Round 1 in the 2024 AFLW season was an exciting one as well as a profitable one for our followers thanks to a 6-3 record which saw us end the weekend +4.8U. We now turn our attention to Round 2 of the 11 round season which gets underway on Friday night. We bring you our best bets for all nine games below!
Also, make sure to head over to our AFL Tips page regularly for our best bets for every AFLW round, as well as all upcoming AFL finals!
AFLW Round 2 Betting Tips
Western Bulldogs vs Port Adelaide
Friday 4:30pm AEST, MCG
The Bulldogs picked up the wooden spoon in 2023 and if their first hitout in 2024 is anything to go by, then they’re in the box seat to finish last once again. The Bulldogs were fairly competitive in the first half against the Giants, but were destroyed after the main break to lose by 63 points (9-72).
Likewise, the Power got their campaign underway with a loss although there were plenty of positives from their 14-point defeat in the Showdown against one of the flag fancies (35-49). Shineah Goody franked early pre-season Rising Star predictions with a classy debut to earn the Rising Star nomination for Round 1.
The Power look set for major improvement this season and I’m almost certain they secure win #1 on Friday night. They have the edge all over the ground in this matchup and should flourish on the open spaces at the MCG. The line is quite large at 13.5, so I’ll be playing just the one unit.
Port Adelaide -13.5
$1.88 (1 Unit)
Melbourne vs Brisbane
Saturday 11:05am AEST, Casey Fields
The Demons got their season off to a winning start in impressive fashion as they knocked over the Cats at the Cattery. Despite significant list turnover, the Dees looked well connected across the field and would’ve gained huge confidence from the result.
In complete contrast, the Lions were demolished by the Kangaroos in their Grand Final rematch last weekend, losing by a whopping 44 points which is now their biggest loss in AFLW history. The only good news for the Lions is they’ve only had to wait six days to try and make amends.
It’s a tricky contest here and one that I won’t be investing a whole lot into. The Demons were obviously the better team in their first outing, but I still have queries over the strength of their list. On the flip side, the Lions are a proud club with stars all over the pitch, so I’m expecting a bounce back performance on Saturday.
Brisbane to Win
$1.78 (1 Unit)
West Coast vs Essendon
Saturday 1:05pm AEST, Mineral Resources Park
The Eagles only won two games last season but wasted no time getting onto the winners this in 2024 with a Round 1 win over the Tigers. The Eagles were the huge underdogs (+23.5) in that matchup but as we predicted, they have improved a ton over the offseason and look set for a spike up the ladder. Ella Roberts is an absolute superstar and her clean hands in the contest were a standout, while Charlie Thomas was an absolute rock in defence.
Round 1 couldn’t have gone any worse for the Bombers. They were smashed by the Dockers despite being the huge favourites, and they also lost their captain and best player in Bonnie Toogood to a knee injury. It’s a brutal blow for the Bombers and one that I’m unsure they’ll be able to recover from.
The Eagles will be full of confidence after their clutch win last weekend and I give them a huge chance of making it 2/2. I would price the Eagles as the slight favourites in this matchup against to the Toogood-less Bombers, so getting $2.50+ is a price I’m very keen to attack.
West Coast to Win
$2.56 (2 Units)
Collingwood vs Hawthorn
Saturday 1:05pm AEST, Victoria Park
The Magpies were outgunned by the Swans in their first hitout on enemy soil (35-50). They struggled to get their hands on the ball in what was a congested and tough match to watch for the most part. The Pies missed out on finals action in 2023 and can ill afford to begin this year 0-2 with a tough draw to come.
The Hawks were tipped by many to be one of the big improvers in 2024 and it certainly looked that way with how they performed in Round 1. The Hawks were ultra-impressive in their dismantling of the Blues (66-28), with most of their new faces having immediate impact. Former Demon, Eliza West was the best of the bunch with 29 disposals and 10 tackles.
I loved what I saw from the Hawks first up and believe they’ll be playing finals footy if they can produce similar performances the rest of the way. They have a big speed advantage over the Magpies and I expect their slick ball movement to cause them all sorts of issues. With that said, taking the Hawks to cover the small spread is one of my best bets for the round.
Hawthorn -4.5
$1.90 (3 Units)
Richmond vs GWS
Sunday 1:05pm AEST, Swinburne Centre
The Tigers blew a huge opportunity to begin their season on the front foot when they were upset by the Eagles in the season-opener. The Tigers forged a big fourth quarter comeback and looked to have done enough to secure the four points, only to be denied by a last-minute goal for the Eagles.
