What's the big question your AFL club must answer in Round 16? Will the Dockers be the team to challenge the Swans? Have North finally turned the corner? Can the Eagles bring the Hawks back to earth?
We've looked at every club and answered their biggest question ahead of this week's action.
Adelaide
vs. GWS, Adelaide Oval
Has the bye refreshed the Crows?
It hasn't been the year any Adelaide fan (and most footy pundits) expected to see, that's for sure, and as underwhelming as they've been, there is still a lot to play out in season 2024. Three consecutive losses leading into the bye -- and only one win (against West Coast) since Round 8 -- means the Crows currently hold a position in the bottom four, but the Giants, even at Adelaide Oval, is not an easy task. With a lot to prove, and a couple of injured stars nearing a return, let's see what Matthew Nicks' team has got.
Brisbane
vs. Melbourne, Gabba
Can the Lions keep the offensive juggernaut rolling?
Since their bye, the Lions have piled on scores of 114, 126, and 152 -- massive danger signs for the league as they plot an assault on another finals campaign. The Dees, too, are fighting for their lives for a spot in the eight after a poor last couple of months. Will the Lions flex again and condemn the Demons to an even bigger fight? They have the firepower, with Eric Hipwood and Joe Daniher both in form, and Charlie Cameron has now kicked multiple goals in a game for the first time in six weeks. They're looming...
Carlton
vs. Richmond, MCG
Does Carlton risk bringing in Marc Pittonet?
We know how good Tom De Koning has been in the past month rucking solo, but Marc Pittonet is once again available for selection after recovering from a finger injury and returning via the VFL. With TDK's form so hot, do you mess with what is working? Could you send him forward to create a three-headed monster in attack for the Blues against the undersized Tigers defence? Or do you tell Pittonet to bide his time in the twos and watch De Koning continue to flourish in his current role?
Collingwood
vs. Gold Coast Suns, People First Stadium
Do the Pies have what it takes to end Gold Coast's home dominance?
Gold Coast away? Meh. Gold Coast at home? Different beast. And that's what the Pies are facing this week. But in the context of Collingwood's season -- they sit fourth on 36 points but are only one win inside the eight -- this game could have a lot of repercussions down the track. Craig McRae's side has fared well undermanned in the past month and could get some injured soldiers back in the line up to face the Suns, but ending the team's hot streak at People First Stadium won't be easy -- they've beaten Richmond, Adelaide, Hawthorn, West Coast, and Essendon by an average of 29.2 points there this season.
Essendon
vs. Geelong, MCG
Can the Bombers end a streak of six losses to the Cats?
If they can, that smell of finals will be just that little bit closer. The Cats will be without Tom Hawkins who succumbed to a foot injury last week. This certainly helps Brad Scott's side, and the Bombers are coming off another win against the Eagles in what's been an impressive season to date, but the simple fact is: Essendon has only beaten one top eight team all season (GWS) and aren't fooling anyone (yet). A win against the Cats (for the first time since 2018) would be a massive result for the Dons, who have a terrible record of 4-21 against Geelong since 2003!
Fremantle
vs. Sydney, SCG
Can the Dockers be the ones to challenge the Swans?
It seems like a futile task for most teams right now, but we know the Dockers, who rank third for total marks this season, like to possess the footy and deny the opposition the luxury of controlling a match, not to mention they're are the No. 1 clearance team in the competition after Round 15. There's a bit working for them, they have an elite midfield group and are solid across the park, but whether they can halt the Swans when they have momentum is the question that will determine the contest. They shouldn't be winning, but stranger things have happened!
Geelong
vs. Essendon, MCG
How does Chris Scott fix the ruck problem?
No, seriously, how? Last week it was Sam De Koning getting poleaxed by his older brother, who played one of the games of the season and led Carlton's midfield charge, while Mark Blicavs, though always competitive, just isn't a first-choice ruckman and is better utilised elsewhere. If the club doesn't believe Rhys Stanley is the answer, fair enough, but it's time to get more games into Toby Conway, who had 20 disposals and 38 hit outs in the VFL on the weekend. Bring him in, keep De Koning in defence, and see what happens. It has to be better than shuffling magnets around and upsetting the structure of the team, right?
Gold Coast
vs. Collingwood, People First Stadium
Can the Suns keep pace as other teams surge?
The Lions are hunting a spot in the eight, and so are the Bulldogs. It means the Suns, currently 12th on the ladder, have to keep winning to keep pace. It's not an easy task this week, with Collingwood coming to town, but there is some good news. The Suns are at home, where they haven't lost this season! That will count for something, but the last time the Pies came to town in 2023 they handed the Suns a 78-point belting. It's hard to see a repeat of that, obviously, but it's also the perfect opportunity to beat another finals fancy and prove that the finals race in 2024 is just getting started.
GWS
vs. Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
How much better can the Giants be with Stephen Coniglio?
It's not like this is a foreign concept to the Giants -- Coniglio having not played since sustaining a shoulder injury in the club's win over Geelong in Round 11 -- but the star midfielder missed three matches earlier in the season, too, and the team is 6-2 with him, and 3-6 without him this season. That's not to say GWS' fortunes rest solely on Coniglio's shoulders (pun not intended), but you also can't doubt his line-breaking ability has been missed, and injecting him back in the mix with Tom Green, Josh Kelly, Finn Callaghan and Callan Ward makes Adam Kingsley's engine room a touch more formidable. He was listed as a test last week and came up short, but if he returns this week, keep an eye on that midfield brigade.
