Josh Ward and James Trezise during the eighth round between Hawthorn and Richmond at the MCG, May 4, 2025. Photo: Getty Images
HAWTHORNE will be clear favorites against Richmond as both teams kick off Sunday.
The Tigers made a brilliant start against Melbourne but were outclassed as the game progressed, slipping to a sixth straight defeat that puts their season in danger of collapse.
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Richmond remain keen to infuse young players and try to achieve small wins by staying in contention for as long as possible, facing teams with much bigger ambitions such as the Hawks.
Last week’s opener Zane Peuker left the team straight away despite scoring on debut, while Jasper Alger won two majors and also made way for the injured Ben Miller.
The good news for Richmond is the return of Sam Lalor after missing the previous 10 games with an Achilles problem, Jayden Short also returning from injury and Steely Green promoted.
Hawthorn bounced back from a humiliating defeat to Melbourne in Round 17 by playing in better conditions than Carlton in a wet and wild encounter at the MCG last week.
Richmond v Hawthorn MCG 1:10pm AEDT.
NO LATE CHANGES
The Hawks still have room for improvement but could spring into action to try and chase the Swans into top spot in their next three games against the Tigers, Bombers and Kangaroos.
Nick Watson, Josh Battle and Josh Weddle return but are somewhat balanced by injuries to Karl Amon (knee) and Will Day (calf), while Matt Hill is out after his first two games.
Gold Coast (7-10) remain just one win outside the group places despite a heavy defeat to Adelaide which made it seven defeats in a row and led to coach Damien Hardwick declaring the year was “effectively over”.
The Suns have a huge task ahead of them in turning the tide of their season on the back of poor midfield play and questioning their hunger, highlighted by losing more than 20 tackles for the third week in a row.
The inclusion of Ben Long and Dan Rioli should bring some toughness back to the squad, while the debut of tall forward Caleb Lewis will provide some momentum.
Will Graham (shoulder), Ethan Reid and Nick Holman make way.
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The Western Bulldogs (10-7) took their time to overcome a gallant West Coast before claiming a narrow victory that puts them in a strong position to reach the final and potentially crack the top six.
The Dawgs missed an opportunity against the Eagles to improve their percentage, which remains well behind other top-six contenders, and the focus is now on beating the Suns in a game that looks dangerous.
Losing key defender Bailey Dale to a shoulder injury will hurt the Bulldogs, while the absence of talented youngster Joel Freya could cost some X-factor as he looks to recapture the exciting form he showed last year. Luke Kennedy and Luke Cleary were not mentioned.
On the other hand, Tim English returns after missing last week in a season that has seen several setbacks for the big man. Riley Sanders also returns to the lineup, as do Riley Garcia and Nick Coffield.
Essendon (1-16) continue to find new ways to add to the pain, adding to their many problems with inaccuracy in front of goal, loading 1.9 before the last change against Brisbane.
The Bombers could take some positives from scoring seven goals last season but will be concerned about losing their biggest haul under interim coach Dean Solomon before taking on the at-times explosive giants.
Darcy Parish paid for a couple of quiet weeks by being left out of the list, along with Archie Perkins, Lachie Blakiston and Harrison Jones.
The team features veteran duo Jordan Ridley and Kyle Langford, as well as Hussien El Achkar and midseason draft number one Jackson Artemis.
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Greater Western Sydney (8-9) made the same biggest comeback in its history after trailing by as much as 39 points in the last round to sweep past Geelong and move straight into the final race.
The Giants have already shown that their best are good enough to outperform the best in wins over Brisbane, Melbourne and Fremantle, but they will need to produce a similar performance against Essendon to ideally improve their percentage.
Max Gruzevski comes in to bolster an offensive line still missing Jesse Hogan, Lachie Whitfield returns from concussion protocols, and Nick Madden and Conor Stone are also called up.
A dislocated shoulder kept Phoenix Gothard out of the game and an infected leg kept Kieren Briggs alongside the youngster in the medical rooms, while Harvey Thomas is under observation and Harrison Oliver ruled out.