‘Too little, too late’: Trio’s year hangs by thread; crucial Daicos call: Super Saturday Verdict

Another weekend of football, another monster Super Saturday that could see the finals hopes of not one, not two, but any three sides end for season 2025.

Foxfooty.com.au sat down with four-time Hawthorn premiership winner Jordan Lewis to discuss the biggest talking points heading into another big Super Saturday for Round 15.

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CARLTON v NORTH MELBOURNE, 1:20pm AEST at the MCG

How to watch on Fox Footy: From 12.30pm on Channel 504, with commentary from Mark Howard, Jonathan Brown, Gerard Healy & Nick Dal Santo.Click here to watch it live on Kayo.

It’s a Good Friday re-match that Alastair Clarkson has been waiting to tackle for months now. North Melbourne’s biggest loss for the season came against Carlton back in Round 7 on the Easter holiday; an 82-point drubbing that at the time was their fourth loss of six goals or more on the trot. Since then, the Kangaroos have only lost one game by a double-digit margin — perhaps indicating the club are finally turning a new page. “Although the stage isn’t as big as what it was on Good Friday, I still think they’ve been in a winning position a lot in recent weeks. I’ve actually tipped North Melbourne; not that it means anything, but I see this as a game that they would go in and be relatively confident that they could win,” Jordan Lewis told foxfooty.com.au. “Six of their last seven games have been decided by under 10 points, so that would give them confidence going into this game against Carlton.”

Over at Ikon Park, the Blues’ mission is as simple as they come — don’t slip up. Sitting two games outside the top, Michael Voss’ side cannot afford to drop a fixture that they’ve won the last five times they’ve faced off. “They’re eight points outside the top eight. The side above them (the Western Bulldogs) you would think get that job done against Richmond, so they potentially could go eight points in front,” Lewis continued. “This is a game that will keep their season alive, there’s no doubt about that. But it would also be a game that players and coaches from both teams would be driving to the ground with an uneasy feeling in their stomach.” Dual Coleman Medalist Charlie Curnow has been named despite sitting under an injury cloud, with the Blues to be without his partner-in-crime Harry McKay. His absence will obviously only play into the hands of North’s inexperienced defence, who have regained big man Charlie Comben ahead of schedule. The odds will tell you that there’s only one winner that can come from this game, but the Roos are due to turn one of their close losses into a statement win, and it could well turn Super Saturday on its head just one match in.

Bucks takes aim at Eagles 'fat cats' | 03:19

PORT ADELAIDE v SYDNEY SWANS, 4:15pm AEST (3:45pm local) at Adelaide Oval

How to watch on Fox Footy: From 4pm on Channel 504, with commentary from Dwayne Russell, Mark Ricciuto, Dermott Brereton & Shaun Burgoyne.Click here to watch it live on Kayo.

It’s season-on-the-line stuff for both the Power and Swans, and the visitors have finally been able to call upon their most treasured cavalry in the do-or-die clash. The Power, similar to Carlton, sit two games outside the top eight and just a loss away from their finals hopes unofficially ending — given their menacing draw for the back half of their season. The Swans sit one game behind Port, however have a much more kind fixture that would roughly leave them with as much chance of making the eight. “Port Adelaide are a little bit like Carlton; if they were to win, it keeps their it keeps their season alive,” Jordan Lewis said to foxfooty.com.au. “If they were to lose, I think it’s pretty much curtains on their season — and then there will be decisions to make on the coaching handover when that is the case… does this delay it by one week?” Of course, conversations around Ken Hinkley’s departure would again rear their head with a loss, as they have done all season...

Errol Gulden and Tom Papley headline the Swans’ inclusions for the must-win match, with Matt Roberts’ return also more than welcome. A win on the road against a defiant Power would do them wonders, but would there be an alternate narrative that could emerge from a victory? “When you play teams around you, it’s not a four-point game — it’s an eight-point game,” Lewis continued. “If Sydney were to win, we probably learn more that they are reliant on their star players. It’s handy to get the players back of the calibre of Papley and Gulden. But the question around Sydney is: ‘Is it too little, too late?’ Given their lengthy stints on the sidelines, Dean Cox’s side will need to prove their depth beyond the star duo to help get the red and white over the line in enemy territory. And if they were to do so, they would be defying a grim past record against the Power — having lost nine of their last 10 meetings.

Hinkley plays down run-in with Max Gawn | 01:39

COLLINGWOOD v ST KILDA, 7:35pm AEST at Marvel Stadium

How to watch on Fox Footy: From 7:15pm on Channel 504, hosted by Kath Loughnan, Jack Riewoldt, David King & Jay Clark with commentary from Anthony Hudson, Jason Dunstall, Garry Lyon & Cameron Mooney.Click here to watch it live on Kayo.

The Saints have been dealt the toughest opponent possible in hopes of overturning their recent lack of form, clashing with the flag favourites in Collingwood in prime time on Saturday. Ross Lyon’s side have lost four of their last five games, with Jordan Lewis flagging chinks in their defensive game as part of the reason for their lack of success. “Defensively, they (St Kilda) probably have to straighten up a little bit and giving themselves opportunity,” Lewis told foxfooty.com.au. “How can they generate more inside 50s to give themselves a chance of putting on a score? It’s interesting, because you’re trying to attract talent; so you need to be, an appealing club to go to — and that’s done by winning. But they’re coming up against the hottest team in the competition, so I would think going into this game tomorrow, they would be more focused on defending and trying to keep themselves into the game, rather than being an offensive threat.”

Potentially Lyon’s biggest asset is the deployment of Marcus Windhager on one of Collingwood’s several stars, who is most likely to start alongside Nick Daicos. Windhager successfully held Marcus Bontempelli to a season-low 14 disposals last week, but it came amid a 12-goal thrashing. It begs the question for Lyon — how much of their midfield system do they compromise in order to shut down a Daicos-like player? Melbourne were able to successfully do so in their heart-breaking one-point loss against the Magpies on King’s Birthday, so there’s a precedent that suggests it can be done. “I think you do (tag); he (Marcus Windhager) doesn’t strike me as a natural ball-winner. So for him to have a task on negating, and then being in-and-around the ball through that role, I think that suits the way that he plays,” Lewis continued. “The obvious one is that is a Daicos (tag), but is it a Sidebottom? I think that could possibly change throughout the game, depending on who’s hurting them.” Getting their direct match-ups right on Saturday night will give the Saints an optimal chance of an upset, but if not, it could see their eight-year streak without a win against Collingwood at Marvel extend even further.

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