Nathan Buckley previews Super Saturday in round 20

Geelong have won their last 13 games against North Melbourne.Nathan Buckley writes, the clear gap between the sides is as big as it’s ever been ahead of Saturday’s clash.

Rivalry round hits Super Saturday when three pairs of crosstown rivals do battle in games with huge finals ramifications.

The outlier is North Melbourne’s clash with Geelong which looms as an ugly one for the Kangaroos.

Nathan Buckley previews every game here.

Cam Rayner will have a big say on the QClash. Picture: Phil Hillyard

GOLD COAST V BRISBANE

1.20PM — People First Stadium

• In the corresponding fixture in round 8 the Lions beat up on the listless Suns in what would have been a bitterly disappointing outcome for Damien Hardwick and his charges. Contested ball was lost by 18 and tackles were down 15 in a game played mostly in the clinches. The ‘Big Boy’ challenge coined by Hardwick is real and it is significant. The Suns are well and truly in this space where they either step up or step down, so for many reasons this game is a line in the sand opportunity.

• Brisbane unlocked a flamboyance and aggression by hand late in September that filed their charge to premiership glory. In 2025 we have seen the next iteration of that focus and it has become compelling. Their appetite for risk has increased again as they look forward and go forward to continually challenge the last line of opposition defences. To date no team has been able to meet this force and return serve with any success. Can the Suns fight fire with fire to ask the aggressive Lions a question that has yet to be asked?

• Cam Rayner is not the best player in the competition but he could well be in the top handful of match winners. He has become a genuine big-moment player. Hard and tough, fearless and skilful whatever the moment calls for, Rayner invariably provides. I just love the physical presence he imposes in a game that doesn’t foster it. Bodhi Uwland has had his measure in a goal scoring sense in their last two match ups. That’ll be one to watch today.

There’s often spite in the Western Derby. Picture: Getty Images

FREMANTLE V WEST COAST

4.15PM — Perth Stadium

• The Dockers’ win against Collingwood last week was full of merit and resilience. They hung on through the majority of the match while their opponents controlled field position and seemingly the outcome of the match. The last quarter surge was impressive and marked three times in the past four weeks that they have run their opposition down, despite trailing at three-quarter time. These wins are great for team belief as they find a way against whatever is thrown at them. Yes, they dialled up the aggression and yes, they flicked a switch. What a great thing to have that gear and be able to act at will.

• Patrick Voss’ six-goal haul last week was the first time in over a decade that a Docker has kicked six or more goals at the MCG. Hayden Ballantyne did exactly that, kicking six goals against Richmond in a 2014 win. Voss’ tactics of drawing Darcy Moore deep and then hitting up late brought dividends early in the contest which ultimately proved to be the difference in the match.

• Every game the Eagles play is an opportunity to take a step in a positive direction. Young players stand up, the coach gets a sense of who can and who cannot be counted on when the call goes out. You find out so much about people with their backs to the wall … that’s where the Eagles are. Fremantle has won seven of the last eight Derby clashes and meet this opportunity in great shape to solidify their September berth. While a weekend in their own beds and playing on their home ground is a timely reset for the months ahead, there will still be work to be done to earn a win that most believe is a fait accompli.

• Liam Baker is one of those backs-against-the-wall players. No matter what the circumstances, Baker’s personal pride drives him to exceptional efforts week after week, contest after contest. He leads the Eagles for forward half intercepts with 52 – with the Eagles generating 43 points from his intercept chains – also first.

It could be another dirty day for the Kangaroos against the Cats. Picture: Getty Images

NORTH MELBOURNE V GEELONG

7:35PM — Marvel Stadium

• On a day full of blockbuster rivalry games the North Melbourne-Geelong game stands out as “one of those things that’s not like the others”. If we zoom out enough though, you don’t need to go far back to remember closely-run preliminary finals and an era when these two clubs were at the top of their game. Geelong has won 13 games in a row against North in recent times and the disparity in their club situations is as evident now as ever.

• North are in a position every team needs to plan for but no team wants to be in – a depletion of your ruck stocks. Brynn Teakle was outclassed last week against Brodie Grundy and the Swans in what was akin to fighting out of your weight division. This week, with more planning, North can definitely start with a man-first focus around stoppages and scrap their way to some field position. It’s actually a great mentality to carry into clearance work where beating your man for position first provides a clarity of focus that can assist in a positive outcome. All North needs to do is dig in and make everything a contest, and then play from there.

• Gryan Miers has been granted and earned more midfield time this season as the Cats explore their best mix for September. Oisin Mullin has shown that he can run-with from the inside if required but in recent weeks those minutes have gone to the damaging and creative Miers. The high workrate we have come to admire in his high-forward role has transferred seamlessly into the midfield minutes and the creativity and class with ball in hand is abundantly evident. The big midfield bodies of yesteryear can still impact as they always have but the game asks for more agility and noise than ever before … that’s where Miers fits in.

It’s Showdown time. Picture: Brett Hartwig

ADELAIDE V PORT ADELAIDE

8.10PM — Adelaide Oval

• The Crows seem to have come of age in 2025. After two or three seasons of sliding doors moments that went against them and enduring some dire injury concerns they have positioned themselves beautifully into the pointy end of the season. The investment into the recruitment of Isaac Cumming, James Peatling and Alex Neal-Bullen is proving to pay dividends. None of these three are “match winning” players in their own right. They would not command the big dollars from a salary cap perspective but are all playing crucial team roles in what has become top 4 winning football. The bigger tests are on their doorstep.

• This week will be another in a line of lasts for Ken Hinkley at Port Adelaide. From where I sit, Port and Ken have handled themselves as well as can be expected in a situation that others were never going to be satisfied by. The club has made its call and has been able to give Ken the space to exit gracefully and he has shown a consistent selfless, club-oriented approach to keep his team and the players and staff within it relatively calm and focused. Easier said than done! Emotions are always high in Showdowns … I expect it to boil over one last time.

• Jordon Sweet is one Port player who has excelled with extra responsibility this season. His game last week was exceptional, potentially the best in his career. Amassing 22 disposals, 19 contested possessions and 10 clearances he worked tirelessly to give his midfielders supply through the guts. He has put his hand firmly up to own the Port ruck role and own it for seasons to come.