2026 AFL Round 20 Tips & Predictions

Round 20 of the AFL season kicks off with a genuine top six statement game as Adelaide hosts Collingwood at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.

The Crows have been the form side of the competition outside the very top, winning nine of their past 11 to sit 12-6, and they arrive full of confidence after overrunning Sydney on the road last weekend to plant themselves firmly in the premiership conversation.

Losing Darcy Fogarty to a three-week suspension is less than ideal for the Crows given he’s been their form forward, but Tex Walker will slot straight back in.

Collingwood have quietly built their own head of steam, winners of five straight against sides in the bottom half of the ladder.

Jeremy Howe is an important inclusion for Craig McRae’s team as they attempt to beat a side with genuine grand final aspirations.

Adelaide has won each of their last seven home matches, something we expect to continue this weekend.

Friday night’s blockbuster at the MCG carries plenty of finals weight, with Melbourne looking to shove an undermanned Geelong further out of top six calculations.

The Demons have won five of their past six and are perfect at the MCG this season (9-0), rolling North Melbourne last week behind a career-high four-goal haul from Matthew Jefferson.

They are $1.82 with Ladbrokes, which given that MCG record feels about right.

Geelong did the job on St Kilda comfortably last weekend but paid for it with Max Holmes added to an ever-growing casualty list.

Gryan Miers offered some relief up forward on return to the senior side, finishing with three goals, 22 disposals and 12 score involvements.

The Cats have three winnable games against bottom six opposition still to come, and a win here will give them all the required momentum heading into the back end of the season.

It’s hard to past the Dees at the ‘G this season and it’s even more difficult when you consider no Holmes or Cameron for the Cats.

The Western Derby renews at Optus Stadium on Friday night and it’s hard to make much of a case for the $8.50 Eagles against a $1.07 Fremantle side that continues to make a mockery of the rest of the competition.

The ladder-leading Dockers (16-2) blew Port Adelaide away with five goals in ten second-half minutes last week, and Hayden Young looks primed for a big finish to the year after posting 20 disposals and a goal on return from injury.

To their credit, West Coast (4-14) at least pushed reigning premier Brisbane close last week, but they’ve now lost nine of their past ten derbies by an average of 46 points.

Shai Bolton trained fully and will return from injury for the Dockers, while the Eagles’ chances worsen with the loss of co-captain Liam Baker (suspension).

Fremantle by whatever margin they fancy.

Can the Blues bounce back and keep their Wildcard dreams alive?

Josh Fraser’s incredible run at the helm took another dive last weekend with a 21-point loss to Collingwood coming after their poor performance against the Hawks.

The good news is that Adam Cerra looks likely to play after coming off early in the match, while Nic Newman reaches 150 games in this one and remains a driving force out of defence with 22.6 disposals for the year.

Gold Coast (7-11) have lost eight straight – the second-longest losing streak of Damien Hardwick’s coaching career – and their finals hopes are all but done.

Touk Miller keeps finding the ball (25.2 disposals a game), but the Suns’ form slump has been a team-wide issue that is not going away anytime soon.

A difficult one to predict considering the issues at both clubs, so it wouldn’t surprise if it went either way.

The old rivalry renews with two ‘in-form’ sides?

The Hawks (12-1-5) buried Carlton and Richmond in successive weeks and remain firmly in the mix for a top-two finish. Mitch Lewis keeps rolling, up to 30 majors for the season after a five-goal outing against the Tigers.

Essendon (2-16) will take confidence from finally breaking a winless drought last weekend, stunning GWS on the back of manic pressure and 25 disposals from Sam Durham. That win at least lifted them off the bottom of the ladder on percentage.

It wasn’t all positive news with Xavier Duursma (hamstring) and Kyle Langford (suspension) needing to be replaced.

Jack Gunston has kicked 4+ goals in three of his last four home appearances at the MCG, something we’re happy to follow again this week.

The Sydney Derby at ENGIE Stadium on Saturday pits two out-of-sorts rivals against each other, as they look to recapture some winning form.

GWS (8-10) let a rare opportunity slip with a shock loss to Essendon, and their finals hopes are fading fast, but their best remains as good as anyone’s with wins over Fremantle, Brisbane, Hawthorn, Melbourne and Geelong this year.

Finn Callaghan continues to shoulder the midfield burden (a career-high 28.5 disposals a game) and will need to again with skipper Toby Greene (quad) added to the injury list.

Sydney (13-5) have dropped back into the pack after a run of losses to Fremantle, Brisbane and now Adelaide, and their clearance work has been a genuine concern. Tom Papley looked back to his best in defeat last week with four goals and 24 disposals.

Sydney has beaten the Giants six times in their past seven meetings, the home ground advantage may not be enough to flip that trend.

Sydney to steady the ship.

Saturday night at Marvel Stadium brings seventh against dead last, and it’s difficult to see anything but Doggie Demolition.

The Dogs (11-7) continue to find ways to get the job done, grinding out wins over West Coast and Gold Coast in successive weeks.

With Bailey Dale done for the home and away season (fractured shoulder), Bailey Williams has stepped up out of defence in his absence, posting 29 disposals and an equal career-high 11 rebounds last week.

Richmond (2-16) have now lost seven-straight by an average of 47 points and sit bottom of the ladder on percentage, though Sam Lalor offered a rare bright spot on return from injury with 14 disposals and a goal in limited minutes.

Expect a big one from Bont, with three goals in each of the Western Bulldogs’ last three home matches against Richmond (exc. 2020 shortened matches).

The Lions are cruising and Port Adelaide arriving at the Gabba on Sunday afternoon looks like little more than a training run for the reigning premiers.

Brisbane (12-6) have reeled off six straight wins, rarely getting out of second gear, and Charlie Cameron continues to torment opposition defences with 38 goals this season as he closes in on 200 games for the club.

Port Adelaide (6-12) at least showed some ticker against Fremantle last week despite being without Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis in the middle, with Jase Burgoyne (24 disposals, six clearances, a goal) stepping up in the void.

This is percentage boosting areas for the champs, who could yet go to another level  over the next few weeks with the availability of Oscar Allen.

The round closes at Marvel Stadium on Sunday with two sides level on the ladder and desperately in need of the four points.

North Melbourne (8-10) continue to frustrate, again giving a top 10 side (Melbourne) a genuine contest last week before falling short. They’re now one of only four teams yet to beat a top 10 opponent this year.

St Kilda (8-10) missed their own chance at a signature scalp, failing to trouble an injury-ravaged Geelong outfit last week. Rowan Marshall was outstanding in defeat though, with 31 disposals, 30 hit-outs and two goals, and he’ll relish another shootout with Roos ruck Tristan Xerri.

This is very winnable for both sides, and the Ross vs Clarko coaching affair is as mouth-watering as the clash itself.