The Game of the Round is in and now its time for the best of rest for Round 3 of the AFL Premiership season.
West Coast and Port Adelaide do battle from Optus Stadium on Saturday night.
Time to put those best bets through the big sticks!
West Coast vs. Port Adelaide
April 2nd 8:10pm
A mouthwatering clash between the West Coast Eagles and Port Adelaide graces us for Saturday night football from Perth.
Adam Simpson will be keen to bounce back into winning ways after his cavalry could only watch Marcus Bontempelli seal their fate in a 7-point loss against the Western Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide proved far the superior team against Essendon last Saturday with a big 18.11.119 to 9.11.65 win.
Port Adelaide has managed to account for the Eagles quite comfortably in their last two fixtures with the most recent being a 45-point drubbing up in the Gold Coast hub last year.
Ken Hinkley and the 22 that take the field will have no fears travelling to Perth having smashed the Eagles by 42 points in torrential rain at Optus Stadium in 2019.
This game, however, has a completely different set up compared to that encounter and the to the Round 4 clash at Metricon Stadium in 2020.
The Eagles get to grace its home turf at Optus Stadium which is sure to give them a big boost with the advantage of the noisy home crowd as well as a dry deck, it might just favour them.
If Luke Shuey makes his return from a hamstring injury this week then the Eagles midfield will gain a huge boost.
Prediction: West Coast Eagles by 8 points
Suggested Bets:
West Coast Eagles head to head at $1.95
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: West Coast Eagles head to head
Leg 2: Total points scored under 169.5
Leg 3: J. Kennedy to score 2+ goals
Combined odds = 4.75
North Melbourne vs. Western Bulldogs
April 2nd 4:20pm
North Melbourne host its traditional Good Friday clash against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.
Desperate for a win in 2021, it looks like it is going to a very long, painstaking year for Kangaroo fans having been dealt back to back beltings to commence the season.
An eight-goal drubbing at the hands of Port Adelaide was followed up by a lacklustre 59-point loss to the Gold Coast Suns and it does not get any easier against the Western Bulldogs.
Jackson Macrae and Marcus Bontempelli led the Dogs to a thrilling 14.16.100 to 14.9.93 win over the Eagles in Round 2 to make it two from two to start its 2021 campaign.
Bontempelli proved the match winner with his third major of the day sealing the seven-point win on Sunday as he managed to accumulate 31 disposals, while Macrae went to work amassing 41 disposals, 14 score involvements and eight inside 50s.
Both teams will likely end up at the opposite ends of the ladder this season with the Dogs pushing towards a top four finish and North Melbourne looking to keep itself out of the bottom four.
The head to head odds are of no interest here but the line looks the way to go.
Prediction: Western Bulldogs by 65 points
Suggested Bet: Western Bulldogs to cover the -42.5 line at $1.87
Adelaide vs. Gold Coast
April 1st 7:50pm
The Adelaide Crows travel back home to Adelaide Oval as it prepares to face the Gold Coast Suns for what looks set to be a Good Friday classic.
After a massive upset victory in Round 1 against Geelong, the Crows crash landed against a rampant Sydney Swans last week despite the best efforts of Taylor Walker.
The Suns come into this game having notched up their first win of 2021 after it picked apart a hapless North Melbourne to prevail by 59 points.
Even without Matthew Rowell, who succumbed to yet another long-term injury, the Suns moved the ball well and controlled the contest to show its on-going development as a football club.
This will an early season litmus test for the youth development of both football clubs with a host of youngsters to take the field.
Last year Gold Coast did a number over the Crows with an 82-29 win at Metricon Stadium after starting the $1.80 favourite.
While a Suns win is the likely outcome in this game, it will not be as lopsided as it was in 2020.
Prediction: Gold Coast Suns by 11 points
Suggested Bet: Gold Coast Suns head to head at $1.76
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: Gold Coast head to head
Leg 2: R. Laird 25+ disposals
Leg 3: T. Miller 25+ disposals
Leg 4: T. Walker 2+ goals
Combined odds = $4.75
Richmond vs. Sydney
April 3rd 1:45pm
The return of Buddy Franklin could not have been timed any better when the Sydney Swans trek down to the MCG to face the reigning premier Richmond in a Sunday afternoon clash.
Franklin took the field for the first time in over a year in the Round 2 win over Adelaide and managed to hit the scoreboard with three goals.
The Tigers, meanwhile, kept a stubborn Hawthorn at arms-length for the majority of its 11.12.78 to 7.7.49 win as Jack Riewoldt proved the difference with a four-goal display.
Dustin Martin looked like he was in second gear all day on his way to 28 disposals and a goal, while Dion Prestia led the Richmond midfield with 29 touches, four clearances and four tackles.
The Richmond midfield will face arguably its toughest test to date this season with Swans young on-ball brigade showing form in excess of their inexperience.
Braedan Campbell, Errol Gulden, Oliver Florent, Jordan Dawson and Chad Warner have all stepped up to help the battered veterans Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker carry the load.
The professionalism of Richmond should prove too good on the day but the Swans definitely have the ability to cover the line here.
