Round 20 of the 2019 AFL Premiership Season kicks off on Friday night with North Melbourne hosting Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium. This important clash will be followed by a five-game slate on Saturday and a three-game slate on Sunday.
Make sure you check out our AFL Tips Page for a bunch of content for Round 20 in the AFL including previews and tips for EVERY GAME.
AFL Round 20 Friday Night Betting Tips
North Melbourne vs Hawthorn (7:50pm AEST, Marvel)
Both the Kangaroos and the Hawks are coming off Round 19 losses, which have left their finals hopes in serious doubt. Both sides absolutely must win on Friday night, making this a must-see fixture.
North Melbourne
The honeymoon period with caretaker coach Rhyce Shaw has well and truly come to an end with North Melbourne losing their last three games. Last weekend it was the Eagles who got the better of Shaw’s men, defeating them by a comfortable 49 points at Optus Stadium. Despite the loss, it was a good performance from fringe player Paul Ahern who collected 27 touches. Jared Polec was the most prolific Kangaroos player with his 31 touches and one goal.
It’s now a near impossible task for North to make finals as they sit in 14th spot with seven wins and 11 losses. They’re two games and percentage behind the eighth placed Crows, which means it’s still mathematically possible for them, but it would take something spectacular. Simply put, Friday night’s fixture is an absolute must-win.
Hawthorn
The Hawks were also dealt a disappointing defeat in their Round 19 fixture against the rampaging Lions. They were right in the game at half time where they trailed by six points, but after the main break it was all one-way traffic as the Lions cruised to a 27 point win. The best Hawk on the day was James Worpel with his 34 touches, while Jaeger O’Meara chimed in with 26 touches and 10 tackles.
Much like their opponents in the Kangaroos, the Hawks have it all to do if they’re to feature in September this year. They're in a little bit of a more favourable position with eight wins under their belts, but a loss on Friday night would just about put them out of contention.
History
The Hawks have had the Kangaroos measure for the most part in recent years, defeating them five times from their last six matches. However, the Kangaroos won their last meeting at Marvel Stadium (R5 2018).
Last five meetings:
R3 2019 – Hawthorn (87) defeated North Melbourne (71)
R5 2018 – North Melbourne (98) defeated Hawthorn (70)
R21 2017 – Hawthorn (116) defeated North Melbourne (89)
R21 2016 – Hawthorn (96) defeated North Melbourne (57)
R13 2016 – North Melbourne (84) lost to Hawthorn (93)
Key Betting Statistics
- Hawthorn have won five of their last six meetings with North Melbourne.
- Shaun Higgins has recorded 30+ disposals in his last eight matches in Melbourne.
- Ben Brown has kicked 3+ goals in 11 of his last 13 matches at Marvel Stadium.
- The home team has covered the spread in seven of the last eight North Melbourne vs Hawthorn fixtures.
Prediction
There’s absolutely nothing in the head-to-head market with both teams priced at around $1.90 at all major agencies. In saying that, we do believe the Hawks deserve to be the slight favourites. They’ve got the superior list of the two sides and come into this clash in better form considering the Kangaroos have lost three in a row. The Hawks are still an outside chance to play finals, so we’re expecting to see them produce a desperate effort and win this in a close one.
