The AFL season is now through six rounds. Stay abreast of all the Round 7 tips, news, results, reaction and video as they come to hand below.
Jump ahead to a particular game:
Cats vs. Magpies
Bombers vs. Bulldogs
Giants vs. Lions
Swans vs. Suns
Tigers vs. Kangaroos
Blues vs. Power
Hawks vs. Demons
Dockers vs. Eagles
Crows vs. Saints
Thursday, July 16
Geelong vs. Collingwood, Optus Stadium, 8:10pm (AEST)
Team news: Jack Steven and Jordan Clark return for the cats, with Mitch Duncan and Quinton Narkle making way due to injury. For the Pies, Will Kelly and Matt Scharenberg are injured, with Jordan De Goey and Josh Daicos coming in.
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Prediction: Both of these clubs look to be premiership chances, with the second-placed Cats super impressive in their last-start win against the Lions, and the Pies (fifth) demolishing Hawthorn last weekend. And what a clash of opposites this will be - Geelong boast the league's most potent attack, while Collingwood's defence is the stingiest. The fact it will be played on neutral territory adds further intrigue.
Score: Collingwood 8. 9. (57) def. Geelong 5. 5. (35)
Recap: Jordan De Goey returned from his short layoff to spearhead the Magpies to a 22-point win at Optus Stadium, kicking five goals in a powerhouse display inside the forward 50. While some will question whether he should be playing at all, De Goey was the dominant figure as the Magpies led at every change to record their second straight victory. The Cats could only manage one goal across the first two terms, and also lost skipper Joel Selwood to a hamstring injury, on a forgettable first outing in their Perth hub. De Goey was ably supported through the middle by Adam Treloar, who had a match-high 34 disposals.
Watch the video highlights here
Friday, July 17
Essendon vs. Western Bulldogs, Metricon Stadium, 7.50pm (AEST)
Team news: Cody Weightman is set to debut for the Dogs; he's one of four inclusions alongside Lachie Young, Harden Crozier and Matt Suckling with Josh Schache, Rhylee West, Toby McLean and Louis Butler, while the Bombers have named Ned Cahill and Mason Redman for the suspended Dylan Shiel and Marty Gleeson.
Prediction: Tot many would have predicted the Dons to be one of the league's flag fancies, with the Bombers fourth on the ladder but with a game in hand due to the postponed clash against Melbourne in Round 3. They appear to be more balanced all over the ground and not overly reliant on the slingshot footy of recent years. The Bulldogs, however, are almost impossible to get a read on. When they're able to play the game on their terms, they look as impressive as any team, but if not, they are extremely vulnerable - as Carlton proved with aplomb last Sunday.
Score: Bulldogs 14.9 (93) def. Essendon 7.9 (51)
Recap: The Dogs have bounced back from last week's 52-point hammering to produce an emphatic 42-point mauling of the Bombers at Metricon Stadium. A third-quarter demolition secured the Bulldogs victory, but it was Tim English and Marcus Bontempelli's work early that gave the Dogs the edge that saw them secure 11 goals to one from late in the first quarter to early in the last.
Watch the video highlights here
Saturday, July 18
GWS vs. Brisbane, Giants Stadium, 1.45pm (AEST)
Team news: GWS Superstar Toby Greene will miss Saturday's clash with a knee injury. Callan Ward, Tom Green, Jackson Hately and Daniel Lloyd have also been ruled out, with Zac Langdon, Jye Caldwell Tim Taranto and Bobby Hill to return for the Giants. The Lions are set to go in unchanged.
Prediction: This is a perfect opportunity for both teams to make a statement after poor efforts last weekend - the Lions capitulated against Geelong, including a shocking third term where they conceded seven goals to nil, while the Giants were overrun by a hungrier, fiercer Port Adelaide outfit. The Giants are hot and cold, but should be buoyed by the fact they are playing at home, with the Lions losing their only two matches outside of Brisbane this season.
