Opening Round of the 2024 AFL season rolls into Saturday with Gold Coast hosting Richmond at Heritage Bank Stadium. This will be the first time that Damien Hardwick coaches against his beloved Tigers, so expect both sides to come out firing. As always, we preview the clash and provide our best bet and Same Game Multi!
Also, Before You Bet will be providing free previews and betting tips for EVERY game in the 2024 AFL season, so make sure to head over to out our AFL Tips regularly to keep up to date with all of our free content.
2024 AFL Opening Round Preview & Betting Tips
Gold Coast vs Richmond
Saturday 4:20pm AEDT, March 9th, Heritage Bank Stadium
Gold Coast have fallen just short of a debut finals appearance in recent campaigns, but the signing of gun coach Damien Hardwick will have Suns fans dreaming of September football.
Dimma has promised to mould Gold Coast’s quality list around his philosophy of fast-paced chaos footy, and the 23 selected for Opening Round reflects that.
The backline has been given a complete makeover, with speed added to complement quality talls Sam Collins and Charlie Ballard.
Further up the field, Touk Miller and Sam Flanders have been promised more prominent roles in the engine room, while forwards Ben King and Jack Lukosius could be set to breakout.
All the elements are there for a genuine top eight push in 2024 but the competition is stiffer that ever, with up to 13 teams vying for finals positions.
As such, Gold Coast’s success will depend on how quickly the players adapt to Hardwick’s style, which remains to be seen.
On the other hand, Richmond are on a downward slide that is likely to continue into 2024.
The once feared Tigers finished 13th last season with 10 wins, but most are predicting a far leaner campaign this time around, especially considering the personnel issues that Adam Yze has had to contend with in his first offseason as coach.
Premiership stars Tom Lynch, Toby Nankervis and Dustin Martin will all miss this Opening Round fixture, leaving Richmond with an inexperienced with youngsters in every line.
Therefore, it will be a tricky start to 2024 for the Tigers, who are also trying to learn a new style of football under Yze.
Match prediction: Gold Coast have had Richmond’s measure in recent years, winning the last three encounters between the sides. I expect that to continue on Saturday, as several factors stack up against the Tigers. The Suns will enjoy hosting rights in this match, playing in familiar conditions in front of a vocal home crowd. Furthermore, Richmond are missing three of their most important players, while Gold Coast are near full strength. Witts should get on top in the ruck battle, feeding a star midfield group that can provide silver service to the likes of King, Lukosius and Casboult. With that in mind, it should be a comfortable victory for the Suns.
Gold Coast -14.5
$1.91 (1 Unit)
Same Game Multi
The easiest way to place your Same Game Multi is to click on the BoomBet BetShare button below! This will add our SGM selections straight into your BoomBet bet slip! You can then enter how much you wish to wager and with one click, your bet has been placed!
Noah Anderson 25+ Disposals – Anderson is arguably Gold Coast’s best player and he should feast on a depleted Richmond outfit in Opening Round. The gun midfielder has had 25+ in his last two meetings with the Tigers, who traditionally don’t tag opposition studs.
Jayden Short 20+ Disposals – Short will distribute the ball from half-back this season after spending time on the wing and in the guts. The Sherrin will spend plenty of time in Richmond’s back half this season, so Short should rack it up.
Ben King 3+ Goals – King will come up against two inexperienced key defenders on Saturday, setting him up for a day out. The Suns spearhead kicked four majors the last time these teams met, expect a similar output again.
SGM Odds: $4.33 at BoomBet
