The AFL this weekend heads to Adelaide for the third edition of Gather Round, which will see all 18 teams play across three different venues in the City of Churches. For teams like the undefeated Suns, Lions and Hawks, this weekend offers a great opportunity to entrench themselves further at the top of the ladder, with all three of them heading in as favourites. At the other end of the spectrum, the winless Blues and Demons both face beatable opponents, which invariably means a loss will significantly compound the already hefty amount of pressure they are under. Gather Round has been a great spectacle over its first couple of incarnations, and with a host of intriguing games, this weekend should be no different. Check out our preview of all nine games below.
AFL 2025 Round 6
Adelaide Crows vs Geelong Cats
What an enthralling way for the round to start this is. The Crows started the season in sensational fashion with a couple of huge wins, and while they suffered their first loss of the season last weekend they lost no fans in a controversial one-point defeat to the Suns. With the whole football world watching this Thursday night, expect them to come out breathing fire after yet another tight loss that was potentially decided by an umpiring decision the AFL later deemed incorrect. But huffing and puffing will do nothing to change the result, nor will it make this clash any easier against a capable opponent.
The Cats bounced back from consecutive tight losses last weekend with a strong win over the Demons, and though their opposition in that game is admittedly struggling, Geelong looked solid all over the ground. So far this season, they have looked great in Geelong and not so great elsewhere, and they will be eager to change that this weekend. This should be a fantastic game and could easily go down to the wire, but with the Cats’ experience and strong defensive structures posing the most significant challenge for the Crows’ offensively-minded game all year, the visitors can cause an upset to kick off Gather Round.
Predicted Squads
Adelaide Crows: B: J. Worrell, J. Borlase, R. Laird HB: W. Milera, M. Keane, M. Michalanney C: I. Cumming, J. Dawson, L. Sholl HF: B. Keays, R. Thilthorpe, I. Rankine F: D. Fogarty, T. Walker, A. Neal-Bullen FOLL: R. O’Brien, J. Soligo, J. Peatling I/C: D. Curtin, L. Murphy, M. Hinge, S. Draper, L. Nankervis EMG: S. Berry, H. Bond, T. Murray
Geelong Cats: B: C. O’Sullivan, S. De Koning, M. Blicavs HB: L. Humphries, T. Stewart, Z. Guthrie C: B. Smith, P. Dangerfield, O. Dempsey HF: B. Close, G. Miers, T. Stengle F: S. Neale, J. Cameron, O. Henry FOLL: R. Stanley, M. Holmes, T. Atkins I/C: S. Mannagh, J. Bowes, O. Mullin, M. Knevitt, M. O’Connor EMG: M. Duncan, T. Clohesy, J. Clark
Collingwood Magpies vs Sydney Swans
Friday night presents us with another cracking game, as two teams looking to establish themselves as genuine contenders in a season with plenty of similarly-matched teams lock horns at Adelaide Oval. The Magpies have certainly looked the part since their disastrous Opening Round effort against the Giants, winning three on the trot against the Power, Bulldogs and Blues. Last Thursday’s clash against Carlton was not exactly the most impressive display of football we’ll see all year, but they looked like clearly the better team as they took their record to 3-1.
The Swans, meanwhile, have shown some good signs over the past fortnight after two losses to start the season. They went into last week’s clash over the admittedly improved Kangaroos only as a slight favourite, despite the fact that they were the best team in the league by a large margin for much of last season and the Roos were close to the worst. Certainly the gap has closed, but the Swans reminded the footy world that they are still a very good footy team with a dominant 65-point win. With plenty of class players still to come back into the side, they are not being given nearly enough respect as a Premiership contender by the football world. A win under Friday nights against the Magpies would go a long way to changing that, and in another hard-fought and close game, they can secure the four points.