Score: Giants 10.8 (68) def by Lions 13.10 (88)
Recap: Brisbane has shows it is a serious contender in 2020, defeating GWS by 20 points at Giants Stadium. The Lions bounced back from last week's lost to the Cats by kicking the first four goals of the game and the result rarely looked in doubt. To highlight Brisbane's dominance, Chris Fagan's side had 22 more inside 50s and 43 more marks over the course of the game. This is a side which can definitely go deep in 2020.
Watch the video highlights here
Sydney vs. Gold Coast, SCG, 4.35pm (AEST)
Team news: Aliir Aliir, Tom McCartin, Elijah Taylor and Callum Sinclair come in for Sydney, with injured duo Isaac Heeney and Josh Kennedy, as well as Sam Gray and Hayden McLean, go out. The Suns have recalled Wil Powell for Brayden Fiorini.
Prediction: The already depleted Swans are facing the prospect of finding a way to replace two of their finest players, with Isaac Heeney (ankle) out for the season and co-captain Josh Kennedy (knee) set for at least a month on the sidelines. After Sunday's turgid loss to Richmond, Sydney coach John Longmire also had to defend his team's style of play and it will be interesting to see if he releases the shackles against the Suns. With two losses on the trot, Gold Coast must ensure they don't waste their strong start to the season like previous seasons, but they should have enough talent to overcome the Swans.
Score: Swans 9.6 (60) def by Suns 13.14 (92)
Recap: Gold Coast's impressive season continued on Saturday afternoon with a 32 point win over an undermanned Sydney outfit. The Suns led from start to finish and have moved back inside the top eight with the four points. Suns young gun Izak Rankine impressed once again with two goals and 15 disposals, while Lachie Weller and Sam Day also booted two goals apiece.
Watch the video highlights here
Richmond vs. North Melbourne, Metricon Stadium, 7.40pm (AEST)
Team news: Richmond goes into this clash unchanged after back-to-back wins, while the Roos welcome back Jack Ziebell, Aiden Bonar and Mason Wood in lieu of Paul Ahern and Tarryn Thomas (injured), and Tom Campbell.
Prediction: Has the sleeping giant awakened? They're still far from their scintillating best, but the Tigers have won back-to-back games and now sit sixth on the ladder. Much like last year, they are still missing several key players but simply need to keep notching the wins in the meantime and find a way to secure a top-four berth. North, on the other hand are in dire straits, enduring a four-game losing streak and struggling to find any semblance of fluency. The Roos shocked the Tigers the last time these two teams met, but that is unlikely to be repeated.
Score: Tigers 11.11 (77) def. Roos 2.11 (23)
Recap: Oh boy. It's back to the drawing board for Rhyce Shaw's side who slumped to a fifth straight loss on Saturday night - this one the worst of the lot. Richmond utterly humiliated the Roos at Metricon Stadium, restricting them to just two goals in a 54-point drubbing. Aside from Shaun Higgins who amassed 36 disposals, there were very few positive signs for North Melbourne who appear to have regressed in 2020. Meanwhile, the Tigers continue to play themselves into form. Dustin Martin, Mabior Chol and Jake Aarts all kicking multiple goals on the night.
Watch the video highlights here
Sunday, July 19
Carlton vs. Port Adelaide, Gabba, 1.05pm (AEST)
Team news: Carlton will go into Round 7 unchanged from the side that defeated the Bulldogs last week. Port will be without Brad Ebert (suspended), ruckman Scott Lycett (injured) and Cam Sutcliffe, with Xavier Duursma, Peter Ladhams and Sam Mayes (club debut) to replace them.
Prediction: Who would have thought this game would be must-watch TV!? Port have been impressive all year and sit on top of the ladder, but the Blues have also taken some huge strides this season (so far). Carlton's direct ball movement and fierce pressure across the ground was a feature in their win against the Bulldogs, but they'll have to be even better to take the four points against Port on their home deck.
