AFL Tips and Previews, March 23-24
Carlton vs. Geelong
March 23rd
Both Carlton and Geelong will be vying for their first win of the season when they clash on Thursday night, with the Blues coming off a draw against the Tigers and the Cats going down to the Magpies.
The Blues enter the match as $2.43 underdogs after letting slip a chance to defeat Richmond for just the second time from their past nine Round One encounters. They led at the 28-minute mark of the final quarter, but their inability to close out a match – refer to their one-point loss to Collingwood in Round 23 last year – cost them dearly again as Tom Lynch tied things up. George Hewett, Sam Docherty, and Patrick Cripps all accumulated 25+ touches, while Charlie Curnow picked up where he left off with three goals.
The reigning premiers let a six-point three-quarter time lead slip in their pursuit of the perfect start, losing to the Pies by 22 points. They were up against it when Tom Stewart went down with an MCL injury in the first quarter, possibly paving the way for Jack Bowes’ first senior game. Tom Hawkins was clearly playing through foot pain, but not enough to miss this week.
There were positive signs for the Blues in their first-up clash, but we know the Cats will be desperate to get off the mark.
Suggested Bet:
Geelong to win at $1.54
Brisbane vs. Melbourne
March 24th
Well, what happened to Brisbane?
The premiership fancies failed to fire a shot in their Round One match against Port Adelaide and eventually went down by 54 points. The market hasn’t reacted well either, with the Lion’s $2 to the Dees’ $1.85.
The Power completely overwhelmed them with 141 fewer disposals, 25 fewer inside 50s and only 37.5% efficiency inside 50. While they definitely have things to work on, they will be buoyed by Daniel Rich’s 26 disposals and 1010m gained across half-back. Keidean Coleman will miss this match due to a concussion.
As for Melbourne, they couldn’t have been any better against the Western Bulldogs, with Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca leading them to a 50-point win. Kysaiah Pickett and Ben Brown shared the spoils with four goals each. The Gawn/Grundy experiment had a successful start, and after dismantling the Tigers in their practice match, we know the Demons want to hit the ground running.
