Brisbane Lions vs Geelong Cats @The Gabba, Saturday 7:25pm

Brisbane will be on a high after their shock 90-82 win over Essendon last weekend. It’s a different story for third-placed Geelong, who had a kick after the siren to beat leaders GWS, but had to settle for a 68-68 draw.

The Cats will want to get over that disappointment and strengthen their place in the top four, while the Lions may have renewed hope of not ending up with the wooden spoon with North Melbourne now in their sights.

On Brisbane’s injury list is Dayne Beams (quad), Allen Christensen (shoulder), Mitch Robinson (foot), Daniel McStay (hand) and Sam Skinner (knee). While on Geelong’s injury list is Lincoln McCarthy (groin), Cory Gregson (foot), Brandan Parfitt (hamstring) and Quinton Narkle (hamstring).

Match Fact: Geelong have won their past six games against Brisbane by an average margin of around 45 points. It should be closer this time around.

Why Geelong will win: Despite their win last week, Brisbane are still the bottom team for a reason. They’ll put in a spirited shift but against such a strong Geelong side the only hope for them is that the scoreline doesn’t get too big.

Our Tip: Geelong by 30.

St Kilda Saints vs Richmond Tigers @Etihad Stadium, Saturday 7:25pm

This is fourth (Tigers) versus eighth (Saints) with only four points separating the two sides – so expect a real battle. And both teams go in on a high after wins against Port Adelaide and Fremantle respectively.

The injury lists could prove vital, with St Kilda relatively healthy given the fact only David Armitage (groin), Tom Hickey (knee) and Josh Battle (knee) are out. Richmond’s on the other hand is a bit longer and reads Shaun Hampson (back), Ben Griffiths (concussion), Reece Conca (foot), Nick Vlastuin (shoulder), Nathan Drummond (knee), Nathan Broad (shoulder) and Jack Graham (ankle).

Match Fact: The last two teams met it was a 55-46 win for St Kilda. Expect a few more goals to be kicked this time around.

Why St Kilda will win: St Kilda lost both the disposals (419-388) and kicks (224-198) category against Fremantle last weekend. Despite that, they still found a way to grind out the win. If they can fix those problems, they will pose a real danger for the Tigers.

Our Tip: St Kilda by nine.