THE FOOTBALL spotlight turns onto South Australia as all 18 clubs descend on the state for Gather Round.

Adelaide opens the round with Carlton on Thursday night as the winds of change swirl around the embattled Blues.

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Collingwood faces a red-hot Fremantle the following night, while the clash between current top-three sides Sydney and Gold Coast on Saturday looms as the match of the round.  

Gather Round wraps up with Port Adelaide and St Kilda meeting on Sunday night with the visitors already at risk of losing touch with the finals contenders even after its off-season spending spree.

Here is who and what to look out for across round five as well as a tip for each match.

Adelaide v Carlton, Adelaide Oval
Thursday, April 9, 7.10pm ACST

Last time: Adelaide 16.14 (110) d Carlton 7.8 (50), R8 2025

What it means

Adelaide (1-3) is at risk of falling off the pace after a heartbreaking defeat to Fremantle was its third narrow loss in as many matches against fellow finals contenders. The Crows are still to prove that they can consistently match the top sides but should have little trouble accounting for an under-fire Blues outfit that they have beaten in all four of their meetings at Adelaide Oval by an average 50 points.

Carlton (1-3) is stuck under the blowtorch after yet another painstaking defeat, this time to North Melbourne, with history repeating as it continues to lose to even less fancied sides in all too familiar ways. The Blues once again opened up a handy lead before being overrun by the Roos in the final term, as opposition sides grow in confidence that they can beat the fast-fading side in transition when the game is on the line. 

Game shapers

James Peatling is making the most of his opportunities as the Crows look for their second string of midfielders to add greater depth to the side and ease the load on the likes of captain Jordan Dawson. The 25-year-old is averaging career-highs for 20 disposals and 5.3 clearances a game and helped lead the late rally against the Dockers last week, while continuing to improve his kicking especially when hitting up targets near goal. 

Mitch McGovern needs to take on extra responsibilities as the Blues regenerate much of their side but remains most important as a focal point in support of spearhead Harry McKay. The 31-year-old has always been an aerial weapon with sticky hands but since settling into the forward half is now adding more goals to his game while averaging a career-high 1.8 a game ahead of reaching 150 matches against his former side.

Early tip: Adelaide by 11 points

Collingwood v Fremantle, Adelaide Oval
Friday, April 10, 7.10pm ACST

Last time: Fremantle 12.7 (79) d Collingwood 11.12 (78), R19 2025

What it means

Collingwood (2-2) was outclassed in a heavy defeat to Brisbane as an undermanned side hit by injuries to key players was unable to match the reigning premiers. The Magpies continue to be exposed for a lack of forward firepower after failing to reach the 100-point mark in their past 13 matches across two seasons before coming up against a Dockers outfit that has started to consistently score heavily. 

Fremantle (3-1) pulled off what could in hindsight become a season-defining win when it built then gave up a healthy lead over Adelaide before steadying late to snatch a rousing victory on the road. The last-gasp triumph was a further sign that the Dockers are a different beast this year as they find a way to claim the four points whether piling on bigger scores or when faced with adversity.  

Game shapers

Ned Long has cemented his place in the Magpies' midfield since the start of last season as they have been screaming out for more ball-winners yet were dismantled around the stoppages by the Lions last week. The 23-year-old is a tackling machine and able to use the ball well on the outside but could add more clearances to his game after only averaging 1.8 in four matches this year. 

Alex Pearce might not win a heap of the ball as a linchpin in the Dockers' defence but has proven time and again that he can step up at just the right time when the game is on the line. The captain did it again with a match-saving smother in the dying stages to seal a win over the Crows but could be just as critical this week in ensuring his side keeps the Magpies' under-fire forward group on a tight leash. 

Early tip: Fremantle by 17 points

North Melbourne v Brisbane, Barossa Park
Saturday, April 11, 12.05pm ACST

Last time: North Melbourne 10.11 (71) drew with Brisbane 10.11 (71), R9 2025

What it means

North Melbourne (3-1) took another step forward in its long-running rebuild as it booted the last five goals of the game against Carlton to snatch a rare victory in the Good Friday clash. The Kangaroos' win was just the second time they have claimed the four points in consecutive matches in more than six years, and they can take on the reigning premiers with some confidence after surprising in a draw when the two sides met last season.

