Round 10 provided some very exciting games, with 3 games going down to the wire by less than a goal. But it’s a new week, with some intriguing matchups on the way! So, without further ado, let's get right into our Round 11 preview! In this blog, we'll be previewing every game of the round and providing some insight into what we might expect in the week ahead. What do you think Round 11 hold for us? Let us know who you agree with and who else you might have selected down below on all of our social channels: twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.
Sydney Swans (12) V Carlton Blues (11)
Friday 26th of May - 7:50pm AEST at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Both teams have only found 1 win in their past 5 games, both to the bottom 2 teams on the table, albeit the Swans beat the Roos by 3 points, whereas the Blues beat the Eagles by 108 points.
The Swans were on a big slide when they came up against the Roos in Round 10, and with the Roos gearing up with a new coach, the Swans would have been worried that another loss was on the way. This 3 point win to the Swans was hard fought, however it took a blunder from the Roos in the form of one too many interchanges that handed the win to the Swans. For the Swans was young gun Chad Warner who was in top form, with 31 disposals and a goal, as well as 7 clearances to his name.
The Blues haven’t had the easiest trio of matches since their thumping of the Eagles, with losses between 20 and 28 points against the Lions, Bulldogs and Pies. While the Pies led from start to finish, Sam Docherty and Adam Cerra gave the Blues every chance with their prolific ball getting, combining for 67 points, 10 tackles, 8 clearances and over 1000 metres gained.
Prediction:
This will be the easiest challenge the Blues have faced in a month, but it’s at the SCG, which the Blues have had a poor record at in recent times – Swans by 6 points
Errol Gulden – 120 GDS fantasy points
St Kilda Saints (6) V Hawthorn Hawks (16)
Saturday 27th of May - 1:45pm AEST at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
The Hawks got only their second win of the season in Round 10, but it was convincing to say the least. Can they back it up with a big upset?
The Saints travelled to Sydney to take on the Giants, hoping to jump back on the winners list after their big loss to the Crows. It ended up only a 2 goal win, but the Saints took a lot from it, as GWS played a good brand of footy, and they had every answer. One player stood out from the rest, with Jack Sinclair racking up 37 disposals as well as kicking 2 goals, and having a whopping 733 metres gained.
Hawks fans were starting to worry that the wooden spoon could be heading their way, but a big turnaround in form meant the Hawks got their 2nd win in a big way. A huge 116 point win was exactly what the Hawks needed to get their season back on track, or at least their fans will be hoping it does. Conor Nash had a big day out against the Eagles, racking up 30 disposals, 8 tackles and 8 clearances, while Mitch Lewis kicked 6 goals with his 24 disposals.
Prediction:
The Eagles injury woes made the Hawks win look better than what it was, and the Saints should have the Hawks measure here – Saints by 41 points
Rowan Marshall – 110 GDS fantasy points
Melbourne Demons (4) V Fremantle Dockers (10)
Saturday 27th of May - 2:10pm AEST at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
The Demons fell agonisingly short in Adelaide against the Power, while the Dockers made it 3 wins in a row beating the Cats in WA.
The Demons were on a nice win streak when they came up against the Power, albeit beating much easier teams in that period. What they might not have been expecting was a mammoth performance from some of the Power midfielders, who were ultimately the Dees downfall. Clayton Oliver did his best against the strong Power midfield, racking up 30 disposals, 9 tackles and 8 clearances.
The Dockers travelled back to Perth with 2 wins in a row, but with their biggest challenge of that stretch ahead of them, coming up against the reigning premiers. The Dockers were up to the challenge however, putting up a strong score, eventually pulling away to record a 29 point win. Andy Brayshaw and Caleb Serong were imperative in the result, combining for 61 disposals, 2 goals, a whopping 19 tackles and 17 clearances in what was a dominant midfield performance.
Prediction:
This is shaping up to be close, and the Dockers will be full of confidence, but this is a bigger challenge than the Cats – Demons by 8 points
Christian Petracca – 110 GDS fantasy points
Geelong Cats (7) V Greater Western Sydney Giants (15)
Saturday 27th of May - 4:35pm AEST at GMHBA Stadium, Geelong The Cats are now 5-5 but the Giants can’t seem to find wins, winning only 1 of the past 5 games. Who can turn around their poor form here?
