After a bizarre schedule to start the season, normality has certainly resumed with yet another five-game slate of AFL on this Saturday! Headlining the slate will be none other than the annual Dream Time match between Richmond and Essendon at the MCG to celebrate Indigenous Round!
We preview all five games on the Round 10 Saturday slate and give our betting tips below!
AFL Round 10 Saturday Betting Tips
Hawthorn Hawks vs Port Adelaide Power (UTS, 1:45pm AEST)
The Hawks were really disappointing in their loss to the undermanned Tigers in Round 9. They started OK but fell away fairly quickly to go on to lose by 36 points at the MCG. Jaeger O’Meara continued his strong season with another 30-disposal performance, while Luke Bruce chimed in with three majors. That loss leaves the Hawks with a 4-5 record, good enough for just 11thspot on the ladder.
Port Adelaide were able to come out on top in their wet-weather clash with the Suns in Round 9. They trailed by four points at the major break but came out with the required intensity in the second half to secure their fifth win for the season. Ex-skipper Travis Boak continues to relish his new role in the midfield and picked up another 36 touches against the Suns, while Connor Rozee (18 disposals, two goals) continues to stake his claim for the Rising Star award.
Very interesting match-up we’ve got on our hands to kickstart Super Saturday. The Hawks will play hosts here in front of their fans at the University of Tasmania Stadium and will start as slight favourites because of it. However, the Power have shown the ability to win games they shouldn’t and lose the ones we probably thought they’d win. That said, the Hawks have a terrific record in Tasmania and should be too good for a young Power side that struggles with consistency.
Western Bulldogs vs North Melbourne Kangaroos (Marvel, 2:10pm AEST)
The Bulldogs were looking to make it three wins on the spin when they took on Geelong at GMHBA Stadium last Saturday, but eventually came up short by 44 points on the back of a dominant final quarter by the Cats. Jack Macrae was the Dogs best on the day with 29 touches and eight tackles, while Bailey Smith earned himself a Rising Star nomination on the back of 28-disposal performance of his own.
North Melbourne had the perfect opportunity to make it two wins from three games and kickstart their season when they faced the Swans at home in Round 9. However, they would eventually come up five points short and suffer their seventh loss for the year. Skipper Jack Ziebell (35 disposals, 155 Dream Team) did all he could for the Roos, but Ben Brown (one goal, five disposals) was well below his best up forward.
This is another interesting fixture on Saturday where you could easily make a case for and against both teams winning. In our view, the Dogs have been the better team on the year and have shown a lot more upside than the Kangaroos. It’s not a game we’ll be having huge capital on, but we do slightly favour the Doggies.
Western Bulldogs -6.5
$1.90
Adelaide Crows vs West Coast Eagles (AO, 4:35pm AEST)
The Crows had a chance to make a statement and win their fifth straight game when they travelled to take on the Lions last weekend. It wasn’t to be the case however, as they fell one-point short in an agonising defeat. Brad Crouch was prolific with 32 touches, while Taylor Walked and Eddie Betts were both dangerous up forward with three goals apiece.
The Eagles can consider themselves lucky they were able to escape another poor home defeat this season when they played the Demons last Friday night. It took them the best part of three quarters to get going, but once they did, they never looked back as they ran home 16-point winners. Yeo, Gaff, Hurn, Sheed all found plenty of the ball, while Liam Ryan took mark of the year thus far.
Despite losing last weekend, we have the Crows as the form team of the two in this fixture. The Crows have won each of their last three at Adelaide Oval by 20+ points and have an injury list that is a lot shorter than it was in their disappointing 2018 campaign. If they play anywhere near their best, we have them being too good for what’s been an inconsistent Eagles team this season.
Adelaide Crows -7.5
$1.91
Gold Coast Suns vs Geelong Cats (MS, 7:25pm AEST)
The Suns put up a decent fight in the first half against the Power last weekend, although they weren’t able to produce the same effort in what was a pretty poor second half. As a result, the Suns lost their fifth straight game and are in serious danger of falling out of finals contention if they’re unable to jag one sooner, rather than later. Brayden Fiorini continues to dominate in the midfield for the Suns and posted 38 touches and a goal last time out.
The Cats can do no wrong at the moment and were winners again in Round 9, defeating the Bulldogs by 44 points at home. Since that surprise loss to the Giants in Round 4, Geelong have won five on the spin and remain a game clear at the top of the ladder. Mitch Duncan was the best Cat last weekend with 25 touches and three goals, while Gary Rohan (three goals) continues to provide a spark up forward.
This is a one-sided affair on paper, and we expect it to be a one-sided affair on the field at Metricon Stadium at 7:25pm on Saturday night. The Cats are the best team in the competition at the moment and the Suns are arguably the worst. We’re more than happy to back the Cats in to cover the 32.5 spread here.
Richmond Tigers vs Essendon Bombers (MCG, 7:25pm AEST)
The Tigers are embracing the ‘next man up’ motto better than anyone at the moment as they continue to pile on the wins despite being severely undermanned. In Round 9 it was the Hawks who felt the full extent of the Tigers pressure, which resulted in a 35-point win for the yellow-and-black. They currently sit in fifth spot with a 6-3 record after nine rounds but have a chance to enter the top four with a win on Saturday night.
The Bombers found themselves in a really tight tussle against the Dockers in Round 9 but were able to escape with the four points thanks to a 60-53 win. Regular accumulators Zach Merrett (35 disposals) and David Zaharakis (32 disposals, one goal) were at their best, while Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (three goals) continued his fine form in front of the big sticks.
Again and again the Tigers are written off because of their extensive injury list, but we aren’t about to make that same mistake. They’re in far better form than the Bombers and should be too consistent over four quarters if they bring their usual intensity. We’ll definitely have something on their line here.
Richmond Tigers -15.5
$1.91
