With Round 13 the last of the three-week bye block, Mark Ricciuto believes all the teams should be relatively fresh heading into what looks like a tough round for punters.

Sydney and Geelong kick off a big round of footy on Friday night at the SCG.

This shapes as a massive game for the Cats, an eight-point game if you like, with a win ensuring it remains within touch of a top four berth. They should regain some Premiership players in Podsiadly, Stokes and Christensen, while Adam Goodes will return for the Swans. Even though the Cats have an average record at the SCG, you get the feeling this one is going to be too close, so sit back and enjoy a big game.

On Saturday afternoon at the MCG we will see two genuine Premiership contenders face off.

Both Collingwood and West Coast have had a tough run of injuries which has severely tested their depth. Collingwood's growing list of injuries will now include Scott Pendlebury and Alan Didak, but amazingly youngsters continue to step up and fill the holes. West Coast will not only have to overcome a Collingwood side shooting for nine straight wins, but an MCG hoodoo, having lost eight of their last nine at the ground, and more recently their last four games by an average of 42 points.

Again, I think this one will be too close to call with both sides in great form.

Another team that will be out to break a hoodoo this weekend will be Essendon, who will travel to Perth to play Fremantle on Saturday night.

Essendon have had the worst record of any side on the road, but Perth has been particularly cruel to the Bombers. They've lost their 11 of their last 12 at Patersons Stadium, but their last six by an average of 34 points, and their last three against Fremantle by an average of 44 points.

However, they will take heart from the fact they've generally performed pretty well against St Kilda under Ross Lyon, so will be hoping to play with some flair against the defensive Dockers. One area they could look to gain some ascendency will be in the ruck, with Aaron Sandilands sidelined with turf toe, so the temptation to play the three big men will be there for James Hird.

This one promises to be another nail biter, and I'm going to go out on a limb and tip a draw here! So if you've got a spare $10, the draw could be enticing at $65.

Melbourne have the chance to notch up their second win against GWS on Sunday afternoon at the MCG.

GWS have been kind to us all year, nearly pinching a win against Richmond last weekend, but with a lengthy injury list, and the toll of a first season of senior footy on young bodies could see them drop away in the second half of the season. Big man Jonathan Giles is in some doubt with injury, which would really hurt the Giants. Tom Scully will face the challenge of playing against his former club for the first time, and will be unlikely to be welcomed home with any fanfare! It will also be the first time many of the young Giants set foot on the MCG, which can be a daunting experience in itself.

As hard as it is to tip the Dees, their last month of footy has shown some improvement, and you get the feeling they are starting to play with some more confidence. Make sure you check the teams before the game, as well as the weather with some rain forecast, but I think Melbourne can cover the line of 21.5pts points against the Giants.

The final game of the round sees the Adelaide Crows take on North Melbourne under the roof at Etihad Stadium.

The Crows got a bit of a fright last Friday night against the Saints, which I think will be good for them. At training this week they'll have no doubt put a focus back on the style of footy they want to play, and with the likely inclusion of Graham Johncock and Bernie Vince, you'd expect them to handle a North Melbourne side that has underperformed this year.

The Crows have performed well on the road this year winning their last three games by an average of 34 points, and that should continue on Sunday.

Adelaide to cover the line of 19.5 points.