After 5 wins in a row, the Cats looked near unstoppable again, before a loss to the low flying Tigers derailed their hot streak, before Freo piled on the bad news with another consecutive loss. While the scoreboard didn’t show it, the Dockers dominated the matchup, with no Cats player reaching 20 disposals, and the top 9 disposals getters being from the Dockers.
The Giants are on a 3-game losing streak, but they were 3 formidable opponents, and apart from the 65-point margin to the Pies, the other 2 games were close and had plenty of merit. Their 2-goal loss against the Saints was a strong effort, keeping the game close, spending some time in front across most of the game. In that matchup, Stephen Coniglio racked up 26 disposals and kicked a goal, with 6 tackles and 3 clearances in a front-running performance.
Prediction:
The Cats will appreciate being back at home, and can find some mojo again – Cats by 25 points
Tom Stewart – 110 GDS fantasy points
Gold Coast Suns (13) V Western Bulldogs (6)
Saturday 27th of May - 7:25pm AEST at TIO Stadium, Darwin
The Suns return home after a QClash loss to the Lions, meanwhile the Dogs made it 5 wins in a row beating the Crows in emphatic style.
It looked as though the Suns had turned a corner in their season, winning 3 of the past 4 before they had arguably their biggest test against the Lions in Round 10, where they saw a 4th quarter collapse end up in a 43-point loss. At 3 quarter time, it seemed as though the Suns would trouble the Lions right to the end, but the game got away from them late. The Lions players dominated the stats sheet, with the Suns highest scorer being young Bailey Humphrey, who got 26 disposals and a goal to his name, with 5 clearances and 7 score involvements as well.
The Western Bulldogs have built form well, developing into their 5th win in a row over the Crows, who themselves had been in pretty good form. It was a dominant win, more than doubling the Crows score, even with a bit of inaccuracy with shots on goal. While there were many great performers for the Doggies, with 5 players reaching over 30 disposals, it was very difficult to pick the standout. It had to go to Bailey Smith however, who racked up 37 disposals, 7 tackles, 9 score involvements and 6 inside-50s, in what was a very impressive performance.
Prediction:
The Dogs have been building form nicely, and if they can replicate their performance from last week, this will not be a close game – Dogs by 43 points
Jack Macrae – 120 GDS fantasy points
West Coast Eagles (18) V Essendon Bombers (9)
Saturday 27th of May - 7:40pm AEST at Optus Stadium, Perth West Coast cannot catch a break with injury, meanwhile the Bombers pulled off an impressive come-from-behind win over the Tigers.
The Eagles came up against the Hawks in Round 10 with one thing on their mind, whoever loses is the front runner for the Wooden Spoon. Unfortunately for the Eagles, even with some of their experienced players on the field, even the Hawks in second-last were not going to go easy on them. In what was their biggest loss of the season, they were dominated by 116 points, rubbing salt into the wounds of a broken team. Dom Sheed found plenty of the footy playing in a team that only kicked 4 goals, in what was a decent performance under the circumstances. He found 30 disposals and kicked 2 of their 4 goals, as well as laying 5 tackles and getting 5 clearances.
The Bombers also went into this game with an injury cloud over their heads, confirmation that Darcy Parish would be out, along with fellow mids in Setterfield and Shiel (late withdrawl), it appeared the hot Tigers might take advantage. However, the Bombers never gave up, leaving it to the last seconds of the game for Sam Durham to kick the match winning goal, sealing the 1 point victory. While many played well, the best-on-ground honours went to Zach Merrett, and rightfully so, with 39 disposals, 7 tackles and 9 score involvements to his name.
Prediction:
In a game poised to be one-sided, I see the Dons forwards getting lots of footy and making the Injured Eagles pay – Dons by 86 points
Sam Weideman – 100 GDS fantasy points
Richmond Tigers (14) V Port Adelaide Power (3)
Sunday 28th of May - 1:10pm AEST at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
The Tigers said goodbye to their longest standing coach Damien Hardwick after their 1-point loss to the Bombers, meanwhile the Power kept their good streak going with another close win, this time over the Demons.
