favourites after handing GWS their first loss of the season last week. 

Nobody picked Geelong to start as well as they have, but Chris Scott has proven they’re not on the decline, despite missing the finals last year. 

They dominated Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night in the 26-point win to record their sixth-consecutive victory, with the likes of Tyson Stengle, Zach Guthrie and Max Holmes arguably the best performers. 

They’ll be without key defender Tom Stewart this week though, who’s sitting out with concussion protocols, which will make it tough against the in-form forward duo of Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay. 

Curnow and McKay slotted six majors between them in the win over the Giants, while contributing to the extraordinary third-term comeback that saw the Blues overturn a four-goal lead by kicking six of their own in just 14 minutes. 

They came away with a 19-point victory that showed last year was no fluke for Michael Voss’ men. They’re building something special at the famous club, and they’ve got a golden opportunity to secure a spot close to the top of the ladder with another four points this round. 

PREDICTION: It’s a Geelong home game, but it will be played at the MCG rather than GMHBA Stadium, which means it’s an even playing field. Cats go in as favourites, but the Blues could take advantage of their opposition’s best backman not playing. Picking an ‘upset’ here. – Carlton by 3 points

West Coast Eagles

Last Week

How good was that!?! 

West Coast fans are still likely to be buzzing after a huge 37-point Western Derby win over the Dockers. To be fair, the margin could have been much bigger too, leading by 64 points at three-quarter time before Fremantle piled on a few goals to make the scoreboard look a little more respectable. 

It was one of the great upsets in Derby history, and arguably their best win since the 2018 Grand Final. Some may think that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but when you consider the status of both sides and the constant ridiculing the Eagles have received over the past few years, it will surely be a moment the loyal supporters won’t forget any time soon.

It was the club’s first back-to-back victory since 2021, after kicking over 100 points for the first time in consecutive games since that same season. 

Freo controlled possession early, but the Eagles completely smashed them in contested ball and clearances. They were harder and hungrier, and everything the side had been working on during the summer and early parts of the season clicked. 

Elliott Yeo won the Glendinning-Allan Medal for his best-afield performance, while Jake Waterman kicked another five goals after slotting six the week before and, yet again, Harley Reid played his best game for the club. 

It really couldn’t get much better for the Eagles on Saturday night. 

This Week

West Coast face Gold Coast at People First Stadium in Gold Coast on Sunday. And while they go in as heavy underdogs, optimistic fans wouldn’t be crazy in thinking they have a chance.

Nobody thought West Coast would get close to Fremantle after upsetting Richmond the week before, and they’ve got a whole heap of momentum with key players in hot form. 

The Suns were burnt by Sydney in a 53-point thrashing last week, and have been disappointing this season with their 3-3 start. 

They’ve beaten Richmond, Adelaide and Hawthorn so far, but none of the three sides are anything special. 

Gold Coast is a different proposition at home though, winning three from four at the venue, and they’ve won the past three games against West Coast.  

Coach Damien Hardwick wouldn’t be happy with some of the performances his side has dished up in 2024, so he’ll be keen to make a statement with a big win here.

Talking Points

Resting Reid

Harley Reid was unbelievably brilliant at the weekend.

He kicked three goals from 19 disposals and took two spectacular marks to go with them, just missing out on the Glendinning-Allan Medal by one vote. But he won’t have a chance to back it up this week. 

Reid is reportedly set to be rested, which is disappointing for fans who have enjoyed seeing his confidence, swagger and influence grow each week. 

It’s understandable though, and the possibility of stints on the sidelines was flagged at the start of the year by coach Adam Simpson. The Eagles want to protect him as much as they can, hoping they can build a side around the No. 1 draft pick for the future. 

Simpson’s keen to ensure both his body and mind are well managed. 

“We love what Harley’s doing and our internal expectations are not what he’s producing – they (his performances) are a lot higher,” Simpson said post game.

“They’re probably just meeting expectations publicly, so I’m really cautious to not overplay it … it’s hard to sustain that coming into the AFL. 

“But while he keeps doing it, I think we should all enjoy it. Let’s not get too worried if he has an off day.” 

He won’t have an ‘off day’ this week, as he’s not playing. But it will be interesting to see which players can step up in his absence. 

There has been a narrative suggesting Reid is the reason the side has lifted in intensity over the last few weeks. 

The rest of the team will be keen to show they’re able to perform well without their new prince of Perth. 

Let’s see if they can. 

Tall order

West Coast’s forwards have been in fine form over the last few weeks. And they’ll need to be once again if they want a chance to beat Gold Coast.

The Eagles took 14 marks inside 50 against Fremantle, while bringing the ball to ground for the small forwards when they weren’t able to secure the grabs. 

Jake Waterman is third in the AFL for goals kicked this season with 17, playing the best footy of his career, while Jack Darling slotted two on the weekend and worked hard to win a number of important aerial contests. 

Kicking a competitive score hasn’t been a feature of West Coast’s footy in recent times, but over the past two weeks, kicking 16 goals per game in consecutive matches, they’ve been able to turn their on-field pressure into scoreboard pressure.

