RIVALRY round isn't until round 17, but tonight's round 12 match-up between Carlton and St Kilda also looms as the start of something big.

The high-flying Saints are unbeaten this season and the Blues lie fourth, on the up after almost a decade of disappointment. The form guide points to these two clubs vying for success at the top end of the table over the next five years or so, and tonight's clash in front of a full house at Docklands is also crucial for their respective 2009 campaigns.

It's certainly the pick of games over the two weekends of the split round, and I think we'll be looking forward to clashes between these two for a long time to come.

Most games are won and lost in the midfield, but this one looks a little different.

Judd, Gibbs, Murphy, Stevens, Kreuzer and a great stopper in Joseph against Dal Santo, Ball, Montagna, Hayes, Gardiner and their great stopper in Jones. Line them up man to man and you can’t split them.

So the game will be won at either end of the ground.

Bret Thornton and Michael Jamison’s ability to quell Justin Koschitzke and Nick Riewoldt is obviously crucial but, more importantly, Carlton’s small defenders must to control the likes of Stephen Milne and Adam Schneider.

With the pressure in the midfield being red hot, the delivery into the forward line won’t be at its best, so we can expect the ball to be hitting the ground more often than usual.

The Fev has been in fine touch of late and Eddie Betts is as good as any small forward going around, but they are up against the best defence in the league.

As always, we just don’t know whether the good or the bad Brendan Fevola is going to show up.

The Saints get my nod in a close one.

Richmond v West Coast
The whole football world has its fingers crossed that this game on Saturday at Docklands will be the start of the Tigers' resurgence.

Interim coach Jade Rawlings has already put his stamp on the team and wielded the axe, which is definitely what the club needed.

The Tigers haven’t had success for a long time and the players that have been dropped have made up the nucleus of that team. If something isn’t working, you have to change.

Some would describe what has been happening at the club over the last few years as insanity.

Einstein once described insanity as; 'doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results'.

They come up against the Eagles, who are in the middle of their own rebuilding stage, and a player who will play a big part of that rebuild is Nick Naitanui (on debut). Still a year or two away from being a regular, the No.2 pick in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft has enormous talent but, like most big blokes, will take a bit of time to develop.

The other inclusions of Daniel Kerr and David Wirrapunda will be of great help but the outs of Andrew Embley, Ben McKinley and Adam Hunter will counteract those inclusions.

Both teams are struggling, but given the massive statement Rawlings has made at the selection table the Tigers will play like men possessed and win, otherwise the axe will appear again next week.

Adelaide v North Melbourne
The Roos simply must win at AAMI Stadium on Sunday. If they lose to the Crows, their finals hopes are all but gone.

It's also a game of great significance for North with Adam Simpson playing his 300th game.

History has taught us that certain milestone games bring out the best in teams, and this is one of those games.

Simmo is widely respected throughout the AFL and, at the Roos, that respect is amplified.

He's a true clubman that has always put his team and club needs in front of his own. Every player that puts on the blue and white jumper this week won’t want to let him down.

The Roos have made a lot of changes that will strengthen the team. Lachie Hansen straightens the backline up, Daniel Harris and Jack Ziebell are great around the stoppages, feeding the ball to their runners, and Corey Jones is in for his first game this year with a point to prove.

Adelaide has lost its barometer in Simon Goodwin, who always causes the Roos problems.

On paper the Crows look stronger but the Roos have so much to play for. Respect for their favourite son and their finals aspirations.

These are intangibles that can’t be measured but you will have to trust me when I say that Roos thrive in these sorts of games.

Go Simmo!

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.