Brisbane (2-2) put the foot down and blew away an undermanned Collingwood to level its win-loss record even while it is largely still short of top gear. The Lions have not been beaten by the Kangaroos in their past eight matches though will be wary of the improving side after needing the last goal of the game to snatch a draw at the same venue during Gather Round last year.   

Game shapers

Luke Davies-Uniacke has gradually become the undisputed leader of the Kangaroos' emerging midfield but has rarely had an opportunity to lift his side to victory as he did against the Blues. The 26-year-old had eight of his 22 disposals - including seven contested possessions and six clearances - when the game was on the line in the final term, to spark the Roos to back-to-back victories for just the fifth time in his career. 

Kai Lohmann has proven himself to be a big-game performer most notably with four goals in the Lions' Grand Final victory over the Swans in 2024. The 22-year-old goalsneak continues to add more consistency to his game with at least one major in his past 13 matches, while booting four goals to be the spark against the Magpies last week for his biggest haul since winning the first of two premiership medals. 

Early tip: Brisbane by 22 points

Essendon v Melbourne, Adelaide Oval
Saturday, April 11, 12.45pm ACST

Last time: Essendon 15.6 (96) d Melbourne 8.9 (57), R5 2025

What it means

Essendon (0-4) was always unlikely to give the Western Bulldogs much of a scare last week and quickly lost touch with its in-form opponents before showing signs of improvement after the main break. The Bombers might have been able to take positives from the game but must turn attention to finding a way to beat the Demons if only to avoid an unwanted slice of club history as the first group to lose 18 consecutive matches.   

Melbourne (3-1) has quickly turned into one of the more eye-catching teams under new coach Steven King with blistering ball movement from the back half while boasting one of the most electrifying players in the competition. The transformation has brought about a change of fortune with the upset win over the Suns perhaps the first real indication that the Demons are ready to return to finals contention.

Game shapers

Jye Caldwell remains one of the Bombers' more consistent and reliable performers even as their midfield has been outplayed too often in recent times. The 25-year-old has shown in the past that he is adept at winning his own ball, and averaged 26 disposals with 5.3 clearances last season, but was just as important in the Bombers ramping up their pressure against the Bulldogs as he set the tone in clamping down on Marcus Bontempelli.

Jake Melksham wound back the clock with a match-turning display in the Demons' upset win over the Suns as he booted four goals, pulled down a Mark of the Year contender and was the most dangerous forward on the ground for large parts of the game. The 34-year-old has enjoyed a rollercoaster career across two clubs that has included serious injury, suspensions and stints in the reserves, but can still make an impact as he reaches 250 matches. 

Early tip: Melbourne by 42 points

Sydney v Gold Coast, Norwood Oval
Saturday, April 11, 3.45pm ACST

Last time: Gold Coast 17.15 (117) d Sydney 12.7 (79), R7 2025

What it means

Sydney (3-1) again showed that its scintillating ball movement can help it blow away the lesser lights as well as any team in the competition when it piled on 24 goals against a hapless West Coast for a 128-point victory. The Swans have already laid down a marker against the Lions earlier in the season but have another opportunity to prove that they belong among the premiership fancies in a top-three clash against the rising Suns. 

Gold Coast (3-1) burst out of the blocks with a trio of wins from its opening three matches as it settled into top spot before heading off for an early-season bye. The Suns were unable to pick up where they left off as they were stunned by the Demons in a surprise defeat and now face a genuine test of where they are at with a clash against a Swans outfit that they have matched up well against over the past five years.  

Game shapers

Brodie Grundy was forced to live in Max Gawn's shadow during a single ill-fated season at Melbourne but the ruck has been the ideal pick-up since moving to Sydney ahead of the 2024 season. The 31-year-old almost did as he pleased with a game-high 28 disposals and a goal as the Swans humiliated the Eagles last week, while he is again putting himself in All-Australian contention with an average 34 hitouts a game.  