Predicted Squads
Collingwood Magpies: B: B. Maynard, B. Frampton, J. Howe HB: I. Quaynor, D. Moore, J. Daicos C: P. Lipinski, H. Perryman, S. Sidebottom HF: B. Hill, B. Mihocek, W. Hoskin-Elliott F: J. Elliott, D. McStay, T. Membrey FOLL: D. Cameron, J. Crisp, N. Daicos I/C: F. Macrae, S. Pendlebury, N. Long, B. McCreery, E. Allan EMG: L. Sullivan, M. Cox, J. Ryan
Sydney Swans: B: J. Hamling, D. Rampe, N. Blakey HB: S. Wicks, M. Roberts, O. Florent C: B. Campbell, I. Heeney, J. Lloyd HF: T. Hanily, W. Hayward, P. Ladhams F: J. Amartey, T. McCartin, Co. Warner FOLL: B. Grundy, Ch. Warner, J. Rowbottom I/C: R. Bice, J. Jordon, H. McLean, C. Cleary, A. Sheldrick EMG: B. Paton, A. Francis, C. Mitchell
North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Gold Coast Suns
The Kangaroos put in their first real stinker of the season last weekend, being pummelled from the outset by an impressive Swans outfit. They still look the best they have for years, but despite the improvement they appear to have shown, this team is still very young. They look well-placed to go past the four-win mark which they’re yet to pass this decade, potentially by a few games, but down performances here and there are still to be expected for such a young team.
The Suns, meanwhile, finally look ready to play finals for the first time in their history, and potentially even do some damage once there. In Damian Hardwick’s second year in charge they have won their first three games, pounding the Eagles and Demons before just scraping over the line against the Crows last weekend. Though the Crows look like a really capable team this season, it’s nonetheless not exactly been the most difficult fixture to start the season, but they have looked impressive regardless of opposition and should be able to continue their winning ways against North Melbourne.
Predicted Squads
North Melbourne Kangaroos: B: C. Comben, A. Corr, G. Logue HB: L. McDonald, C. Daniel, H. Sheezel C: B. Scott, L. Davies-Uniacke, J. Simpkin HF: C. McKercher, N. Larkey, R. Hansen Jr F: P. Curtis, J. Darling, C. Zurhaar FOLL: T. Xerri, T. Powell, L. Parker I/C: D. Tucker, D. Stephens, G. Wardlaw, F. O’Sullivan, J. Konstanty EMG: F. Maley, B. Teakle, M. Whitlock
Gold Coast Suns: B: W. Powell, S. Collins, B. Uwland HB: J. Noble, M. Andrew, D. Rioli C: L. Weller, M. Rowell, C. Budarick HF: B. Ainsworth, T. Miller, S. Flanders F: B. King, B. Humphrey, E. Read FOLL: J. Witts, W. Graham, N. Anderson I/C: J. Walter, B. Long, J. Tsitas, J. Jeffrey, J. Rogers EMG: N. Holman, N. Moyle, C. Graham
- The Swans have had the wood over the Magpies in recent times, winning five of the last six games between the two.
- The Power have not been able to even match it against the Bombers or St. Kilda in Adelaide in the past fortnight, and lost by 91 points to the solitary contender they’ve faced this season. A 14.5-point line looks far too generous.
- While the Blues have been disappointing, they have gone close against quality opposition the last three weeks and the Eagles still truly suck – they’ve got within six goals just once this season and average a 56.5-point losing margin.
Multi of the Week
| Legs | Odds |
| Swans to win | $2.15 |
| Hawks 25+ | $2.30 |
| Blues -33.5 | $1.90 |
| Bet $10 for $93.96 with PlayUp | |
Carlton Blues vs West Coast Eagles
The Blues could hardly be more desperate for a win, so a clash with the Eagles could not come at a better time. Having said that, it also means that if they do lose, the pressure on Michael Voss and his team will reach breaking point. Already Carlton have lost to the Tigers this season so they’re certainly not a lock to win this one, but in fairness to them, their three losses since have all been by 20 points or less against very good teams – which the Eagles are decidedly not.
