AFL Round 5 -Tips and Preview

All four of Adelaide’s matches have gone under the total score match line and it can be expected to happen again to open the 2026 Gather Round.

In what is likely to be a one-sided clash, you can’t forget about the Carlton Blues. Coach Michael Voss is fighting for his job and will bring out all the stops, as a loss could mark the end of his tenure as coach.

After being a late withdrawal last week – minutes before the opening bounce – Collingwood midfielder Nick Daicos will look to return with a bang and a strong showing over in South Australia.

The key man for the Dockers in their forward 50, Josh Treacy, has been in terrific form to start this year’s campaign and seems to do no wrong in attack at the moment.

The Kangaroos may be the clear underdogs for this weekend’s match but they have produced some upset wins to begin the year, while the Lions have lost some easy matches this season.

Staying on the topic of North Melbourne, no midfielder has been more consistent with racking up AFL Fantasy points than Harry Sheezel who has taken his game to new heights this year.

There is no better ruck when it comes to AFL Fantasy than ruck Max Gawn who has an elite scorer due to his ability to find easy ball around the ground.

Melbourne have gone back-to-back in recent weeks while the Essendon Bombers have struggled with their performances as of late.

In one of the easiest bets, an individual could make this is week is Wil Powell and his ability to make tackles against the opposition.

In what will be the ‘Match of the Round, the result could go either way. However, the Swans have more X-factor in close encounters and are coming off a strong 100+ victory over the West Coast Eagles.

With no Tim English playing for the Western Bulldogs, Hawks ruckman Lloyd Meek will have a field day in the middle of the field and is set to rack up the AFL Fantasy points with ease.

He may be one of the oldest players/forwards in the AFL but Jack Gunston still remains incredibly consistent for the Hawthorn Hawks. The key forward has been able to boot goals with ease as of late.

With Geelong set to put on a massive score against the opponents, the easiest market to look at is the goal-scoring market. In particular, Jeremy Cameron who will be the main target in the forward 50.

The West Coast Eagles could be in line for another massive loss. After losing by over 100 points to the Swans last week, don’t be surprised if it happens again to Geelong.

He may not be at his absolute best at the moment, but midfielder Clayton Oliver has remained a consistent presence in the midfield since arriving at the GWS Giants.

The GWS Giants are one of the best teams in the AFL competition on their day, while the Richmond Tigers (who are made up of several inexperienced and younger players) have struggled at times throughout the entire four quarters.

Port Adelaide Power forward Mitch Geogiades is in line for a massive showing this weekend and will look to put on a stellar showing in front of the home South Australian fans to end the 2026 Gather Round.

The Saints may have lost to the reigning back-to-back premiers last week but they remained competitive throughout the contest and will likely be too much for Port Adelaide to handle come Sunday.