AFL Round Table: Who wins Friday's Dogs vs. Dees blockbuster? Best Indigenous guernsey?

The 2021 AFL season is well and truly underway, and our experts tackle some of the burning questions ahead of Round 11.

Who wins Friday night's blockbuster between the Demons and Dogs? And why?

Rohan Connolly: Flip of the coin, but I think form says it's the Bulldogs. Even the one game they've lost they controlled for a fair chunk, whereas the Demons had struggled to put away North Melbourne, Sydney and Carlton before last week's loss to Adelaide. The Dogs have won the last couple of meetings against the Dees, and I think their midfield is a little deeper and they're a bit more explosive in terms of scoring. They probably play Marvel Stadium a little better, too.

Jake Michaels: Can I tip a draw!? You could really make strong cases for both sides here but I think the Dogs just get the edge, given the game is at Marvel Stadium where they've been so dominant. With that said, I think Marcus Bontempelli needs to spend a little more time in the midfield than he has in the past few weeks, particularly with Adam Treloar joining Josh Dunkley on the sidelines.

Matt Walsh: I just can't go past the Dees' interceptors and I think Melbourne will hold the Dogs' forwards to a lower score. Steven May and Jake Lever are better defenders than Aaron Naughton and Josh Bruce are forwards, and I think that'll be how it plays out. Last week's loss to Adelaide will be a wake-up call, and what I've loved about Melbourne this season has been the professionalism and maturity of the group. I think they'll bounce back strongly.

Jarryd Barca: You've got to say the Bulldogs -- you can't not -- but there's something about teams responding after an unsuspecting, deflating loss, so the Demons won't just roll over. But Luke Beveridge's attacking style and the immense forward pressure they can apply should prove too much for a Melbourne side who conversely seemed to turn the ball over in the front half religiously in Round 10. There are so many mouth-watering match ups in this one - it's gonna be a cracker!

Which side is most likely to make a run at finals: GWS, Essendon, Carlton or Fremantle?

RC: Well, given the Giants are already in the eight, they've got a decent head start. But they also seem a fair bit more capable than the others, too, and a good win over West Coast without a score of stars underlined that for me. In fact, their form has been very good for nearly two months. Essendon and Carlton are still very much week-to-week guesses I think, and Fremantle still pretty ordinary on the road. GWS for me.

JM: Yep, the Dockers are hardly a trusted side when on the road but if they keep winning at home, they probably only need to snag one or two away wins to be in the finals frame come Round 23. I've been impressed with the Giants form of late, particularly with so many injuries, so they're my second elect. Oh, and spare me on the Bombers and Blues!

MW: The Giants are looking particularly good, having only lost to the Dogs, Dees and Tigers (by less than a kick) in the last eight weeks. But I look at Carlton's run home and I'm encouraged by what I see. They've already played (and lost to) Richmond, Brisbane, Port Adelaide, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs - teams that'll be seeking a top six finish. If the Blues can win the games against teams around them, they could make a late run.

JB: I picked Carlton to make the eight this year so I have to stick by that. There's much to like about all four of those sides and there's merit in suggesting they're all a sneaky chance, but I think Carlton's best is the most damaging. The Blues are yet to be blown away by a premiership contender, they're beating who they need to and they've got key players -- Zac Fisher, Jack Martin and potentially Charlie Curnow -- returning from injury. Add to that the underrated Liam Jones and Jacob Weitering pairing in defence, Zac Williams returning to form and spearhead Harry McKay dominating defences and for me the Blues are the ones that can leapfrog anyone.

Which team has disappointed you most in 2021, relative to expectations?

RC: St Kilda. Easily. I had the Saints sixth on my pre-season ladder, as I thought winning a final and the arrival of more decent talent in Brad Crouch and Jack Higgins saw plenty of scope for further improvement. But pre-season injury issues seem to have started the rot and exposed a real lack of depth and leadership despite some senior names. Attitudes, clearly, are not right. That's a major concern for the club.

JM: St Kilda. Need I say more?

MW: St Kilda is an obvious answer, but is it harsh to say Gold Coast? Sure, Matt Rowell has missed most of the season and they've had ruck issues, but there's been a stagnation around other, more experienced players like Ben Ainsworth, Brayden Fiorini, Will Brodie and Wil Powell, who should all be contributing more than they are.

JB: There's a lot of disappointments, but I thought Collingwood and Hawthorn would be more competitive and, as mentioned above, had Carlton making finals this year so their inconsistency has been a let down. Granted, the Pies have lost two games by one point, but they along with the Hawks are where they deserve to be based on the evidence of the season. But where there are disappointments there are encouraging surprises -- the Swans, Giants and even the Crows -- and that's the beauty of season 2021, I love the unpredictability.