In Andrew McQualter’s first year, West Coast have looked as hapless as ever, losing their first four games by an average of nearly ten goals. Of course, it was always going to be a rude introduction to his first stint as a full-time AFL coach, with his list simply not up to the standard of virtually any other team in the league. With both of these teams sitting at 0-4 there is plenty on the line for them both, but while the Blues still have the ability to make something of their season, the Eagles are 0-4 for good reason. Carlton simply has to win this game, and they should be able to do so comfortably.
Predicted Squads
Carlton Blues: B: A. Saad, J. Weitering, O. Hollands HB: L. Young, M. McGovern, N. Haynes C: B. Acres, P. Cripps, S. Walsh HF: S. Docherty, H. McKay, L. Fogarty F: J. Silvagni, C. Curnow, J. Motlop FOLL: T. De Koning, A. Cerra, G. Hewett I/C: C. Lord, B. Kemp, Z. Williams, J. Binns, A. Moir EMG: W. White, J. Boyd, F. Evans
West Coast Eagles: B: B. Hough, S. Brock, R. Ginbey HB: L. Baker, R. Maric, B. Allan C: L. Duggan, J. Graham, J. Hunt HF: H. Johnston, A. Reid, M. Owies F: J. Cripps, O. Allen, J. Waterman FOLL: B. Williams, H. Reid, T. Kelly I/C: T. Gross, C. Hall, J. Williams, T. Dewar, H. Davis EMG: T. Brockman, L. Rawlinson, H. Edwards
Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane Lions
The Bulldogs might find themselves at 2-2 a month into the season, but in my eyes they have been very impressive. Every one of their games has been close – they could just as easily be 4-0 or 0-4 – but the way they have played suggests they are capable of being a serious threat this season. They’ve always had plenty of midfield talent but have struggled to sort out the dynamics of their key position players, but with Sam Darcy already establishing himself as an elite player and Rory Lobb playing great footy down back, they are looking very settled. And with Marcus Bontempelli and Adam Treloar still to return, they have plenty of reason to be optimistic.
This Saturday’s game will provide a great test for them as they take on the reigning Premiers, who sit at 4-0 after their win against Richmond last weekend. But while they have not yet lost, nor have the Lions been at their best; those four wins have only come by a combined total of 60 points, with closer games than they would have liked against the Tigers and Eagles, though their wins over Sydney and Geelong were solid. With the Tigers booting 90 points on them last weekend, Brisbane will need to clamp down defensively or the fleet-footed Bulldogs could easily put up a big score on them. Expect this to be a free-flowing and high-scoring game, but while the Dogs can absolutely give this a shake, the Lions might just be too strong.
Predicted Squads
Western Bulldogs: B: B. Khamis, L. Jones, B. Williams HB: L. Bramble, R. Lobb, B. Dale C: J. Freijah, T. Liberatore, S. Davidson HF: L. McNeil, A. Naughton, R. Sanders F: A. Scott, S. Darcy, J. Harmes FOLL: T. English, M. Kennedy, E. Richards I/C: O. Baker, J. Busslinger, J. O’Donnell, R. West, H. Gallagher EMG: J. Croft, A. Jones, C. Poulter
Brisbane Lions: B: D. Zorko, J. Payne, R. Lester HB: N. Answerth, H. Andrews, D. Wilmot C: J. Fletcher, Z. Bailey, J. Berry HF: C. Cameron, E. Hipwood, H. McCluggage F: C. Rayner, S. Day, L. Morris FOLL: O. McInerney, J. Dunkley, L. Neale I/C: C. Ah Chee, W. Ashcroft, L. Ashcroft, B. Reville, W. McLachlan EMG: D. Gardiner, J. Tunstill, D. Fort
Melbourne Demons vs Essendon Bombers
If you were ranking this weekend’s games for total pressure on their two participants, this one would be right up there. The Demons are, along with the Blues, the most under fire team in the competition, and for good reason. They’re winless through four games, and aside from their three-point loss to the Giants in Round One, haven’t gone close to winning. They at least hung around with the Cats for a while last weekend, but 46 points was still a pitiful return and again highlighted their issues in the front half of the ground.
