Round 17 is set to be an unusual weekend of footy, as it marks only the sixth occasion in the 18-team era where the top nine teams face off against the bottom nine.
Interestingly, Saturday’s match between Essendon and Gold Coast sees the smallest gap on the ladder, with 13th place taking on eighth.
The last instance of this phenomenon was in round 22 of 2021, when two teams from the lower half managed to pull off surprising victories.
Patrick Cripps of the Blues dodges Harry Perryman of the Magpies. Getty
The AFL had anticipated Collingwood’s showdown against Carlton to be the standout game of the round, but the Blues have hit a rough patch over the past fortnight, suffering defeats to North Melbourne and Port Adelaide.
This slump has led to a consensus among Nine’s experts regarding their AFL tips for the weekend, as might be expected.
In fact, there’s only one match that has divided the experts: the Sunday encounter between Sydney and Fremantle, which is proving to be a tricky prediction.
The Swans are currently three wins outside the top eight due to a sluggish start this season, yet their form has been considerably more solid since round 13.
During this run, they’ve secured victories over Richmond and Port Adelaide away, narrowly losing to the Western Bulldogs from a potentially winnable position.
On the other hand, Fremantle is enjoying a five-game winning streak and is in excellent form. They’ve also shown their ability to compete away from home, besting both GWS and Gold Coast in away fixtures.
Moreover, there’s a possibility that this match could be relocated from the SCG, considering ongoing issues with the playing surface.
Check out all our expert tips for round 17 below:
Nine’s AFL tipping leaderboard. Nine
Expert tips for round 17
Jimmy Bartel: Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, GWS, Gold Coast, Geelong, Brisbane, Hawthorn, Sydney, Adelaide
Tom Morris: Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, GWS, Gold Coast, Geelong, Brisbane, Hawthorn, Fremantle, Adelaide
Eddie McGuire: Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, GWS, Gold Coast, Geelong, Brisbane, Hawthorn, Fremantle, Adelaide
Clint Stanaway: Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, GWS, Gold Coast, Geelong, Brisbane, Hawthorn, Sydney, Adelaide
Nat Yoannidis: Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, GWS, Gold Coast, Geelong, Brisbane, Hawthorn, Sydney, Adelaide
Tony Jones: Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, GWS, Gold Coast, Geelong, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn, Sydney, Adelaide
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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