Elsewhere, the Giants kicked off their 2024 season with a massive win against the listless Bulldogs. They put the Dogs to the sword by 63 points and sit atop the ladder as a result. Last season’s Rising Star winner, Zarlie Goldsworthy picked up where she left off, booting four goals in another best-on-ground performance.
The Giants lost to the Tigers by 19 points in their meeting last season, although I expect it to be a lot closer this time around and wouldn’t be surprised to see the Giants take the four points. They made a number of savvy pick-ups in the off-season and look well-poised to put in another big showing against the vulnerable Tigers.
GWS +13.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Gold Coast vs Carlton
Sunday 1:05pm AEST, Great Barrier Reef Arena
The Suns were arguably the most disappointing team in Round 1 considering the lofty expectations surrounding the club in Season 9. They were thoroughly outplayed right from the outset against the Saints and ended up going down by 54 points on their home deck.
The Blues were similarly disappointing in their opening round clash where they got smashed by 38 points against the Hawks. They gave up 21 scoring shots in the defeat and if not for extremely difficult conditions due to the wind, they would’ve lost by a lot more.
This is a winnable match for both clubs who will be desperate to make amends for their poor start to the season. However, I have more faith in the Suns ability to bounce back and expect the likes of Charlie Rowbottom and Claudia Whitfort to dominate the midfield battle, control territory, and ultimately find themselves ahead on the scoreboard.
Gold Coast 1-24
$2.30 (1 Unit)
North Melbourne vs Geelong
Sunday 3:05pm AEST, Arden Street Oval
There was a lot to like about the way last season’s runners-up, North Melbourne, began their season. They destroyed the Lions in a Grand Final rematch in what was by far the best performance of any team across the opening weekend. The only bad news for the Kangaroos is their best small forward in Alice O’Loughlin was handed a one-match ban for a dangerous tackle in the second half.
The Cats were a touch disappointing in their first clash of 2024. They were priced as favourites to knock over the new-look Demons but came up two points short in what was a see-sawing and highly-entertaining match. Still, the youthful Cats cannot be underestimated this season on the back of their superb finish to their 2023 campaign.
I’m big on the chances of both of these clubs doing special things this season, particularly the Kangaroos who are my pick to win it all. Their first-up performance did absolutely no harm to my confidence in them and I expect the Roos to back it up with another win this weekend. In saying that, the loss of O’Loughlin is a big one as she’s a great link player in the forward half, so I can see this being a little closer than the odds might suggest.
North Melbourne 1-24
$2.20 (1 Unit)
St Kilda vs Sydney
Sunday 3:05pm AEST, RSEA Park
I absolutely loved the Saints performance in Round 1 and thought Nick Dal Santo coached his backside off. The Saints ball movement out of their back half was fantastic and was a big reason why they destroyed the Suns by 54 points. It’s a great sign for a side that only missed the eight by percentage last season.
The Swans also got their season off to a winning start as they grabbed the four points in their clash against the Magpies. It wasn’t the prettiest match to watch as a fan of the W, mostly due to how congested it was on the small ground at North Sydney Oval.
After watching both teams closely last weekend, I’m surprised the Saints aren’t a lot shorter favourites. They look well-drilled and full of confidence, and I’m really keen to back them in to cover the small spread on Sunday.
St Kilda -4.5
$1.90 (2.5 Units)
Fremantle vs Adelaide
Sunday 5:05pm AEST, Fremantle Oval
The Dockers were probably the biggest surprise in Round 1 in my opinion. I fully expected the Bombers to be too good, however it was the exact opposite as the Dockers ran home 43-point winners on enemy soil. They had a number of huge performers in the middle of the park, but none bigger than new recruit Aisling McCarthy who finished with 24 disposals, 14 tackles, and two goals in her club debut.
The was business as usual for the Crows in their first hitout in season 2024. They kept their unbeaten record in the Showdown alive as they took down the Power by 14 points in a competitive clash. Ebony Marinoff and Anne Hatchard were at the forefront once again for the Crows and will be key to their success down the track.
The Dockers did surprise me last weekend but the quality they faced was nowhere near as good as what they’ll come up against on Sunday night. The Crows are a serious contender again in 2024 and I expect them to be too strong for the Dockers on this occasion.
Adelaide -8.5
$1.90 (2.5 Units)