The Bombers, meanwhile, got an enormous monkey off their back with an impressive win after they too found themselves under all sorts of pressure following their first two performances of the season. That win over Port may only paper over the cracks and their list is still not exactly in tip-top shape, but they did play as well as they have all season by some margin in that game. Still, a loss to the winless Demons would put them right back in the media’s firing line. Expect this to be a hard-fought game with both teams scrapping for much-needed victories, but for all their bad form the Demons still have a lot more high-level talent running around than the Bombers. At better than even money odds, they can sneak over the line for their first win of the year.
Predicted Squads
Melbourne Demons: B: J. Bowey, S. May, H. Petty HB: T. Rivers, T. McDonald, C. Salem C: C. Windsor, J. Viney, T. Sparrow HF: K. Pickett, T. Fullarton, J. Henderson F: B. Fritsch, J. van Rooyen, H. Langford FOLL: M. Gawn, C. Petracca, E. Langdon I/C: C. Oliver, J. Melksham, B. Howes, K. Chandler, C. Spargo EMG: J. Billings, J. Adams, A. Johnson
Essendon Bombers: B: A. McGrath, B. McKay, J. Ridley HB: M. Redman, Z. Reid, J. Prior C: X. Duursma, W. Setterfield, A. Roberts HF: J. Gresham, N. Caddy, N. Martin F: H. Jones, S. Draper, I. Kako FOLL: N. Bryan, Z. Merrett, S. Durham I/C: B. Hobbs, D. Shiel, J. Menzie, S. El-Hawli, E. Tsatas EMG: A. Perkins, L. Hayes, A. Day-Wicks
Richmond Tigers vs Fremantle Dockers
This season was never going to be entirely about wins and losses for the Tigers, and despite racking up a third defeat in a row last weekend, there were plenty of positives to take out of that game against the Lions. Their young brigade showed a lot of good signs, particularly forward of the ball, and importantly they ran out the game really well against a far more hardened opposition which did, admittedly, probably take its foot off the pedal in the second half. They won’t win many games this year, but if they can continue to play in that manner they will plenty of teams work harder than anticipated for the four points.
The Dockers may have to do just that, but they will be fully expecting to come away with the chocolates after a really solid last couple of weeks. They’ve quickly proven their Round 1 defeat to the Cats was an anomaly, with a tight loss to the Swans followed by a comfortable win over the Eagles and last week, a really impressive 16-point win over the Bulldogs. This is a good team that should be expecting to play finals as a minimum, and in such a tight year they can’t afford losses to teams like Richmond. The Tigers can make a nuisance of themselves, but the Dockers should be able to pull away in the second half to secure a third win on the trot.
| Bookmaker | James’ Tip | Odds |
 | Tigers +18.5 first half line | $1.85 |
 | Dockers 1-39 | $2.40 |
 | Over 176.5 total match points | $1.88 |
Predicted Squads
Richmond Tigers: B: N. Broad, B. Miller, N. Vlastuin HB: J. Short, N. Balta, T. Brown C: S. Banks, K. McIntosh, J. Trezise HF: J. Ross, S. Campbell, J. Bauer F: H. Armstrong, T. Lynch, S. Lalor FOLL: T. Nankervis, T. Taranto, J. Hopper I/C: L. Trainor, T. Sonsie, S. Green, T. Dow, K. Smith EMG: M. Rioli, C. Gray, S. Ryan
Fremantle Dockers: B: J. Draper, A. Pearce, B. Cox HB: H. Chapman, L. Ryan, J. Clark C: M. Johnson, J. O’Meara, W. Brodie HF: M. Reid, M. Frederick, S. Bolton F: P. Voss, J. Treacy, J. Amiss FOLL: S. Darcy, C. Serong, A. Brayshaw I/C: J. Sharp, C. Wagner, I. Dudley, B. Banfield, K. Worner EMG: N. Erasmus, L. Reidy, W. Brodie
St. Kilda Saints vs Greater Western Sydney Giants
Are the Saints actually good? After a 63-point loss to Adelaide to start the season, plenty were quick to condemn them to a season of disappointment, but since then they have picked up three impressive wins on the trot. The latest of them was a 17-point defeat of the Power at Adelaide Oval, and they will this Sunday head across town to Norwood to try to make it four on the trot. Doing so, however, will not be easy.
