The Crows get their firestarter back after a long suspension, but the in-form Bulldogs should have them covered in one key area in Friday night's blockbuster in Adelaide. Andrew Wu and Peter Ryan lay down their round two tips, asking will Sydney's injuries hobble them against the Hawks and who will win the statement game between GWS and St Kilda.

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Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond are Victoria’s big four clubs with the power to fill the MCG weekly, but what will happen if they all struggle in the same season? Michael Gleeson, Jake Niall and Sam McClure ponder that question while also asking what the Saints really got for their $4m splurge, whether the Bombers regret hanging onto Zach Merrett and why the Magpies left themselves so bereft in attack. Plus they talk through impending changes to the AFL drugs policy and pre-season predictions they’d like to take back.

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Round one of the AFL season promises some spite, with the Bombers and Hawks renewing their rivalry, Roos fans reacquainting with Jason Horne-Francis, Jack Steele facing the Saints and the Pies and Crows meeting for the first time since last year's hostile final. Andrew Wu and Peter Ryan strip back the emotion in search of some winners. They find the Lions' lack of discipline could be costly against the in-form Swans, and Pete reveals the type of clothing he "wouldn't be caught dead" wearing.

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Nick Daicos and Scott Pendlebury run amok for Collingwood, prompting our panel to ask if St Kilda's Ross Lyon was out-coached and how his playmaker Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera will cope with being a marked man. Michael Gleeson, Jake Niall and Caroline Wilson also get their first look at the AFL's new rules as well as Charlie Curnow, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver in their new colours. Plus, they debate Andrew Dillon's future - and likely successor - as AFL chief, and Sam Docherty dumping on his old club, Carlton.

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Charlie Curnow won't know what's hit him when he and his new Swans teammates open the 2026 AFL season against his former club, Carlton. Andrew Wu and Peter Ryan are back in 2026 to take you through the games and share their wisdom on all things AFL. Hopefully, they can help you pick a winner in your tipping contest. Other games this week include Gold Coast v Geelong, GWS v Hawthorn, Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn and St Kilda v Collingwood.

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After a lengthy AFL trading period, the biggest news surrounds a player who didn't get his wish - Essendon captain Zach Merrett, who couldn't get to Hawthorn. Michael Gleeson, Jake Niall and Peter Ryan also examine Charlie Curnow's monster move to the Swans and the new-look Demons after Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver were shipped off to new clubs.

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After Hawthorn finally came to the party and came up with a trade offer for Essendon captain Zach Merrett, our podcasters - Andrew Wu and Peter Ryan - are sceptical that a deal can be reached, even with the deadline only 24 hours away. "Hawthorn haven't come up with a deal that respects the fact that they have to lose something beyond a pick - they have to lose a player," explains Ryan. The machinations of deals involving big names Charlie Curnow, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca are also on the agenda.

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The AFL trade period is in a state of inertia, but the intrigue remains strong with 48 hours until the final deadline. Christian Petracca's switch to the Gold Coast hasn't happened yet, but it will. What is more interesting is the roadblocks facing star forward Charlie Curnow's potential move to Sydney Swans.

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