Score: Port Adelaide 9.10 (64) def. Carlton 9.7 (61)
Recap: Well, this game certainly lived up to the hype! Despite Carlton's strong form of late, the Blues were under pressure early after conceding three quick goals and it looked as though the game was going to get away from them. But they fought their way back into the game, with both sides throwing caution to the wind as they formed dangerous attacking raids. Carlton held a slim lead in the dying seconds of the match, but had their hearts in their mouths as Port Adelaide star Robbie Gray lined up a kick to steal the game for his side. His successful goal saw the Power erupt into celebrations in what was a crushing blow to a vastly-improved Carlton side.
Watch the video highlights here
Hawthorn vs. Melbourne, Giants Stadium, 3:45pm (AEST)
Team news: Jon Patton will miss for the Hawks, as will Tom McDonald for the Dees, with a number of big names in line for a recall from both sides including the experienced Shaun Burgoyne. The Hawks have also named debutant Darren Minchington.
Prediction: Hawthorn have been targeted by the media after their error-riddled, dreary loss to Collingwood, and it'll be fascinating to see what Alastair Clarkson can do to fix his team's issues. The Hawks appear too tall down back, so will 'Clarko' end the Ben McEvoy defensive experiment? They also need more drive from their midfield, especially against a Melbourne side featuring Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and a rejuvenated Jack Viney. The Demons seemed to fix some of their mid-forward connection issues in the win over Gold Coast, but there's no doubt Hawthorn will make life difficult for them.
Score: Melbourne 14.7 (91) def. Hawthorn 7.6 (48)
Recap: Despite suffering a week of intense scrutiny at the hands of fans and the media, Hawthorn failed to respond against a Melbourne side that looked to have improved out of sight. Led by captain Max Gawn and Christian Petracca, who had 17 disposals, two goal assists and five score involvements in the opening half alone, the Dees demolished the Hawks on their way to their second consecutive victory.
Fremantle vs. West Coast, Optus Stadium, 6:35pm (AEST)
Team news: Injured duo Nat Fyfe and Hayden Young will miss the derby for the Dockers, who have named Brennan Cox and debutant Michael Frederick. Eagles skipper Luke Shuey is set to return for youngster Brayden Ainsworth (omitted).
Prediction: Fremantle's win over St Kilda as one of the best this year, with the Dockers displaying bundles of resilience with their backs to the wall. It was their second on the trot under Justin Longmuir and they should enter this Derby with plenty of reasons to be confident. The Eagles, though, are also riding a two-game winning streak and appear to be getting closer to their best form. This should be an absolute ripper.
Score: Eagles 9.8 (62) def. Dockers 5.2 (32)
Recap: The largest crowd of the post-shutdown restart gathered in Perth for the Western Derby, but it was no classic, with the Eagles well in control throughout. Playing his 250th game, Josh Kennedy opened the scoring for the Eagles and finished with four goals in an afternoon to remember. Tim Kelly, Elliot Yeo, Andrew Gaff and Jackson Nelson were among the best for the Eagles who chalked up their tenth-straight Derby victory to move into seventh place on the AFL ladder.
Monday, July 20
Adelaide vs. St Kilda, Adelaide Oval, 7:40pm (AEST)
Team news: TBA
Prediction: While winless, the Crows must look at Monday night's game as a big chance to break their duck this year. The Saints waved the white flag against the Dockers, the second time this year they've coughed up big leads which must be a huge concern to Brett Ratten. Adelaide must look to take advantage when they have momentum but the Saints should still have enough quality to prevail.
Score: Adelaide 8.7 (55) def. by 12.6 (78)
Recap: It wasn't all that pretty, and the umpiring left a bit to be desired, but the Saints will fly back to their Noosa base with the four points in hand. The Crows dominated parts of the second half, with ex-skipper Taylor Walker playing a pivotal role, but late in the piece it was the Saints who managed to convert their chances to secure a 23-point win.