The Giants have also had a strong start to the season, their only loss coming by two goals to the undefeated Hawks, and they bounced back from that with an easy 81-point win over the Eagles. The Saints, of course, will pose a much more legitimate challenge though, and based on the way they have played over the past three weeks are more than capable of taking it up to their Sydney-based opponents. This will be a really interesting game and the Saints are probably a better chance of winning it than the odds would suggest, but the Giants should be able to sneak over the line to take their record to 4-1.
Predicted Squads
St. Kilda Saints: B: I. Keeler, C. Wilkie, J. Webster HB: R. Byrnes, N. Wanganeen-Milera, J. Sinclair C: D. Wilson, Z. Jones, M. Windhager HF: J. Higgins, B. Hill, M. Owens F: C. Sharman, A. Caminiti, M. Wood FOLL: R. Marshall, J. Macrae, J. Steele I/C: L. Collard, T. Travaglia, L. Stocker, M. Hall, D. Butler EMG: A. Schoenmaker, H. Boyd, A. Hastie
Greater Western Sydney Giants: B: C. Idun, S. Taylor, H. Himmelberg HB: L. Whitfield, J. Buckley, L. Ash C: F. Callaghan, J. Kelly, S. Coniglio HF: T. Greene, J. Stringer, B. Daniels F: D. Jones, J. Hogan, A. Cadman FOLL: K. Briggs, T. Bedford, T. Green I/C: J. Wehr, J. Riccardi, C. Stone, C. Ward, X. O’Halloran EMG: C. Brown, T. McMullin, L. Keeffe
Port Adelaide Power vs Hawthorn Hawks
The Demons and Blues might sit top of the list when it comes to the pressure meter a month into the season, but the Power are not far behind. Their solitary victory has come against the Tigers, and in the last two weeks they’ve lost first to the Bombers, and then to the Saints in Adelaide to take their record to 1-3. This is not the start to his last season in charge that Ken Hinkley would have envisioned, and a visit from the top-of-the-table Hawks to the Adelaide Oval does not exactly shape up as the ideal opportunity to turn things around.
After their fantastic 2024 season – well, fantastic after about seven weeks – the Hawks have picked up where they left off so far this year, winning their first four of the season. They’ve beaten good teams in that time, too, their latest victory a 12-point defeat of the Giants in which the scoreboard probably flattered the losers. This plucky young team looks every bit a Premiership contender, and their form doesn’t appear to be likely to let up any time soon. It feels inevitable that a talented young team like them will have their down weeks, but they simply don’t, and assuming that trend continues this weekend it’s hard to imagine the Power getting particularly close to them, even on their home turf.
Predicted Squads
Port Adelaide Power: B: J. Sinn, A. Aliir, M. Bergman HB: La. Jones, E. Ratugolea, K. Farrell C: C. Moraes, C. Rozee - C, J. Burgoyne HF: J. Mead, M. Georgiades, W. Rioli F: D. Byrne-Jones, S. Powell-Pepper, J. Richards FOLL: J. Sweet, J. Horne-Francis, Z. Butters I/C: O. Wines, W. Drew, O. Lord, T. Boak, W. Lorenz EMG: L. Evans, J. Finlayson, T. Cochrane
Hawthorn Hawks: B: T. Barrass, B. Hardwick, J. Sicily HB: C. Jiath, J. Impey, M. D’Ambrosio C: K. Amon, J. Ward, J. Battle HF: C. Mackenzie, N. Watson, C. Nash F: F. Maginness, M. Chol, J. Worpel FOLL: L. Meek, J. Newcombe, D. Moore I/C: J. Weddle, J. Gunston, H. Morrison, J. Ginnivan, L. Breust EMG: S. Mitchell, J. Serong, H. Hustwaite
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