AFL Tips and Previews, April 13-14
Adelaide vs. Carlton
April 13th
One of the two home sides will kick off Gather Round in the City of Churches, with Adelaide taking on Carlton on Thursday night.
It’s the perfect opportunity for the Crows to stamp their authority on the 2023 season, having pieced together consecutive wins against Port Adelaide and Fremantle over the past two weeks. They were in total control against the Dockers, with Taylor Walker (4 goals), Izak Rankine (3) and Josh Rachele (3) the beneficiaries of an impressive midfield performance.
It certainly won’t be a walk in the park for the Crows after Carlton worked their way into second spot on the ladder via a 23-point victory over North Melbourne. Trailing by two points at half-time, Michael Voss’ men exploded with 11 goals to six in the second half. Their twin towers, Charlie Curnow (6) and Harry McKay (4) were the two best players on the ground.
If this game were played on any other ground, we’d be all-in on the Blues. But given the atmosphere expected in Adelaide and the fact the home side have hit their straps, it’s hard to dismiss them at $1.93.
Suggested Bet:
Adelaide to win at $1.93
Fremantle vs. Gold Coast
April 14th
Gather Round is already producing the goods with two Friday night games for our consumption. The first, between the Dockers and the Suns, is of the utmost importance for both sides as they attempt to register just their second win of the year.
Fremantle has been the season’s biggest surprise to date, with last week’s 39-point loss to the Crows the latest in a string of disappointing results. The club has been forced to fly in reinforcements for injured forward Matt Taberner, with Sam Sturt the likely replacement. Will Brodie is a chance to rejoin the 22 after starring in the WAFL with 37 disposals and 15 clearances.
The 17th-placed Suns have been equally frustrating, following up their incredible win over Geelong two weeks ago with a 53-point loss to the Saints. Their goal-kicking woes were on show once again as key forwards Ben King and Levi Casboult managed just one goal each, while Mabior Chol kicked just two in the VFL.
Suggested Bet:
S. Darcy anytime goal scorer at $2.04
Richmond vs. Sydney
April 14th
Richmond and Sydney will meet in an intriguing match-up, with both sides suffering numerous injuries in their losses over the weekend.
The Tigers would be disappointed with their five-point loss to the Bulldogs, but more concerning are the injuries to Tom Lynch, Toby Nankervis and Jack Graham. Jack Riewoldt will replace Lynch up forward, while Ben Miller is the next in line for their co-captain as he joins Robbie Tarrant and Ivan Soldo on the sideline.
It’s been a few lean weeks for the Swans, with a 50-point loss to Melbourne and a two-point defeat to Port Adelaide. While Oliver Florent continues to impress off half-back, they have a big man issue to solve following concussions to the McCartin brothers and a knee issue for champion forward Lance Franklin.
Both sides have been ravaged by injuries, but it’s safe to say the Swans are in a slightly better position going into this one.