Let’s see if it continues. 

Consistency key 

All Eagles fans have been asking for over the last few seasons in competitive consistency. Up until a few weeks ago, they haven’t had it. 

A big flogging at the hands of Gold Coast would make it feel like the progress has stalled once again. They simply can’t let it happen. 

Even if the Eagles lose this week, but play well, supporters should be pleased. 

They’ve shown enough signs that the future is bright enough. 

Adam Simpson was very clear post-game that they wouldn’t let the wins get to their heads. Which should hopefully put them in the proper mindset to remain consistently hungry. 

“We’ve had a good couple of weeks,” Simpson said post-match.

“We’re not the finished product at all. We had a good day today and we played a really good side we highly respect and they had an off day as well. So we’re pretty steady on this one.

“I’ll have a quiet one tonight, but I won’t be doing a lap of honour this week.” 

Maybe he’d think about that lap of honour if they upset the Suns? 

Prediction

Gold Coast needs this win desperately. They surely can’t let the opportunity slip. West Coast has been impressive, but both wins have been at home in WA. It will be tough in Queensland.

Gold Coast by 20 points

Fremantle Dockers

Last Week

It couldn’t get much worse for Fremantle. 

After two consecutive close losses, in matches they should have won, the Dockers were thrashed by West Coast in the Derby. 

“We got smoked in the contest,” Freo coach Justin Longmuir said post game. 

“A lot went wrong.”

You can say that again. 

After a competitive start to the game, the Dockers were never in it. 

They lost forward Jye Amiss after barely five minutes due to a concussion, but it was no excuse for their inability to take chances once again. 

Freo went goalless in the first term, and went on to be beaten convincingly in every important measure of the game.

After starting the season so well, winning their opening three games, Fremantle has fallen into a mini crisis. 

There were no positives to take away from the 37-point loss, and third-consecutive defeat. 

This Week

The Dockers face the Bulldogs on Saturday night, who are coming off arguably their best win of the season.

The Dogs bullied the Saints in a dominant 60-point victory, with Aaron Naughton and Cody Weightman kicking nine goals between them as stars of the show. Jack Mcrae was also impressive with 30 disposals, five clearances, seven tackles and a goal, while the absence of Tom Liberatore didn’t seem to make any sort of difference in the middle of the ground.

Coach Luke Beveridge had been under pressure, and responded with changes to the lineup and a huge lift in intensity from his players, to bring the team’s record to 3-3 for the season so far.

The game will be at Optus Stadium, which will pleasure the Freo boys who have travelled around a lot this season. But they have lost two of their past three to the Bulldogs at the venue, with the Dogs also registering a five-goal victory the last time they played. 

It won’t be easy for the Dockers.

Talking Points

Just win 

There is nothing more important than four points here. 

The Dockers have lost three in a row, and their season is quickly spiralling out of control. Nothing other than a victory is acceptable now. 

The fans are fed up with being let down and need a statement win to bring back some hope. 

Justin Longmuir should know this match is very winnable, with the Bulldogs proving they’re inconsistent this season.  The Dockers then play Richmond after this game, so they’ll know another win is also possible.

A couple of consecutive wins can turn it all around. 

That’s exactly what’s expected. 

The Contest 

It’s all got to start in the middle of the ground. 

Last week Fremantle lost the contested ball 128 to 102 against the Eagles, making it just the second time this year the team has lost the contested possession number.

“It’s something we have done well for the start of the season – our contest has been pretty strong – so it’s something we need to work on,” Captain Alex Pearce said post-game. 

“We’ll make sure this next week at training we are confident and next week against the Bulldogs we are playing our brand again.”

Fans will hope they play their brand this week too, with contested ball sure to be a key statistic against the Dogs. Luke Beveridge’s men dominated contested possessions against the Saints, with the likes of Marcus Bontempelli, Adam Treloar and Jack Mcrae registering high numbers in that area. 

The Dockers’ midfield was poor against West Coast, and will surely be keen to bounce back this week. 

A lesson in English 

The Dockers’ ruck duo of Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy hasn’t worked. But they’ll need the partnership to be improved when they come up against Tim English this week. 

Jackson plays better as the number ruckman, but Darcy’s return last week meant he’s back to sharing the duties. 

Ahead of his 100th game for the club, Darcy admitted that re-establishing his connection with Jackson may not be easy. 

“I think it will take a little bit of time (chemistry),” Darcy said during the week.

“We were getting in the way of each other a little bit which halfway through last year we weren’t doing.

“I think once we get up and going we will be great.”

‘Great’ is a strong word, because we haven’t really seen it yet. But the fans will be hoping there is a glimpse against English and the Bulldogs. 

“Tim (English) is a very good player,” Darcy said.

“His ability to cover the ground is one of the better ones … with me and Luke going in we are trying to make the opposition more tired. If he has to wrestle me for a little bit and then chase Luke around, then that’s the idea.”

Let’s see if the hard-working duo works out this time around. 

It will need to if they’re going to win.

Prediction

Fremantle simply can’t lose. They’ll throw everything at this one.

Dockers by 20 points

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