AFLW Round 8 Betting Tips
Gold Coast Suns vs Carlton
Friday March 19, 5:10pm
The Blues came into the season as premiership favourites and remarkably with two rounds to go, they need a miracle just to make the finals. Carlton sit two games behind sixth placed Melbourne and need to make up a 27.6% percentage gap. The Blues surrendered a golden opportunity to make their finals chase easier when they led Fremantle by 15 points with just four minutes to play. However the Blues completely fell apart, conceding three goals in a minute as they went on to lose by four points. The Suns fought hard in the second half against Richmond last week, but fell short in a fifteen point loss. Carlton’s first quarter was outstanding last week and if they can produce that again, this game will be over early. Despite Carlton’s shaky form this season, the talent and experience gap between the two sides is massive. The Suns have an average losing margin of 32 points this season, and have suffered losses of 63 points, 49 points and 70 points this season. Carlton know that they need two massive performances to give themselves a chance at making the top six, expect a ruthless performance by the Blues with their season on the line.
Geelong vs GWS Giants
Saturday March 20, 1:10pm
The Giants kept their slim finals hopes alive with an impressive win away from home against St Kilda last week. The Giants sit two games outside of the top six, however their percentage of 68.2% means that something outrageous would have to happen for them to make the finals. The season can’t end quick enough for Geelong who sit winless at the bottom of the AFLW ladder. The Cats lost to the twelfth placed Eagles by 39 points last week, highlighting how far off the pace the Cats are. Geelong have had an average losing margin of 36 points in 2021, and are only scoring an average of 16 points a game this season. The Cats just don’t have the ability to score enough or defend well enough to remain competitive in games. Alyce Parker (23.4 disposals per game) and Rebecca Beeson (21.9 disposals per game) have been outstanding in the midfield this season, and Geelong simply don’t have the quality to go with the Giants midfield. The GWS forward line was dynamic in difficult conditions, and against an undersized Cats defence, they could be in for a field day The Giants won’t have any issues getting past the line in this clash, expect a big win from the Giants in this one.
Collingwood vs St Kilda
Saturday March 20, 3:10pm
Collingwood lost their undefeated season and spot at the top of the table after a three point loss. The loss will bring many questions about the legitimacy of Collingwood as a premiership contender given their favourable fixture. The Pies won’t have to travel interstate until the final round of the season, they avoided having to play Brisbane and Adelaide until the final three weeks of the season and don’t have to play Fremantle at all. Despite last week’s loss, the Pies will be confident against a young Saints outfit that has faded as the season has gone on. The Saints have lost three games on the bounce and were completely outclassed by GWS at home last week. The Saints have lost those three games by margins of 53, 44 and 20. Their young list has talent, but they simply don’t have the ability to run out four quarters against experienced sides. With the top three sides in the competition separated by only percentage, Collingwood will be looking at this game as an opportunity to bridge the percentage gap that the Dockers and Lions have over them. The line looks big, however with St Kilda’s recent form and the Pies playing for an opportunity to finish top two which would give them a week off in the finals, Collingwood should pick up a convincing win. They’ve been able to put up big scores possessing arguably the best forward line in the comp, so they should put up another big score against the young Saints.
Collingwood (-33.5)
$1.88
Brisbane vs North Melbourne
Saturday March 20, 5:10pm
The Gabba plays host to a Saturday evening blockbuster as the Lions host North Melbourne. The Lions come into this clash after a gusty three point win that ended Collingwood’s undefeated streak. The win sees the Lions sitting in second place, with only percentage separating them from the Dockers in first. After a mid season slump North Melbourne have rattled off three consecutive wins in convincing nature, which has them sitting fifth on the ladder. Brisbane’s defensive work on Bri Davey and Chloe Molloy, laid a blueprint that they can use against some of the Kangaroos star midfielders. Expect Cathy Starcv to have a run with role on Emma Kearny, if she can win that battle, it will go a long way to Brisbane winning the game. Both sides have been excellent all across the ground this season, Brisbane’s speed on the outside is where they can gain an advantage in this clash. In North Melbourne’s two losses this season, they were comprehensively beaten on the outside when the ball left the contest. The Pies and Demons made the Roos look slow and sluggish and carved them up with their foot skills. This is going to be an entertaining contest, but the Lions will be too good on their home turf.
Richmond vs West Coast Eagles
Sunday March 21, 12:40pm
Both sides won’t be featuring in the finals this season, however Richmond and West Coast have made vast improvements from last season. Both sides come into this clash on the back of wins, with Richmond defeating the Gold Coast and The Eagles beating Geelong. Katie Brennan (3 goals, 15 disposals) and Monique Conti (25 disposals, 7 tackles) led the way for the Tigers in their victory last week. The Tigers young midfield has continually improved over the season, and they are starting to see the results. The Tigers have improved drastically in attack this season, ranking 8th in the league for goals, last season the Tigers were ranked 13th for goals. The home ground advantage could be big in this one, West Coast have never won away from home in the AFLW. This game is going to be a tight affair, and both outfits will see this game as a big test of where they are at in their development. With the Tigers inform midfield and attacking game style that is starting to flourish, they’re going to have too much firepower for the Eagles to handle. The Tiges to pick up two wins on the bounce.
Adelaide vs Western Bulldogs
Sunday March 21, 4:10pm
The Crows host the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon in a crucial game for both sides. Back to back losses have seen the Bulldogs slip out of the top six, needing to win their last two games to give themselves a chance to qualify for finals. Adelaide missed an opportunity to move into the logjam of sides at the top of the ladder with a 6-1 record, after a disappointing 28 point loss against Melbourne. The Crows were beaten in all facets and will be eager to bounce back this week against the Dogs. After the Crows lost in round three, they bounced back with an impressive victory over the Lions in round four. The Bulldogs have surprised many people this season, featuring in the top six for the majority of the season, however their young midfield is up for a massive challenge against the experienced campaigners of Erin Phillips, Ebony Marinoff and Chelsea Randall. The Crows have dominated the younger sides this season, picking up a 53 point win over St Kilda and a 70 point victory over the Suns. The Crows will be ruthless in the next two weeks to ensure they host a final in the first week of the finals, now that the top two looks out of reach. The Crows big bodies through the midfield and up forward are going to give the Bulldogs plenty of troubles. Expect a bounce back performance from Adelaide.
Fremantle vs Melbourne
Sunday March 21, 6:10pm
Round eight concludes with a massive top six clash between Fremantle and Melbourne. Fremantle reclaimed top spot on the AFLW ladder, after an incredible comeback victory away from home against Carlton. The Dockers trailed by 21 points at quarter time and 15 points with just four minutes left in the game, before producing three goals in a minute as they held on for a four point win. Kiara Bowers once again strengthened her case as the best player in the competition, willing her side to victory with 28 disposals, 10 tackles and 10 clearances. Melbourne produced a quality performance in a 28 point win over Adelaide last week, keeping their spot in sixth place. The Demons face a tough task to hold their spot in the top six as they face Fremantle and Brisbane in the last two weeks of the season. The Dees percentage advantage over the seventh placed Bulldogs means that one win from their last two games should be enough to make the finals. Both sides have an excellent balance between attack and defence, the Dockers will be relying on their manic pressure in the contest to halt Melbourne’s outside game, if the Dockers can do that, they’ll be confident that they can get the game on their terms. The battle between Karen Paxman and Kiara Bowers will be must watch footy. With the Dockers regaining top spot, they’ll be focused on closing out the season strongly to ensure they have the week off and home ground advantage for the entirety of the finals series. This is going to be a cracking contest, but Freo will get the job done.