Matt Rowell was made to wait to play his first game for the Suns since winning last year's Brownlow Medal after injuring a finger while taking part in the return of Origin. The 24-year-old looked underdone as he only gathered 13 disposals for his lowest count in more than three years, but will surely be better for the run and primed to lead the onball battle in the top-three clash with the Swans. 

Early tip: Gold Coast by 13 points

Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs, Adelaide Oval
Saturday, April 11, 7.05pm ACST

Last time: Hawthorn 12.9 (81) d Western Bulldogs 8.11 (59), R13 2025

What it means

Hawthorn (3-1) rose to the occasion to snatch victory from Geelong in an Easter Monday classic to make it three wins on the trot after beginning its campaign with a misstep against GWS in Opening Round. The Hawks have since shown that they should be among the top-four contenders with back-to-back victories over sides with similar goals, and could make a huge statement this week against the undefeated Bulldogs.  

The Western Bulldogs (4-0) are the last side to remain undefeated for the first time since 1961 after it blew Essendon away early and then putting the cue in the rack with tougher challenges to come. The Bombers perhaps gave hints of how other sides can slow the Dogs down, as they tried to make uncontested possession harder to obtain, though the clash with the in-form Hawks will give the ladder leaders a better idea of where they are at.

Game shapers

Jarman Impey delivered another polished performance for the Hawks with 26 classy disposals and a key role in critical plays late in the game to help his side over the line in a thriller against the Cats. The 30-year-old remains crucial to his side's finals hopes with his versatility across the field and reliability in crunch moments increasingly important even as he just reached 150 matches for his second club.  

Sam Darcy has not had everything go his way even as the Bulldogs have made a mouthwatering start to the season as the young key forward has come in for extra attention from the opposition and booted 10 goals from the opening four matches. The 22-year-old threatened to tear the Bombers apart before Ben McKay clamped down on him after the main break, but Darcy might have a point to prove against the Hawks in his 50th match.

Early tip: Western Bulldogs by eight points

Geelong v West Coast, Norwood Oval
Sunday, April 12, 12pm ACST

Last time: Geelong 17.14 (116) d West Coast 11.7 (73), R12 2025

What it means

Geelong (2-2) came out on the wrong side of an Easter Monday classic as it paid a huge price for a string of mistakes as the heat rose in the dying stages to lose by the narrowest margin against the Hawks. The Cats will be eager to immediately bounce back and perhaps even boost an underwhelming percentage in their first game of the season against a team widely expected to fall short of finals contention.

West Coast (2-2) has taken several leaps forward during a promising start to the campaign but took a step back in a listless defeat on home turf to Sydney. The Eagles were perhaps always likely to be outclassed by the Swans but will be disappointed to be blown away before half-time before they have an opportunity to make amends with a more competitive performance against last year's runners-up.

Game shapers

Mark Blicavs has rightly been lauded as one of the most versatile players to play the game but appeared to add being a match-winner to the long list of accolades across his career. The 35-year-old's goal in the last term against the Hawks might not have quite ended up as the sealer but that should take little shine off the celebrations this week as the Cats' one-time project player reaches 300 matches.

Tim Kelly appeared to be on the way out as he was overlooked for West Coast's season-opener but has reminded the selectors of the influence he can have across the field since returning to the side. The 31-year-old might not be able to recapture the form that made him one of the most well-rounded and damaging midfielders in the game but is now having a different impact as he shows the young Eagles the way before coming up against his former side. 

Early tip: Geelong by 37 points

Greater Western Sydney v Richmond, Barossa Park
Sunday, April 12, 2.45pm ACST

Last time: GWS Giants 12.8 (80) d Richmond 10.17 (77), R12 2025

What it means

GWS (1-3) has found it hard to get its season going with several stars and key players sidelined but will have few excuses for not fronting up after a weekend to rest and recover across a bye. The Giants have largely failed to match the fellow finals contenders since their Opening Round win over the Hawks, but now have a golden opportunity to get their campaign back on track against the winless Tigers. 

