The dramatic opening round of the 2023 AFL season continues on Saturday with a mouth-watering four-game slate. Here, we take a look at the second game of the day which will see Port Adelaide host Brisbane. Catch our best bets for this intriguing battle below!
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AFL Round 1 Preview & Betting Tips
Port Adelaide vs Brisbane
Saturday 4:35pm AEDT, March 18th, Adelaide Oval
Port Adelaide and Brisbane will begin their 2023 campaigns on Saturday afternoon when they lock horns at Adelaide Oval in front of what should be a healthy attendance. These teams also met in Round 1 last season and on that occasion it was at the Gabba. The Lions stormed home with a 34-8 last quarter to defeat the Power by 11 points (80-69).
That fourth quarter collapse by the Power really set them up for failure in the early goings of 2022. They ended up losing each of their first five games, and while they were able to build some momentum during the middle portion of the season, the damage was too great and they were unable to finish in the top eight.
Last campaign was a disaster for coach Ken Hinkley and the Power when you consider they finished 2021 in second spot with a 17-5 record and made it to the Preliminary Finals. As a result, Hinkley is under some serious heat and will need to turn things around drastically to keep his job for next season and beyond.
The Power had a busy off-season and will be hoping that some of their squad additions can make an early impact. Former #1 pick Jason Horne-Francis headlines the inclusions, while former Eagles small forward Junior Rioli will also have an important role to play. Both men have been selected to play in Round 1, but unfortunately veteran Travis Boak is out due to injury.
The Lions made another deep finals run last season but couldn’t get past the Preliminary Finals once again. They were destroyed by the eventual premiers, Geelong, in their final four showdown, which led them to make some serious moves in the trade period to improve their toughness and class.
Josh Dunkley was their most high-profile acquisition with the midfielder coming across from the Bulldogs. Dunkley gives them some much-needed size in the centre of the ground to complement the likes of Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage and father-son pick Will Ashcroft. Jack Gunston is the other big-name recruit they’ll be thrilled to have signed. Gunston was a triple premiership player with the Hawks where he booted over 400 goals across 211 games.
The Lions now look a very scary proposition on paper and like many, I have them finishing in the top 2-3 this season. They’re littered with stars all over the ground and look primed for a massive premiership tilt. I have them well-ahead of the Power in terms of development and expect them to be able to negotiate the win in this matchup despite being the travelling team.
Brisbane to Win
$1.90 (3 Units)
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!
There are plenty of value legs we could’ve added in our SGM, but we’ve settled for just the three.
Brisbane H2H – For the reasons mentioned above, Brisbane to win will be the first leg of my SGM.
Jason Horne-Francis 20+ Disposals – The much-maligned second-year star is set to play a big role in the midfield for the Power this season. He should be able to gobble up 20 disposals first up.
Jack Gunston 2+ Goals – He’s a professional goal kicker and won’t be getting the best defender like he was at Hawthorn. I also expect his new teammates to look for him plenty in his first outing.
Same Game Multi odds - $4.60
