One of the biggest rivalries in AFL football will get another instalment on Sunday as the high-flying Collingwood take on a resurgent Essendon. The Magpies are on a mission to cement their place in the top eight, while the Bombers are out to ruin the chances of rivals.
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Collingwood vs Essendon Betting Tips
MCG, Sunday 24th July, 3.20pm (AEST)
Collingwood
Injuries: Aiden Begg, Charlie Dean, Jordan De Goey, Brodie Grundy, Harvey Harrison, Nathan Kreuger, Jack Madgen, Reef McInnes, Tom Wilson
Collingwood’s season is building nicely, with the star pairing of Grundy and De Goey set to return in coming weeks.
The winning streak lives on after Collingwood overcame a competitive Adelaide outfit last week by five points. Indeed, the Magpies have done it the hard way in all their recent matches, triumphing in each of their last four matches by a combined margin of 28 points. Winning close games is a great habit to get into approaching finals time, so the black and white army will be optimistic that their team can make a real impact in September. Just as impressive has been Collingwood’s ability to cover for injury – Darcy Cameron has been outstanding in the absence of Grundy and De Goey will be the cherry on top of an already dynamic forward line when he returns. As a neutral, it has been breathtaking watching Nick Daicos go about his business in his first year and his performance against Adelaide was a three-vote effort that will live in the memory of all who viewed it for years to come.
Essendon
Injuries: Kaine Baldwin, Nik Cox, Tom Cutler, Aaron Francis, Darcy Parish, Archie Perkins, Devon Smith, Tex Wanganeen
Not much has changed on the injury front for Essendon, who are still missing several players from their best 22. Michael Hurley made a successful return to football last week in the VFL, however it is yet to be seen whether he will receive an AFL farewell.
The Bombers continued their rich vein of form with a dominant 48-point win over Gold Coast last week, underlining the quality they possess when on song. While fans would be disappointed that Essendon couldn’t get going earlier in the season, there is now a sense of hope for 2023 and beyond, hope which was missing a month ago. A victory over archrivals Collingwood on Sunday would be the ultimate middle finger to the AFL media who have slated the Bombers all season, so it will be interesting to see how this game plays out. Sam Draper, who has been a key part of Essendon’s turnaround, said himself that the team is keen to give opposition sides an early holiday. Working in the Bombers favour is the fact that they have a fairly strong side selected on paper, headlined by a three-pronged forward line and improving midfield. Andrew McGrath returned to strengthen the defence last week, while Zach Merrett and Dylan Shiel have more than covered for the absence of Darcy Parish.
Match Prediction
Essendon have matched up well against Collingwood in recent years, recording two wins in 2021, however it was the Magpies who prevailed this year on ANZAC Day by 11 points.
That result seems like a decent indication of how these two sides stack up this year, so I think this will be another closely fought encounter.
Collingwood’s recent results support this, as they have not blown away the opposition in their wins.
I can’t see many matchups across the park which clearly advantage one team… in fact I think the underdogs will probably be able to generate an ascendency in the middle.
As such, I’m predicting either team to win in a thriller.
Either Team by under 24.5
$1.78 (3 Units)
Prop Bets
Merrett is thriving as the #1 midfielder in the absence of Darcy Parish and has hit 30+ disposals in his last two matches. Collingwood have given away plenty of possessions to opposition mids as of late, so Merrett is in a great position to capitalise for another big day.
Zach Merrett 30+ disposals ($1.87 at Ladbrokes)
Elliott has found some well deserved continuity in his game and has reaped the rewards, hitting the scoreboard most weeks. He has kicked two or more goals four times this year and has a fantastic record against the Bombers.
Jamie Elliott 2+ goals ($1.90 at Ladbrokes)