Richmond (0-4) was handed a reality check last week as it followed a pair of forgettable defeats to top-four contenders Gold Coast and Fremantle by failing to keep pace with a Port Adelaide outfit that is widely expected to be fighting in a similar weight division. The Tigers might take something from giving the finals-bound Giants a huge scare late last year as they aim to at least stay in touch with their opponents until the dying stages.

Game shapers

Finn Callaghan was widely expected to be the icing on the cake of a Giants onball brigade centred around ball-winners Tom Green and Clayton Oliver. But with Green suffering a serious knee injury in the pre-season, Callaghan has had to carry much more of the load on his heavily-strapped shoulders while averaging career-highs for 30 disposals and 6.3 inside-50s as the prime mover in the Giants midfield.

Jacob Hopper has had an up and down start to the campaign while being the experienced battering ram in a young Tigers midfield before coming up against his former side. The 29-year-old has seen his impact drop as his averages of 21.5 disposals and five clearances nudge lower, while the number of clangers has grown, but will be out to remind the Giants of what they have missed since he switched clubs ahead of the 2023 season.

Early tip: GWS Giants by 26 points

Port Adelaide v St Kilda, Adelaide Oval
Sunday, April 12, 6.45pm ACST

Last time: St Kilda 13.11 (89) d Port Adelaide 10.12 (72), R4 2025

What it means

Port Adelaide (2-2) avoided adding to mounting concerns with its win over Richmond that ensured new coach Josh Carr begins his reign with at least an even win-loss record while starting the season with four matches against last year's bottom four sides. The new-look Power are perhaps rebuilding on the run but will like their chances against a Saints outfit that they have beaten in 14 of their past 16 meetings.   

St Kilda (1-3) has had an opportunity to lick its wounds during an early-season bye that has come after a sluggish start to a season that promised so much. The Saints are yet to gel after bolstering their best 23 with some ambitious off-season moves but can now lay down a marker against a Power side that is widely expected to fall short of finals contention this year. 

Game shapers

Aliir Aliir has enjoyed many standout games and memorable moments across 182 matches with Port Adelaide and Sydney but has rarely been allowed to dominate like he did last week against Richmond. The 31-year-old was all but impassable as he reeled in eight intercept marks and 23 disposals while using all of his experience to help lead a young side take early steps in its transition. 

Jack Higgins has made a consistent if not glorious start to the season with seven goals in four matches while St Kilda bed in new additions to its side. The 27-year-old has become an increasingly reliable performer even in the at times difficult small forward role with 211 majors at the Tigers and Saints as he reaches 150 games across the two clubs.  

Early tip: St Kilda by nine points

THERE'S nothing better than 'Rash' in the rain.

Travellers were welcomed to South Australia for this year's Gather Round with rain. Then more rain. And then some torrential rain. Then just more rain. Luckily, one man didn't really seem to mind. Josh Rachele.

CROWS v BLUES Full match coverage and stats

Adelaide has relished the chance to make a statement in its Gather Round openers and Rachele wasn't about to let Thursday night's downpour ruin his chance of doing just that. When things were going wrong for the Crows, Rachele was the one to inspire. And when they needed to put the foot down, it was Rachele they turned to again.

His four first-half goals from midfield, combined with the 26 disposals and six clearances that complemented that attacking brilliance, were decisive in Adelaide overcoming Carlton's early blitz on its way to a 17.12 (114) to 12.14 (86) win that helped to stop the rot that has threatened the start of its season.

Rachele had willing contributors alongside him. Sam Berry (29 disposals, four clearances) and Jordan Dawson (26 disposals, one goal) did the brunt work through the middle, while Wayne Milera (25 disposals, eight intercepts) was the team's primary mover across half-back.

But it was the Crows superstar that led the way. While he danced in the rain, the Blues slowly became more downtrodden. The 28-point defeat was their fourth in five matches to begin the campaign, and will undoubtedly heap more scrutiny on under-pressure coach Michael Voss in the coming days.

