Carlton v Hawthorn - You should just get the texta out, really, and write down Hawthorn by panels of fencing, but this is the sort of game that has sat us all on our tipping derrieres this season. Carlton fans wish. It’s their only hope. Even through the lens of over-the-top possibility I can’t see a way the Blues can win. And I don’t think Hawthorn can find a way to lose. If the Hawks win their share of the footy they will be too creative and too strong up forward. The Carlton pace might be troublesome for a short while, but that won’t last. The Hawks by 29 points
Collingwood v Fremantle - If the Pies play with the heart they did against the Eagles, and the Dockers with the heart they displayed against the Bombers, last week, then this will be a long afternoon for the Purple Haze. I can see Pav having to go into the middle, and maybe even to centre half back at some stage. The Pies, in solid form, at home, by 37 points
Adelaide v Richmond - They say the Crows were off-colour in the lead-up to their twilight fixture against North, which may explain their poor showing. But then again they may have been outplayed. The Tiges have an even better mid-field than the Roos, but they catch Adelaide on the rebound, at home, and ready to retrieve the situation. The Richmond key defenders have been solid this year, but this will be a test. Adelaide to bounce back, by 22 points
West Coast v Gold Coast - This will be a slaughter. They could sell raffle tickets with the three winners from the crowd to don the blue and yellow and play across the half forward line, and the Eagles would still win in a canter. The only saving grace for the Suns is that viewers will see how little their blokes are against the monsters from the West. It will at least be some sort of alibi. The Eagles by 77 points
Essendon v Western Bulldogs - I’ve always loved this fixture between two old rivals; a sort of derby in its own way. I reckon the Bomber-sceptics were made to re-consider their position by last Saturday’s performance from the emerging guns of Windy Hill. They put a few lengths on Freo when the home side was entitled to do the same. Meanwhile the Dogs were hammered by the just-going Lions. The Bombers will be too fast, too strong, too skilful. Their talls will be better. And yet this could also be another one of those matches which puts a kink in the formline. Not likely. Essendon by 45 points
Sydney v GWS - Melbourne were way over the odds last weekend against GWS , thank you very much. And the bookies haven’t made the mistake again. Sydney are very good, and very much a $1.nothing shot here. I’m not even sure I’d be taking GWS in the exacta for this. Sydney by 99 points
Geelong v Port Adelaide - The Cats are still stuck on Cape Canaveral and it remains to be seen where they are in the countdown, and whether they are ready to take off at all. Many observers are arguing that they’ve lost their grunt anyway. So, this is a bad day for Port to be visiting the Cattery. The Cats have to win this one well. Port’s hope is in the ruck, and in the clearances, but the Cats will be posting goals from all over the park. Geelong by 54 points
Brisbane v Melbourne - This match loses a bit of its spice now that Mitch Clark has gone down with the Lisfranc injury to his foot. A good job it’s not 1812 when the standard treatment was amputation. The Lions will be looking to consolidate their recent form with a win at home and they have the (comparative) all-round game to do that. Mark Jamar will need to have very broad shoulders to give the Dees any chance. And that bloke Hudson who looks like he comes from a McCubbin painting will have something to say about that. Lions by 26 points
North Melbourne v St Kilda - Work North out if you can. Last Sunday changed a few things with North really outplaying the Crows and looking like they’d trouble any side, with their explosive spread and run, as they did against Geelong earlier in the year. Coincidentally St Kilda’s last opponent was also Adelaide and they lost, in Adelaide. The Saints are also coming off the bye. It all depends on which versions of both sides turns up. The fresh Saints will trouble the keen Kangas up forward. But it might come down to use of the footy and at the moment I’d go with the run and skills of North, over the capacity of Scott Watters to shut that down. The Roos by 11 points
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