AFL Gather Round Tips & Preview - Best bets for the Round 5 of the AFL home and away season

The opening match of AFL Gather Round between Adelaide and Geelong shapes as a beauty. The Crows, sitting at 3-1, are coming off a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Suns and will be eager to bounce back, with their forward trio of Taylor Walker, Darcy Fogarty, and Riley Thilthorpe firing on all cylinders. Izak Rankine has also been a standout player this season. Geelong, at 2-2, has found success at home but will be tested away from GMHBA Stadium. But they are right in this, especially with Tom Stewart’s back in the side last week. Geelong will aim to make this a grind, but Adelaide’s home advantage and high-scoring ability should see them edge clear in a tight encounter. 

Both teams are dealing with key injuries in what is a battle of the walking wounded. Collingwood will be without Jordan de Goey and Lachie Schultz, giving the Swans a chance to capitalise on the absences. The Swans enter the full of confidence after a dominant 65-point victory over North Melbourne, but Collingwood’s strong defensive form, having conceded just 22 goals in their past three matches, will pose a significant challenge. The Magpies, despite missing key players, should have just enough firepower from their opportunistic forwards, like Bobby Hill and Jamie Elliott, to secure a narrow win. Expect a low-scoring affair and the Pies to get the job done in a close one. 

We head to Barossa Park where the unbeaten Suns will be looking to extend their perfect start to the season. With dominant victories over Melbourne, West Coast, and a thrilling one-point win against Adelaide, they are firing on all cylinders, led by key players like Ben King (12 goals) and Noah Anderson (30+ disposals per game). North Melbourne, on the other hand, has struggled after a strong start, suffering a heavy 65-point loss to Sydney last round. Despite a strong individual effort from Nick Larkey in 2025 (14 goals), the Roos' defensive lapses and inconsistent form make them underdogs in this encounter. Gold Coast's attacking depth and midfield dominance is likely to see them secure a comfortable victory.

Both sides are winless but Carlton enters as the clear favourite. The Blues have been competitive in every game but have faded in the second half, with their high expectations from last season yet to be realised. Despite being winless, they have a strong midfield led by Patrick Cripps, while George Hewett continues to sneak under the radar. Charlie Curnow could have a big day against West Coast's vulnerable defence. West Coast, on the other hand, is yet to show improvement, with heavy losses in all their games this season, including a massive 81-point defeat to GWS. With a poor record at Adelaide Oval and struggles in clearance and disposal counts, the Eagles will have a tough time overcoming Carlton, who has dominated this fixture recently, winning by an average margin of 77 points in their past four encounters.

The Norwood Oval clash promises to be a closely contested battle. Brisbane, unbeaten with a 4-0 record, comes into it with strong midfield depth led by Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley, while Charlie Cameron poses a major threat up forward. The Bulldogs, however, will look to challenge despite missing key players, with Tom Liberatore continuing his strong early-season form and Sam Darcy contributing heavily in attack. While the Lions hold the advantage in midfield and have had the upper hand in recent encounters, the Bulldogs' resilience and depth will make it an intriguing contest. Brisbane can maintain their unbeaten record in a close one. 

The Saturday night clash features two sides that have been struggling for form, particularly Melbourne, who are yet to win a match in 2025. The Demons have lost those by an average margin of nearly 40 points, with scoring issues and defensive lapses plaguing their performances. Essendon, meanwhile, enters the match with a 1-2 record after a tough start to the season but showed signs of improvement in their recent 12-point win over Port Adelaide. Despite their inconsistency, the Bombers' strong disposal game, led by Zach Merrett, could give them the edge over a Melbourne side that has struggled to find its rhythm. With both teams needing a win to stay competitive, this match presents a critical opportunity for Essendon to extend their positive momentum and for Melbourne to turn their season around. The Bombers should continue Melbourne’s misery here. 

Fremantle will look to extend their winning streak to three when they face Richmond  at Barossa Park. After a narrow loss to Sydney in Round 2, Fremantle rebounded with solid victories over the Western Bulldogs and West Coast Eagles, thanks to standout performances from Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw, and Josh Treacy. Meanwhile, Richmond, despite a strong start to the season, has struggled, losing three of their last four matches by significant margins. With Fremantle's depth and strong form, they are favoured to continue their dominance over Richmond, who have struggled with disposals, inside 50s, and scoring. Last season, Fremantle comfortably won both encounters by large margins, and they will be looking for a similar result.

St Kilda face off against GWS at Norwood Oval. The Saints have bounced back with three impressive victories, including a 17-point win over Port Adelaide last week. Their newfound attacking style has seen them rank third in the competition for goals scored, with Jack Higgins and Mason Wood in strong form. GWS, on the other hand, have been equally impressive with a 3-1 record, highlighted by a dominant 81-point win over West Coast, thanks to Jesse Hogan's nine-goal performance. Both teams are in good form. The Saints might be the value in this one.

The final match of the round is a grudge match between the two that have a bit of an interesting recent history with Port getting the upper hand in two thrillers last season, including the Semi Final. In 2025, however, Hawthorn head in unbeaten with a 4-0 record and come off a hard-fought 12-point win over GWS. Port Adelaide is struggling at 1-3 and pressure is again mounting on coach Ken Hinkley after consecutive losses to Essendon and St Kilda. Despite their poor form, Port Adelaide has a strong midfield led by Connor Rozee, Ollie Wines, and Zak Butters, but they’ve struggled to convert opportunities. Hawthorn will look to exploit Port's defensive issues with their dynamic ball movement via key players like Karl Amon, while Nick Watson, will look to provide some spark inside 50. While the pain of last year’s finals exit burns deep, Hawthorn can exact some revenge on Port Adelaide