AFL Round 9 continues on Saturday with a huge five-match slate on the cards. Here, we take a look at the second game of the day which features the Kangaroos taking on the Power in Tassie and provide our best betting tips!
As always, we have you covered with a full preview and betting tips for the game and remember to head to our AFL Tips page, where you can catch our coverage of all the Round 9 action.
North Melbourne vs Port Adelaide Betting Tips
Blundstone Arena, Saturday 14th May 2:10pm (AEST)
North Melbourne
Injuries: Miller Bergman (Shoulder), Aiden Bonar (Hamstring), Ben Cunnington (Illness), Eddie Ford (Ankle), Aaron Hall (Hamstring), Ben McKay (Knee), Jared Polec (Foot), Phoenix Spicer (Hamstring), Tristan Xerri (Foot)
North Melbourne have quite an extensive injury list at the moment to say the least. Key players missing for various injuries include Aiden Bonar, Ben Cunnington, Aaron Hall, Ben McKay and Tristan Xerri. The good news is that most of them are only a week or two away from being fit.
The nightmare start to the season continued for the Kangaroos last weekend where they scored just 24 points in a monster 78-point loss away to the Dockers. They were absolutely belted right from the start and were held goalless in two of the four quarters. The Kangaroos have now lost six straight matches by an average margin of 62.5 points, which is why they currently find themselves second last on the ladder and only a couple of percentage above the decimated Eagles.
Port Adelaide
Injuries: Riley Bonner (Ankle), Scott Lycett (Shoulder), Trent McKenzie (Knee), Jake Pasini (Knee), Josh Sinn (Groin)
Port Adelaide have had to deal with their fair share of injuries this season, but things are finally looking up in that department, with only five listed players unavailable to suit up. Scott Lycett and Trent McKenzie should both return in the second half of the season, while Orazio Fantasia is just about back to full health.
After a shocking start to the season where they lost each of their first five matches, the Power have finally returned to form with wins in each of their last three. Their monster 117-33 win over the Eagles in Round 6 gave them some much-needed confidence, helping them get over the line against the Saints and the Bulldogs in the following two rounds. The Power now have the perfect opportunity to make it four wins on the spin and to put themselves back in the race for finals.
Match Prediction
Port Adelaide have been a far better team than North Melbourne in recent years and have dominated this matchup with seven wins from their last eight clashes. However, despite their dominance, the Power have only won by 40+ points twice during that span. The line for this clash in Tassie has been set at a whopping 37.5 points in favour of the Power and while they should be able to secure the win, that line just seems too high considering their poor start to the season. With that said, I’ll be playing the Power 1-39 market in this one.
Port Adelaide 1-39 (1 UNIT)
$2.20
Prop Bets
Kane Farrell has returned from his ACL injury in good form. He’s got a lethal left boot and loves to use it to have pings at goal, and he should get a couple of looks against the Kangaroos on Saturday. Farrell has kicked a goal in six of his last nine completed matches and is over the odds to kick one this round.
Kane Farrell Anytime Goal Kicker ($2.20 Ladbrokes)
Mitch Georgiades has struggled to find the big sticks this season due to being the #1 key forward for the Power due to Charlie Dixon’s absence. However, he gets a look at a vulnerable Kangaroos defence this week who are lacking in size. This could very well be the weekend that kickstarts Georgiades’ season.
Mitch Georgiades 2+ Goals ($1.96 Ladbrokes)
Todd Goldstein has been playing well now that he’s been back in the thick of the action the last couple of weeks. He’s always been good at finding plenty of the ball for a big man and has collected 18 and 16 disposals in his last two matches. He’s a good value leg to chuck in your multis this week.
Todd Goldstein 15+ Disposals ($1.62 Ladbrokes)
