Well, Round 11 definitely provided us with some exciting games, with enough upsets to send every fan’s tips awry. But it’s a new week, with some tasty games coming up! So, without further ado, let's get right into our Round 12 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 12 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.
Melbourne Demons (4) V Carlton Blues (13)
Friday 2nd of June - 7:50pm AEST at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
4 losses in a row to the Blues will have them worried that the wheels have fallen off, while the Demons have now lost 2 in a row but both within 7 points of their opponents.
The Demons travelled back to Melbourne after their loss to Port, hopeful that they could bounce back against a Dockers side that traditionally doesn’t travel well. It didn’t end up playing out that way, succumbing to another close loss after the Dockers midfielders dominated the game. With Clayton Oliver injured, it was all up to Christian Petracca to try to carry the Dees to victory, which saw him rack up 30 disposals, 5 tackles and 8 clearances, totalling 134 GDS fantasy points.
The Blues however are on a 4 game losing streak, after another performance that will surely have the Blues faithful screaming for a form turnaround. It was Mr Reliable that gave them every chance against the Swans, with Sam Walsh accruing another 31 disposals and a goal, giving him 136 GDS fantasy points in another strong performance for him this season.
Prediction:
There hasn’t been any signs of Carlton finding their mojo, and the Demons look much closer to finding a win – Demons by 26 points
Max Gawn – 120 GDS fantasy points
Port Adelaide Power (2) V Hawthorn Hawks (16)
Saturday 3rd of June - 1:45pm AEST at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
The Power just keep on winning, while the Hawks made it two in a row defying the odds against the fancied Saints.
The Power just can’t seem to lose at the moment, even in Round 11 when they were very inaccurate in front of goal against the Tigers. The Power started out well, but after the first quarter 5 goals and 4 behinds, they kicked 5 goals and 13 behinds for the rest of the game. It could have been their undoing, but the Tigers were equally as poor in front of goal, giving them the 10 point win in the end. It was Zak Butters who led the way for the Power, with 32 disposals and a goal to his name, scoring 127 GDS fantasy points.
2 weeks ago, Hawks fans were starting to worry that the wooden spoon would be heading their way. A huge 116 point win turned their form around, and then they defied the odds against stronger opponents in the Saints, who they beat by 10 points in what was a strong performance. Speaking of strong performances, it was a true captains knock from James Sicily, who dominated the backline with 43 disposals and 16 marks, giving him a round high 190 GDS fantasy points.
Prediction:
Hawks have got the ball rolling, but the Power are going to be too strong – Power by 31 points
Dan Houston – 110 GDS fantasy points
West Coast Eagles (18) V Collingwood Magpies (1)
Saturday 3rd of June - 4:35pm AEST at Optus Stadium, Perth
Last vs First, does it get ugly for the Eagles? Or can they find some form?
For the Eagles, it has been a downward trajectory for much of the season, with players dropping like flies. However, early in their Round 11 matchup against the Bombers, it looked as though they might be up for the fight. It didn’t eventuate though, eventually losing by 50 points. They had some standout performers however, in Liam Duggan and Jayden Hunt, who combined for 69 disposals and over 1000m gained.
The Pies haven’t looked like losing since their close shave against the Crows over a month ago, putting away their next 4 opponents by margins of 28 points or more. Their latest victim was the lowly Kangaroos, who they beat by 35 points in a comfortable victory. In that game, there were another couple of standout performers in Jordan De Goey and Nick Daicos, who combined for 67 disposals and 2 goals, as well as 10 tackles and 12 clearances.
Prediction:
Unless the Pies rest several key players, there is no reason this shouldn’t be a slaughter – Pies by 78 points
Nick Daicos – 130 GDS fantasy points
Western Bulldogs (6) V Geelong Cats (10)
Saturday 3rd of June - 7:25pm AEST at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne The Dogs win streak was ended by a surprising loss to the Suns, while the Cats continued the trend of consecutive losses, dropping to their second three-loss streak of the season when losing to the Giants.
The Bulldogs might have underestimated the Suns when they travelled up to Darwin, but the loss would be tough to take nonetheless. They had played incredibly the week before against arguably much stronger opponents in the Crows, only to back it up with a disappointing 7 point-loss to the Suns. Jack Macrae put in a big effort for the Dogs, racking up 33 disposals, 8 tackles and 520m gained, for a strong 140 GDS fantasy points.
