Primetime this round covers all three Saturday games: Suns v Bulldogs, Tigers v Magpies, and the newly-confirmed Kangaroos v Cats double-header opener. That's a six-team pool, and the Kangaroos-Cats matchup dominates it — this squad leans heavily on that game.
Squad shape: 7 Defenders, 6 Midfielders, 2 Rucks, 7 Forwards — 22 in total, bench included, because in this format the bench scores count.
Defenders
Eliza Shannon (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 58.3 · Pred: 70.6
The best defender matchup of the round. Geelong grade as a strong positive draw overall (+22%), with goals the standout individual positive (+3.7%). The biggest lift of any defender in this pool relative to season average.
Libby Birch (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 75.3 · Pred: 86.3
Shares North Melbourne's draw with Shannon — same +20% composite multiplier, same goals-driven positive. The highest prediction of the primetime defenders.
Erika O'Shea (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 76.8 · Pred: 85.6
The third Kangaroos defender in this squad, same +19% matchup against Geelong. Three North Melbourne backs all getting a genuine lift from this fixture.
Tarni White (Magpies v Tigers) · Avg: 96.1 · Pred: 91.8
Richmond grade as essentially neutral overall (+1%), with marks (+7.1%) and goals (+6.4%) both mild positives for White's rebounding game. The highest average of the primetime defenders.
Rebecca Webster (Cats v Kangaroos) · Avg: 69.1 · Pred: 69.6
The mirror side of the Kangaroos-Cats game — North Melbourne grade as a genuine negative for Geelong's defenders (-3%), with goals the clearest concern (-17.5%).
Britney Gutknecht (Bulldogs v Suns) · Avg: 75.1 · Pred: 65.5
Gold Coast grade as a mild negative (-2%), though goals is a standout individual positive in isolation (+17.3%) — a mixed signal.
Katie Lynch (Suns v Bulldogs) · Avg: 69.2 · Pred: 60.8
The toughest defender draw in this pool. Western Bulldogs grade as a genuine negative (-5%), with goals (-8.9%) the clearest concern.
Midfielders
Jasmine Garner (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 136.9 · Pred: 170.6
The best midfielder matchup of the round, and the highest prediction in the entire squad. Geelong grade as a strong positive draw overall (+23%), with goals the standout individual positive (+4.0%).
Ash Riddell (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 143.3 · Pred: 170.2
Shares North Melbourne's draw with Garner — same +21% composite matchup, same goals-driven positive. The highest average in the squad.
Mia King (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 94.6 · Pred: 112.4
The third Kangaroos midfielder to make this squad off the same +18% Geelong matchup. A significant lift on a modest season average.
Charlie Rowbottom (Suns v Bulldogs) · Avg: 117.2 · Pred: 117.2
Western Bulldogs grade as a mild negative overall (-3%), with goals the clearest concern (-7.8%).
Brittany Bonnici (Magpies v Tigers) · Avg: 119.1 · Pred: 112.1
Richmond also grade as a mild negative (-3%), though marks (+4.9%) and goals (+4.2%) are still positive in isolation.
Monique Conti (Tigers v Magpies) · Avg: 118.1 · Pred: 109.7
The toughest midfielder draw in this pool. Collingwood grade as the clearest negative overall (-6%), with tackles the standout concern (-3.3%).
Rucks
Kim Rennie (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 69.8 · Pred: 78.4
The best ruck matchup of the round. Geelong grade as a clear positive (+13%), with goals the individual standout (+3.2%) — a strong lift on a modest season average.
Imogen Barnett (Magpies v Tigers) · Avg: 77.5 · Pred: 70.8
Richmond grade as essentially neutral overall (-1%), with marks (+5.7%) and goals (+5.0%) both mild positives. The highest average of the two rucks, carried more on quality than matchup.
Forwards
Tahlia Randall (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 65.7 · Pred: 80.9
The best forward matchup of the round. Geelong grade as a strong positive draw overall (+26%) — the composite multiplier is doing the work here even though the individual pressure stats (tackles, handballs, marks) are all mildly negative in isolation.
Blaithin Bogue (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 68.8 · Pred: 87.2
Shares North Melbourne's draw with Randall — same +27% composite matchup, the largest lift of any player in this squad relative to season average.
Emma King (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 63.5 · Pred: 77.8
A third Kangaroos forward off the same Geelong matchup, +19% overall.
Alice O'Loughlin (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 65.8 · Pred: 80.6
The fourth Kangaroos forward in this squad — same +19% matchup, same pattern of a strong composite lift despite mixed individual pressure stats.
Jenna Bruton (Kangaroos v Cats) · Avg: 67.4 · Pred: 79.4
Rounds out a Kangaroos forward line that's taken five of the seven spots in this position. +17% overall against Geelong.
Ellie Blackburn (Bulldogs v Suns) · Avg: 82.7 · Pred: 85.7
Gold Coast grade as mildly negative overall (-2%), though goals is a standout individual positive in isolation (+16.9%) — a mixed signal that nets out close to neutral. The highest average of the primetime forwards.
Mikayla Bowen (Cats v Kangaroos) · Avg: 104.2 · Pred: 97.7
The mirror side of the Kangaroos-Cats game again — North Melbourne grade as a mild negative for Geelong's forwards (-2%), with goals the clearest concern (-17.1%). The one forward in this squad facing a genuine headwind.
