Round 5 of the AFL season offers some monster matchups and the three game Saturday slate is no exception! We are back to preview all three games on the schedule this Saturday, the 20th of April, getting underway at 1.45 with the Giants taking on the Dockers.
There are AFL games on 10 of 11 days starting Thursday, so there will be plenty of AFL content and Tips going up on Before You Bet. Make sure you check out our AFL Tips Page throughout the week for all of our Round 5 tips.
AFL Round 5 Saturday Betting Tips
Greater Western Sydney Giants vs Fremantle Dockers (1.45pm AEST)
The Giants will be looking to make it three wins ina row on Saturday when they host the Dockers from 1.45pm. They were fantastic in Round 4, capturing their first ever win in Geelong as they downed the Cats by four points. Jeremy Cameron continued his hot start to the season with another three goals while the Giants midfield core of Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly, Jacob Hopper and Lachie Whitfield all racked up 30+ disposals.
The Dockers were much more competitive in the Perth Derby than many expected them to be. After the Eagles shot out to a 26 point lead at quarter time, the Dockers showed plenty of heart in the second half and outscored the Dockers in the last quarter to lose by just 13 points. Dockers skipper Nat Fyfe missed the clash through a concussion he sustained against the Saints the week before and should be a massive inclusion this weekend.
Fremantle’s problems this season will no doubt come when they have to travel. They have been fantastic in their three games at Optus Stadium this season, smashing the Roos in Round 1, beating out the Saints in a tough game in Round 3 and taking it right up to the Eagles on the weekend. In their only road game, however, they were defeated by a Suns team that many have finishing in the bottom three. They’ll be on the road this weekend at UNSW Canberra Oval (Manuka) where the Giants have a strong record.
Melbourne Demons vs St Kilda Saints (4.35pm AEST)
The Demons get their season back on track in Round 4 as they downed the Swans in Sydney for their first win of the season. Co-skipper Nathan Jones was the difference in the game, racking up 21 touches and kicking three timely goals to life the Demons over the line. They’ll welcome the return to the MCG this weekend, where they’ll face a fired up 3-1 Saints side from 4.35pm.
The Saints captured a terrific win over the Hawks at Marvel Stadium in Round 4. After trailing for the majority of the second half, the Saints made a late run in the final quarter, booting the four of the last five goals of the match to snatch a five point win. Seb Ross was dominant for the Saints, racking up 39 touches and a goal while Jack Billings move to the midfield continues to pay dividends as the 23 year old is averaging 31 touches this season.
The Saints defeated Melbourne in a one of the games of the season at the MCG in Round 15 last year. The game, which Melbourne would have pencilled in as a win, ended up being extremely costly as it cost the Dees a spot in the top four. The Dees start as 16.5 point favourites here which we think is a bit tough to justify given their start to the season. They are still without at least six best 22 players through injury including key defenders Jake Lever and Steven May, which could be an issue given the potency of the Saints key forwards at the moment in Tim Membrey and Josh Bruce.
Richmond Tigers vs Sydney Swans (7.25pm AEST)
Richmond will play their annual home game at Marvel Stadium this Saturday as they face the Swans from 7.25pm. The Tigers travelled to Adelaide and captured a fantastic win against the Power in Round 4 to keep their season on track. They will still be without a bunch of key players in Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt, Trent Cotchin, Shaun Grigg, Jayden Short and Dustin Martin for this weekend’s game, however, Bachar Houli could make his awaited season debut this weekend.
The Swans dropped to 1-3 in Round 4 as they went down to the Demons on Thursday night. Their only win so far this season has come over a lacklustre Blues side and they have lost both of their opening two matches at the SCG. The Swans have a tough road ahead as well with games against the Tigers on the road, GWS at home and Brisbane on the road over their next three weeks.
It’s a pretty small line here in favour of the Tigers due to their extensive injury list at the moment. However, we think the win in Adelaide was telling while the Swans haven’t showed much at all this season. Back the Tigers here.