After 5 wins in a row, the Cats looked ready to take their 5-3 record and make a play for the top spot once again. Now, after their third consecutive loss, sitting on a 5-6 record and outside the top 8, their prospects aren’t looking up but now down. They were outplayed by the Giants in their most recent loss, all around the ground. Due to their poor midfield performance, their defenders got plenty of the ball, including Tom Stewart who had 31 disposals and a whopping 783m gained, scoring 145 GDS fantasy points in the process.
Prediction:
This is hard to predict, as both teams could turn their form around. The Dogs will hate that they let the game slip against the Suns, so I’m backing them to get the job done – Dogs by 5 points
Marcus Bontempelli – 120 GDS fantasy points
Gold Coast Suns (12) V Adelaide Crows (7)
Saturday 3rd of June - 7:25pm AEST at TIO Stadium, Darwine
The Suns are back up in Darwin for consecutive weeks, this time taking on the Crows who are coming off an important win over the Lions.
The Suns seemed to relish playing in Darwin in Round 11, kicking very accurately to make the most of their chances against the Dogs, eventually beating them by 7 points. While there were many contributors, Matt “Grass Eater” Rowell showed he hasn’t lost any energy switching to his turf based pre-game snack, racking up 29 disposals and a goal, as well as 7 tackles and a huge 16 clearances for over 700m gained.
While the Crows may have been lucky that the Lions kicked 1 goal and 9 behinds in the 3rd quarter, it still goes down as win for them, and an important one too. They were in dire need of showing fight after their big loss to the Dogs in Round 10, so the fight they showed against the Lions was key to keeping themselves in the Top 8 and in winning form overall. Jordan Dawson continued his strong run of performances with another 32 disposals and 10 tackles, scoring 151 GDS fantasy points.
Prediction:
This is an away game for the Crows, but it still is neutral ground. The Crows looked classy against the Lions, and can carry that into this game – Crows by 23 points
Ben Keays – 120 GDS fantasy points
Greater Western Sydney Giants (14) V Richmond Tigers (15)
Sunday 4th of June - 1:10pm AEST at Giants Stadium, Sydney The Giants took full advantage of the Cats injuries, turning around a string of losses, meanwhile the Tigers lost their second game in a row against the Power.
The Giants came into Round 11 on a 3-game losing streak, with a 3-7 record, ahead of a matchup with the reigning premiers. In their favour though was the fact that the Cats were also on a losing streak, and with their captain Toby Greene playing his 200th game, the Giants were inspired to a 7-point win. In his 200th game, Toby Greene showed his impressive goal-kicking talents, kicking 4 goals in the first half, while racking up 19 disposals and 9 marks.
The Tigers poor accuracy in the first 3 quarters of their matchup with the Power cost them dearly, resulting in their second close loss in consecutive weeks. The silver lining for the Tigers was the impressive performance by Tim Taranto, who has arguably been their best player of 2023 so far, kicking 4 goals and racking up 33 disposals, as well as 7 tackles and 7 clearances.
Prediction:
This game could go either way, but looking at the history books, the home team in this matchup has been victorious much more often – Giants by 6 points
Lachie Whitfield – 110 GDS fantasy points
Essendon Bombers (8) V North Melbourne Kangaroos (17)
Sunday 4th of June - 4:40pm AEST at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
The Bombers moved back into the Top 8 with their win over the Eagles, meanwhile the Roos extended their losing streak to 9 after they lost to the Pies.
After a slow start in their match against the Eagles, the Dons started to pull away and put a healthy margin on the injury riddled Eagles, to rub salt into the wounds of the already hurting WA side. Three Bombers reached the 30 disposal mark in that win, their captain Zach Merrett, as well as Mason Redman and Nic Martin. All three players were pivotal in the win, highlighted by the fact they combined for over 1500m gained for the Bombers.
It was an even slower start for the Roos against the Pies, not kicking their first goal until the 3rd minute of the 2nd quarter. It wasn’t until the game was well out of reach in the 4th quarter that the Roos found some rhythm, kicking 6 last quarter goals after scoring 4 in the first 3 quarters. The experience of Hugh Greenwood shone through against the Pies, where he racked up 25 disposals, with 11 tackles and 10 clearances.
Prediction:
While it would be typical of the Bombers to allow an upset occur, it would be ridiculous to tip against them here – Bombers by 27 points
Jordan Ridley – 120 GDS fantasy points