The world’s best Darts superstars are descending down under this week with Melbourne darts fanatics set to be entertained at Hisense Arena for the 2017 Melbourne Darts Masters. The three-day event kicks off this Friday, August 18th, with the 16-player tournament set to crown a champion on Sunday evening.
The format for the event is similar to the Auckland Darts Masters event held last week, and other World Series events seen around the world. Eight hand-picked international stars will be joined by eight of the best local talents for the knockout tournament.
The first round will be held on Friday, with all matches the best of 11 legs. The winners will then progress to the quarter-finals on Saturday which are best of 19 legs. The semis and final will then be held on Sunday, all over the best of 21 legs.
The international stars are seeded players so they won’t be running into each other in the first round. Two-time world champ Gary Anderson is the number 1 seed, and he is joined in Australia by Raymond van Barneveld, James Wade, Peter Wright, Phil Taylor, Daryl Gurney and Michael Smith. The eighth international slot has been given to Australia’s top ranked player Simon “The Wizard” Whitlock. So we are guaranteed at least one local will reach the next round. World number one Michael van Gerwen and two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis are not touring Australia due to the recent births of their children.
The internationals will face off against DPA Qualifiers David Platt, Dave Marland and Kiwi Koha Kokiri, DPA Order of Merit Qualifiers Rhys Mathewson and Justin Thompson and DartPlayers New Zealand Qualifier Cody Harris. In addition, the locals are represented by two emerging players who are starting to make their make on the world stage – Corey Cadby and Kyle Anderson.
First there’s Corey Cadby, the brash young Tasmanian who at 22 years of age, already has the nickname of “The King”. Cadby grabbed a shock win over Phil Taylor last year when this event was held in Sydney, and he followed that up last week with another huge performance in Auckland. Cadby defeated Peter Wright, Michael Smith and once again got the better of Phil Taylor in a tense match, to reach the Auckland final. It was a remarkable run and this guy is undoubtedly a player of the future.
In the final, Cadby ran into the red-hot Kyle Anderson. Ranked 28th in the world, Anderson has always teased with his talent, but he finally pulled it together last week, defeating Gary Anderson, Simon Whitlock and James Wade, before overcoming Cadby 11-10 in a dramatic final.
Both Cadby and Anderson will be looking to back up their success in Melbourne, and with Whitlock capable of defeating anyone, it is possible that the Aussies will have good representation deep into this event.
Some savvy punters would’ve nabbed the early price of $51 offered at CrownBet for Cadby to win in Melbourne, while he was making his run in Auckland. That price has now been slashed with $17 at Sportsbet now the best price around. Kyle Anderson offers a little more value at $26 at Bet365. While I’d love to have a parochial sweat, their price is too short in this star-studded field for miracles to strike twice.
Gary Anderson is the favourite for the event at $3.50 at Sportsbet, but he hasn’t always brought his best to these regional events, so again, it’s a short price to be jumping into. Peter Wright was on fire during the Premier League this year, so he offers a bit more value at $5.00 at Sportsbet, but he doesn’t seem to be playing at his best right now. The form player of the internationals is Phil Taylor, coming off his big Matchplay victory and a strong semi-final result in Auckland. I’d be keeping him safe at $4.33 at Bet365. I’m happy to take on Barney, Smith, Wade, Whitlock and the rest of the locals.
That leaves one player who I think ticks a lot of boxes. He’s not my favourite player, but I think the value in this event is with the “Super Chin” Daryl Gurney. If you can look past his utter arrogance on stage, and the thought of having to sing along to “Sweet Caroline”, his form has been very strong in recent months. Gurney won his first PDC title in a Players Championship and backed up by reaching the semis at the World Matchplay. He was then invited to the US Darts Masters where he defeated Peter Wright and Gary Anderson to reach the final where he took on Michael van Gerwen. Gurney was leading 5-3 but eventually lost it 8-6. Gurney lost to James Wade in the quarter-finals in Auckland, but I feel he is ready for a breakthrough performance. He has the form, and more importantly, the determination to perform in these events to further his career. Like him or loathe him, his motivation cannot be questioned, whereas some of the top guys can often wane for these lower-profile regional events. I think the “Super Chin” offers tremendous value at $13 at Sportsbet.
TIP: Daryl Gurney to win - $13 at Sportsbet (+ saver on Phil Taylor at $4.33 at Bet365)
The draw has not yet been announced at the time of writing, so let’s hope Gurney can draw a good run through the tournament and have a shot at the title.
Follow my thoughts throughout the tournament, as well as betting plays for specific matches, on Twitter @Bullseye_Bets
