It appears as if slim finals chances of Gold Coast are slipping away, so this Round 20 AFL contest with West Coast will be played for pride and bragging rights.
The Eagles are limping towards the end of a disastrous season, so it’s hard to see this game packing much heat, however anything can happen in our great game!
Before the match, be sure to check out these AFL Round 20 tips!
Remember, Before You Bet will be previewing every game of the 2022 AFL season, so be sure to check out our AFL Tips page for regular updates.
Gold Coast vs West Coast Betting Tips
Metricon Stadium, Sunday 31st July, 1.10pm (AEST)
Gold Coast Suns
Injuries: Charlie Ballard (out), Connor Budarick, Joel Jeffrey, Ben King, Wil Powell, Bodhi Uwland, Lachie Weller
The curse of knee injuries has struck again at Gold Coast, with Charlie Ballard ruled out for the rest of the campaign. Mac Andrew gets his chance as a result, but defensive stocks are looking thin for the Suns.
This season has been a combination of promising and disappointing for Gold Coast. Finals were on the cards just over a month ago and coach Dew is locked in to continue, however a recent slump has meant that the Suns will ultimately finish in the lower middle bracket which is hard to brag about. Key injuries have held back their charge, namely those to Ben King, Wil Powell and Lachie Weller, however it will be the multiple devastating close losses that are lamented most at season’s end. On the bright, you would have to think that Gold Coast will be fancied to make the finals for the first time in their history next year, as their young guns attack 2023 with an extra year of experience under their belt. Touk Miller, Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson are now a well establish midfield unit, while the recruit combination of Mabior Chol and Levi Casboult has been a revelation.
West Coast Eagles
Injuries: Alex Witherden (out), Josh Rotham (out), Rhett Bazzo (out), Oscar Allen, Campbell Chesser, Tom Cole, Luke Edwards, Callum Jamieson, Tom Joyce, Jeremy McGovern, Jack Petruccelle, Dom Sheed, Elliot Yeo
A raft of fresh injury concerns have hit the Eagles, with defensive trio Witherden, Rotham and Bazzo all ruled out for Round 20. At least Nic Naitanui is back to provide some quality in the ruck division.
A win against the odds against Essendon is now a distant memory for West Coast, who have gone 0-4 in the last month. Adam Simpson has duly shifted his focus towards giving the youth opportunities in the closing rounds of the season, injecting the likes of Jai Culley and Xavier O’Neill into the midfield while experimenting with roles elsewhere. Meanwhile, plenty of senior players will be playing for their futures, so watch out for some ‘wind back the clock’ performances from the veterans. Speaking of the experienced stars, Tim Kelly and Andrew Gaff will both celebrate personal milestones this week, playing game number 100 and 250, respectively. It’s a particularly important week for Kelly, who was restricted to four disposals last week, the worst return of his career.
Match Prediction
Dead rubber games like this can produce unpredictable outcomes, as the extent to which each team is motivated is unclear.
The Suns have shown plenty of spirit all year, even in their losses, which makes me think that they will continue to fight tooth and nail until the end.
On the flipside, West Coast have not come within four goals of any opposition over the last month.
Gold Coast have won two of the last three encounters between these two teams and I believe they will do the same on Sunday, but the line is a tad high so a margin of 1-39 points looks the play.
Gold Coast 1-39
$2 (2 Units)
Prop Bets
Yes, Tim Kelly had a stinker last week, tagged out of the game against St Kilda. However, surely a milestone will get him up off the canvas for the game this week. Interestingly, whenever the midfielder has gone above 24 disposals this season, he has hit 30 (four times), so 30+ seems a good value play.
Tim Kelly 30+ disposals ($3.20 at Ladbrokes)
The ex-Richmond big man has been outstanding for Gold Coast this season, with eight bags of three or more goals. West Coast have struggled against key forwards all season, so expect Chol to be on the end of a few in a Suns victory.
Mabior Chol 3+ goals ($2.20 at Ladbrokes)
