The Fremantle Dockers will host the Gold Coast Suns to wrap up AFL Round 15 action on Sunday afternoon. On paper, it’s not exactly a blockbuster, but the stakes are high for both teams as they battle on the fringes of finals contention. The winner will find themselves inside the top 8 at the round’s end.
2024 AFL Round 15 Preview & Betting Tips
Fremantle vs Gold Coast
Optus Stadium, Perth, Sunday 4:00pm AEST
It’s been an interesting month to be a Fremantle Dockers fan. They had an epic draw against Collingwood and then thumped Melbourne by nearly 100 points to announce themselves as a legitimate contender. A week off for the bye was then followed by a poor showing against the Bulldogs to quickly bring themselves back down to Earth. The Dockers desperately require some consistency if they are to keep their season on track.
Their midfield of Serong, Brayshaw and Young was looking as good as anyone in the league at the start of the season, but all three seem to be tiring as the season goes on. And then there’s the problematic ruck position. It’s not meant to be a problem when you have two rucks on million dollar salaries, but it’s clear that Darcy is unfit at best and Jackson plays his best football in the middle, so what should be an advantage for the Dockers has actually become a liability.
Three changes for the Dockers this week with Chapman and Wagner coming into the backline at the expense of Draper and Walker, while young Hugh Walker will debut. He’s also a promising key defender, taken pick #33 in 2022, so it will be interesting who shifts forward to replace the injured Michael Walters.
Meanwhile the changes have come thick and fast at the Suns with five inclusions for this one. The Suns will welcome back the leadership of Jarrod Witts in the middle of the ground, which should help to feed their talented on-ball brigade of Rowell, Anderson and Miller.
Powell, Day, Rogers and Ellis are the other inclusions at the expense of Fiorini, King, Holman, Walter and Moyle.
The Suns have also found problems with consistency this season. Their last month was a strong win over Geelong and a tight win over Essendon - two very solid opponents. But they weren’t good enough against Carlton and will rue the loss last time out against St Kilda in a tight one.
The glaringly obvious stat for the Suns is their home and away record. Perfect at home (or in Darwin) and terrible on the road. They are coming off a bye but now face the longest trip in football across the country to Perth. It’s a tough ask in any season, let alone one where you are struggling to win interstate.
Given that record, it’s impossible to tip the Suns. If it was at home, sure, but on the road they aren’t the same team. It should be a great matchup of two up and coming midfields and I’ll enjoy seeing Rowell and Serong collide, but I think this is a chance for Freo to confirm they are just a year or two ahead of the Suns in their development. The Suns will be playing finals in the near future, but I don’t think it will be in 2024.
Fremantle -17.5
$1.90 (1 unit)