It had, initially, been following the season's script. Adelaide, notoriously slow starters, up against Carlton, infamously slow finishers. It meant that when the Blues kicked three of the game's first four goals, both sets of supporters would have been left with an unenviable feeling of 'here we go again'.

But, for the first time of the night, enter Rachele. Twice in a matter of minutes, he somehow managed to snap truly while wedged deep inside the forward pocket, helping to weather an early Blues storm where the visitors had burst out of the blocks to kick seven first-quarter goals and earn a decent buffer.

Carlton looked hot, with Patrick Cripps (29 disposals, seven clearances) and Sam Walsh (29 disposals, eight tackles) doing the bulk of their damage to quarter-time. But even they couldn't thwart Rachele's influence. A third goal, converted on the run from outside 50m, was delivered right on the stroke of quarter-time.

It reduced the deficit to just seven points at the first change, when in reality it could have been much larger. And when Rachele opened the second quarter with yet another opportunistic finish, his fourth in 40 minutes, suddenly the Adelaide Oval crowd was sensing the makings of a special night.

Adelaide, too, was sensing its moment to strike. Still trailing at that stage, Rachele's heroics then inspired another four goals in the next seven minutes to kickstart a charge that changed the complexion of the game. Ben Keays had three of them, hoping to mirror his teammate's burst, as the Crows opened a 24-point half-time lead.

Carlton, already in dire straits given the nature of its season to date, needed everything to go right if it was to respond. But when the next storm arrived, bringing with it yet another lashing of rain across the longer break, the weather instead started to reflect the gloomy feeling that continues to linger over the Blues.

While the conditions hardly favoured a comeback, Adelaide still made more of them. The Crows kicked two of the three goals in the third term, no longer even needing to rely on Rachele to ensure the points were sealed. In wet weather, with a 30-point lead heading into the last, it made the final term rather inconsequential.

Even if the hosts were made to sweat through a mini-Carlton comeback – spurred by three unanswered goals to begin the fourth quarter – the margin never dipped beneath 17 points. Adelaide had done enough and, by that point, its main man had already made his mark.

Where's Cripps?
All eyes were on Carlton's midfield after George Hewett's axing and, for the first 40 minutes or so, the Blues responded. Led by captain Patrick Cripps, who had 12 touches, six clearances and five tackles in the first quarter alone, the visitors led the clearance count by eight and the centre clearance tally by five at the first change. But then, for the first six minutes of the second quarter, Cripps was benched. In his absence, Carlton handed Adelaide all the momentum out of the centre. The Crows kicked three quick goals with the opposition's skipper out of action, leading to a run of five straight majors, to suddenly open a commanding lead and completely swing the ledger.

Hinge adds to Crows' injury woes
Just when it looked like the injury issues that had hampered Adelaide's start to the season looked to be fading, off went the reliable Mitch Hinge with a hamstring injury. Playing his first senior game of the season following a back issue he's dealt with across the summer, Hinge clutched at his hamstring late in the first half and didn't return. With AFL regulars Callum Ah Chee (hamstring), Jordon Butts (concussion), Dan Curtin (knee), Darcy Fogarty (back), Mark Keane (leg) and Luke Pedlar (concussion) already sidelined – and with Isaac Cumming, Jordan Dawson and Rory Laird among those to have already missed games this season – the Crows simply can't catch a break right now.

ADELAIDE          6.3     12.6     14.8     17.12 (114)
CARLTON           7.4      8.6       9.8       12.14 (86)

GOALS
Adelaide: Rachele 4, Keays 3, Rankine 2, Neal-Bullen 2, Walker, Thilthorpe, Soligo, Maley, Dawson, Cumming
Carlton: McGovern 2, Ainsworth 2, Williams, McKay, O.Hollands, E.Hollands, Florent, Evans, Cerra, Carroll

BEST
Adelaide: Rachele, Milera, Berry, Dawson, Keays, Rankine, Neal-Bullen
Carlton: Walsh, Cripps, E.Hollands, Newman, Florent

INJURIES
Adelaide: Hinge (hamstring)
Carlton: Nil

Crowd: 49,184 at Adelaide Oval