Hawthorn
vs. West Coast, Optus Stadium
Can the Hawks keep winning the winnable games?
Seems simple enough, but there are more 'winnable' games for the Hawks now than we expected there to be at the start of the season, which puts them firmly in the mix of a shock finals berth if they can avoid any slip ups. IF they can win the remaining matches against teams currently sitting below them on the ladder, it would take them to 11 wins for the season. Is there an upset or two somewhere in their games against a struggling Geelong, Freo in Tasmania, or even Collingwood whom they defeated last year? It's all worthless discussion if they don't take home the four points this week.
Melbourne
vs. Brisbane, Gabba
Has Clayton Oliver got what it takes to get back to his best?
It's the question on everyone's mind when assessing the Demons and what they need to do to qualify for the top eight. No Christian Petracca means there needs to be a lift from his teammates and Oliver is not immune from that, the premiership star performing nowhere near the level we've been accustomed too for so long. Oliver hasn't averaged less rating points per game (currently 11.6) since his debut year in 2016, while his disposal numbers, inside 50s, contested possessions, groundball gets, score involvements and tackles are all severely down from his usual output. An interrupted preseason no doubt played its part, but they need more out of the 26-year-old before the 2024 season becomes a complete waste.
North Melbourne
vs. Western Bulldogs, Marvel Stadium
Have North finally 'turned the corner'?
It's been three weeks in a row of really encouraging results for the Kangaroos, with a win over West Coast followed by a one-point loss to Collingwood, and a three-point loss to the Demons. The bye seems to have reinvigorated the Kangaroos, and there's a new-found belief that they can compete effectively against the teams above them (which, to be fair, is all of them). The Bulldogs are a tough ask again this week, but back at home at Marvel, the Shinboner faithful should turn up and make it a cracking atmosphere. Can they compete again and show further growth and consistency? We'll be watching.
Port Adelaide
vs. St Kilda, Marvel Stadium
Can Ken Hinkley keep the wolves at bay?
It's now three losses in a row for the Power, by 36, 22, and 79 points, and as expected the critics are once again coming for the coach. It was in this corresponding fixture last year on a Friday night that Port produced a fantastic performance to really kick-start their winning streak, and Hinkley will be keen to right the ship with another road win against the Saints this week.
Richmond
vs. Carlton, MCG
Who kicks Richmond's goals?
If you didn't think Richmond's injury-riddled season could get worse, you were wrong. The Tigers have confirmed spearhead Tom Lynch will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a fresh hamstring injury after returning in Round 13. It leaves the club light for forward line options this week; Do they go small? Can Jacob Koschitzke be relied on against an in-form Carlton backline? Perhaps Dustin Martin plays purely in the goal square on Jacob Weitering? Now that's a battle we'd like to see, but getting the ball down there might be an even bigger issue for Adem Yze on Sunday afternoon.
St Kilda
vs. Port Adelaide, Marvel Stadium
Was the Brisbane scorefest just a one-off?
To beat the Lions, you really have to outscore them -- 'Rossball' was never going to do the trick in Round 14. The Saints veered from their usual selves and scored 106 points, but still lost the game, so it's only fair we wonder if Ross Lyon will revert back to a defensive system that suffocates teams and denies them the ability to score freely. The Power managed to put 82 points on St Kilda back in Round 7, so will Lyon and the coaching staff view that as gettable, or too much to handle. Win ugly or lose pretty? Regardless of the system we get this week, it'll be an intriguing watch.
Sydney
vs. Fremantle, SCG
Can Joel Amartey become a consistent contributor in the forward line?
Nine goals one week, and barely a touch the next... welcome to the life of Joel Amartey. The talent is there, and we've seen that, and no one is expecting him to be the next Buddy Franklin or perform anywhere near his level, but consistency is clearly the next step in his career. To be fair, he's never really been a high disposal winner (he's averaging 6.9 touches per game this season), so efficiency is his key, but four kicks and one behind, as was his stat line against the Giants, shouldn't but it at the top level.
In the wake of Steven May's fine for staging a head knock, Rodney Eade has called for harsher penalties for players who fake head injuries.
West Coast
vs. Hawthorn, Optus Stadium
Can the Eagles bring the Hawks back down to earth?
Hawthorn fans and the wider football public will view this as a 'should win' game, while West Coast fans will view this as a 'we can win, and you know what? We should win' game. So which way will it swing? The inclusion of Harley Reid certainly helps, while Oscar Allen showed in his return against Essendon that there's another headache for opposition defences outside of Jake Waterman. The Eagles have been far from disgraced at home this season, too, and following their loss to the Giants in Round 1, they're 3-3, with an average winning margin of 37 points, and an average losing margin of 9.7 points.
Western Bulldogs
vs. North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium
Can the Dogs build on their top four percentage?
Slipping up so early in the season means the Bulldogs are entrenched in a chasing pack for finals, sitting one game out right now but with a healthy percentage of 119.7 -- the third highest percentage in the competition. Perhaps lucky for them, this is a tight season, and there is absolutely a world that exists where percentage could be the tiebreaker between making finals or not. North Melbourne isn't the easiest game, considering their run of form, but if Luke Beveridge and his team are serious about having a say in 2024, they need to be trying to put these Kangas to the sword.