Are the Blues back in town? Or is a reality check on the way when they face one of the most in-form teams in the competition in Geelong.
Carlton Blues vs Geelong Cats
Carlton have won their last two games under Josh Fraser, but come up against one of the flag favourites in the Cats.
It was only last year when the Blues upset Geelong at the MCG, so can they cause another upset here or will Josh Fraser's undefeated run come to an end?
Leg 1 - Under 178.5 Total Points
Not entirely sure what Josh Fraser has done from a defensive standpoint in the last fortnight, but the Blues have tightened opposition scoring right up, conceding 62 points to the Bulldogs followed by 58 against the Power last week, both games going unders.
Geelong is a different beast, but with a bit of rain around I'm not expecting a shootout.
Carlton have notoriously been an unders team in night games at the MCG dating back to 2022. From their last 29 night games at the ground, 23 have gone unders including 10 of their last 12, with only one of those 29 games going over 178.5 total points.
Leg 2 - Patrick Cripps 25+ Disposals
I expect Mullin to go to Sam Walsh, with the Cats tagger likely to have more impact in stopping the run and spread of Walsh opposed to the stoppage style of Cripps.
Patrick Cripps has copped a bit of flack this season, but his numbers have been very good for the majority of it. The skipper has hit 25+ disposals in six of his last seven games, averaging 27.4 over this stretch.
Cripps' record against Geelong is solid. He's hit 25+ disposals in his last four games against the Cats, including 41 in 2024.
Leg 3 - Jeremy Cameron 15+ Disposals
Jeremy Cameron has a license to move up the ground, and it's becoming more frequent for the star Cat.
Since Geelong's loss to Port Adelaide in Round 7, we've seen Cameron further up the ground where he's averaged 18.8 disposals per game, hitting 15+ disposals in all four games.
He had 14 touches when they met last year, but in the four games prior against the Blues he recorded 15+ disposals, and assuming Cameron keeps pushing to the wing we'll see him hit 15+ again.
Leg 4 - Max Holmes 25+ Disposals
Down back? In the middle? Doesn't matter. Max Holmes has hit 25+ disposals in all 11 games he's played this season.
Holmes had a breakout year in 2025, but his 2026 numbers are putting them to shame, with Holmes averaging a career-high 29.6 disposals per game.
Hewett might put some work into Holmes if he plays down back, but when in the middle I expect him to run riot.