Prediction: Tigers by 19 points
Suggested Bets: Sydney to cover the +23.5 line at $1.90
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: Sydney to cover the -23.5 line
Leg 2: E. Gulden anytime goal scorer
Leg 3: J. Lloyd 25+ disposals
Leg 4: T. Lynch 2+ goals
Combined odds = $4.20
Essendon vs. St Kilda
April 3rd 4:35pm
St Kilda and Essendon square off against each other for a Saturday twilight Round 3 clash at Marvel Stadium.
The Saints struggled to find their rhythm in their three-goal Round 2 loss to Melbourne on Saturday night, while the season for Essendon went from bad to worse after a 54-point loss against Port Adelaide was soured by injuries to Dylan Shiel, Scott Draper and Jye Caldwell.
Recent head to head clashes between both teams bode well for St Kilda having won the COVID effected clash at the Gabba last season and overcoming the Bombers in 2019 by 11 points.
The market here is suggesting the Bombers will hang around in this game with the line set at 20.5 points but with a growing injury list and losing form, the Saints should be winning this game comfortably on its way to a 2-1 record.
Prediction: St Kilda by 33 points
Suggested Bets: St Kilda to cover the -20.5 line at $1.85
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: St Kilda to cover the -20.5 line
Leg 2: Total points scored under 173.5
Combined odds = $3.8
Carlton vs. Fremantle
April 4th 3:20pm
Carlton will be seeking to gets it first premiership points of the year on the board when it welcomes Fremantle to Marvel Stadium on Easter Sunday.
Both teams are staring at a long injury list heading into this game with Nathan Fyfe to miss for Fremantle after being concussed in the win against Greater Western Sydney, while the Blues will be without electrical forward duo Zac Fisher and Jack Martin who are set to be sidelined for nearly two months.
After being heavily backed to defeat Collingwood last Thursday, the Blues fell short against its arch-enemy by 21 points and in doing slumped to 0-2 for the ninth year in a row.
Fremantle, however, notched up its first win of 2021 with an easy win over the Giants who look a shadow of the team that nearly went all the way in 2019.
Carlton did take home the chocolates against the Dockers last year after an incredible after-the-siren goal from Jack Newnes sealed the win.
The Dockers midfield is sure to trouble this Carlton team with the likes of Angus Brayshaw, Adam Cerra, wylie old veteran David Mundy and Caleb Serong showing brilliant form to begin the season.
Harry McKay will be the focal point for Carlton up front after a four-goal effort on Darcy Moore last week.
The repercussions if Carlton was to go 0-3 would be huge and without two of its most creative and exciting players in the form of Fisher and Martin, this might just be the case.
Prediction: Fremantle by 4 points.
Suggested Bets: Fremantle head to head at $2.90
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: Fremantle to cover the +15.5 line
Leg 2: Total points scored over 166.5
Leg 3: S. Walsh 25+ Disposals
Combined odds = $5
GWS vs. Melbourne
April 4th 6:10pm
The 0-2 GWS Giants host the 2-0 Melbourne Demons at Manuka Oval on Easter Sunday.
It’s been a terrible start to the year for Giants coach Leon Cameron as the pressure mounts on his role at the club following a less than inspiring 31-point defeat against Fremantle on Sunday.
The frailties shown in the Giants squad, who missed the eight last season, came through in the 11.21.87 to 7.14.56 loss at Optus Stadium and it would have been horrific if the Dockers kicked straight.
The story for the Demons has been the complete opposite with Simon Goodwin leading his men to an 18-point triumph over the more fancied St Kilda last Saturday.
Kysaiah Pickett produced a career best performance after his 17 disposal, two goal effort against the Saints included a brilliant goal of the year contender.
The excitement rippling around the Demons is in stark contrast to the doom and gloom in the face of the Giants.
Have to be with the momentum of the Demons in this one.
Prediction: Melbourne Demons by 16 points
Suggested Bets: Melbourne to cover the -7.5 line at $1.87
Geelong vs. Hawthorn
April 5th 3:20pm
The traditional Easter Monday clash between Geelong and Hawthorn continues in Round 3 as both teams look to go 2-1 heading into Round 4.
Geelong breathed a huge sigh of relief after Isaac Smith’s match winning snap against Brisbane ensured the Cats got their first win of the year, albeit in controversial circumstances.
Geelong were cruising along with a 26-point lead early in the third quarter against the Lions, but relinquished the lead late in the game and were lucky to get away with an errant umpiring decision which denied the Lions of a certain goal with 30 seconds left on the clock.
Meanwhile, the Hawks battled bravely against Richmond in an error riddled 29-point loss to the reigning premier.
Tom Mitchell was at his customary ball winning best accumulating 37 disposals and Blake Hardwick was everywhere with 31 touches of his own.
The Cats have been unable to cover the line in the last three encounters against Hawthorn despite a big win at GMHBA Stadium last year.
If we look back to the most recent game at the MCG between the two teams, it was the Hawks who prevailed that day with a 24-point triumph.
The line in this game looks enormous and the Hawks should easily cover the +24.5.
Prediction: Geelong by 9 points
Suggested Bets: Hawthorn to cover +23.5 line at $1.89.
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: Total Points under 175.5
Leg 2: Hawthorn +29.5
Leg 3: Geelong Win
Combined Odds = $4.2