The Tigers went in to their matchup with the Bombers on a 2-win streak, with plenty of confidence after knocking off the in-form reigning premiers the week prior. After a slow start, they found the lead and kept it for most of the game, until the Bombers snatched the win in the dying seconds. It could be seen on Hardwicks face that it was a defeat that stung, or maybe he knew that his time was up and the team who he played 153 games for had handed him his final loss as coach. It is unsure if the players had any idea, but Shai Bolton sure looked like a man on a mission to get the win, racking up 28 disposals with 2 goals, 7 tackles and 7 inside 50s.
Prediction:
The Tigers will be hurting after the close loss and Dimma stepping down, and the Power are running red hot right now – Power by 23 points
Dan Houston – 130 GDS fantasy points
Collingwood Magpies (1) V North Melbourne Kangaroos (17)
Sunday 28th of May - 3:20pm AEST at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Both are on streaks, for the Pies it’s winning, and for the Roos it’s losing, in any way possible.
The Pies come in to this matchup one game clear on the top of the ladder, with only the single loss for the season, coming to the Lions in Round 4. Since then, they have been nearly unbeatable, playing some amazing footy that teams are finding impossible to conquer. In Round 10, it was the Blues that were at the mercy of the Pies. From the start, the Pies were in control, and if it weren’t for a trio of hard running midfielders for the Blues, the Pies score could have been much larger. There were so many strong performers for the Pies, but Darcy Moore had a blinder. He was an impenetrable object in defence, clunking everything that came his way. A monster 25 disposal effort as a key defender, 16 of which were intercept possessions, with 11 marks and 4 tackles, and even 4 score involvements.
For the Roos, it was agony as they fell short by 3 points against the Swans. It is unsure who was actually to blame for the blunder that lost them the game, as they gave away a free kick and 50m penalty for a interchange infringement in the last minute of the game, while they were up by less than a goal. Whoever was in charge of keeping count of how many interchanges they did, will surely be in a bit of trouble for that. Outside of that error, the Roos played some good football, stemming from their hard-working midfield. Props has to go to young Harry Sheezel, who had 25 disposals and 2 goals, while fellow mid Jy Simpkin had 28 disposals and 2 goals as well.
Prediction:
The Roos looked better than previous matches, but the Pies are a much stronger opponent than the Swans – Pies by 36 points
John Noble – 100 GDS fantasy points
Adelaide Crows (8) V Brisbane Lions (2)
Sunday 28th of May - 4:40pm AEST at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
This is shaping up to be a good battle, with the Crows being brought back to earth with their big loss to the Dogs, while the Lions will want to continue their winning ways to push for the top spot.
It is no mystery that the Crows play better at home, and the comparison between Round 9 and 10 definitely highlighted that. They gave the Saints a pumping in Round 9 at home, and then travelled to Melbourne to take on the Dogs and were on the other end of a similar pumping in Round 10. Their 40-point total was also the lowest of the season, with their closest score being 58 points in their 1-point loss to the Pies in Round 7. Rory Laird had a good crack against the Dogs however, collecting 34 disposals, 10 tackles and 10 clearances, as well as 6 score involvements.
The Lions are running red hot right now, recording their 7th win in a row, and 8th of the season in the QClash against the Suns. While for much of the game, the margin didn’t slip outside a few goals, the 4th quarter performance from the Lions blew the Suns away, finishing in a 43-point win. There were many strong performers for the Lions, but one of them stood out, partially as he was attempting to win the Best-on-ground medal named after his father, Marcus Ashcroft. Will Ashcroft was outstanding for a first-year player, racking up 30 disposals and a goal, with 7 score involvements and 6 clearances in an unreal effort. Unfortunately, he will have to wait for the next QClash in Round 20 for his next chance at winning it, as it was awarded to Lachie Neale.
Prediction:
The Crows will be better at home, but not good enough for the rampaging Lions – Lions by 17 points
Will Ashcroft – 120 GDS fantasy points