Another three game slate in the AFL this Sunday to cap off Round 8 of the 2019 season. The Roos will face the Cats in the early game from Marvel Stadium before the Hawks and Giants headline the day from the MCG. Fremantle and Richmond will round out the days play at Optus Stadium from 5.20pm!
We take a look at all three games on the Sunday slate and give our betting tips below!
AFL Round 8 Sunday Betting Tips
North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Geelong Cats (Marvel, 1.10pm AEST)
The Kangaroos got their second win of the season in Round 7 as they downed the Blues by 58 points at Marvel Stadium and they’ll be back under the roof this weekend as they take on the top of the ladder Cats. Young forward Cameron Zurhaar was fantastic for the roos in the win, kicking five goals and racking up eight score involvements as the Roos seemed to finally find their offence.
The Cats were also winners in Round 7 as they downed the Bombers by 32 points at the MCH on Sunday. The win was not without its setbacks, however, as star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield went down with a suspected knee injury. Dangerfield is subject to a test to prove his fitness before the Roos game this weekend, but there’s a strong chance he misses anyway to stay on the safe side.
Regardless of Dangerfield’s availability, we think the Cats should win this game pretty comfortably. They have great depth to cover for the loss of Dangerfield with the likes of Charlie Constable and Joel Selwood set to come back into the side. We can’t see the North Melbourne forwards getting off the chain like they did against the Blues as the Cats boast one of the better defences in the league. We think they will be back in the 60s-70s here, making the 170.5 line a touch high.
Total Points UNDER 170.5
$1.88
Hawthorn Hawks vs Greater Western Sydney Giants (MCG, 3.20pm AEST)
The Giants will be looking to win their third straight game when they travel to Melbourne on Sunday to take on the Hawks. They captured a big 44 point win over the Saints in Round 7 at home as star forward Jeremy Cameron booted another six goals to move to 30 on the season. The Giants could get a host of key players back from injury this weekend in Lachie Whitfield, Josh Kelly and skipper Phil Davis to bolster what is already a super impressive line-up.
The Hawks suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Demons by just five points at the MCG in Round 5. After leading for the majority of the first half, the Hawks allowed five goals in the third quarter and although they took back the lead in the last quarter, they ultimately couldn’t hold off the Demons. All-Australian pair Luke Breust and Jack Gunston were both great in the loss, booting seven goals between them.
The total point line seems a little high again here. The Giants have scored 100+ in their last two games, however, the MCG hasn’t really promoted high scoring games this season. None of their three games at the MCG cleared the 173 point mark last season while just three of seven Hawks game this season have surpassed that figure.
Total Points UNDER 173.5
$1.88
Fremantle Dockers vs Richmond Tigers (Optus, 5.20pm AEST)
After winning three games in a row and starting to look like the Tigers of last season again, Richmond lost in uncharacteristic fashion to the Western Bulldogs in Round 7 as they scored just 52 points on the night. The Tigers injury list is still a big issue as Trent Cotchin, Jack Graham, Shaun Grigg, Alex Rance, Jayden Short and Jack Riewoldt remain on the sidelines. Daniel Rioli, Nick Vlaustuin and David Astbury are all likely to play this week.
The Dockers currently sit in 5th place on the AFL ladder with a 4-3 record through seven rounds. They’ll enjoy being back at Optus Stadium this year, where they remain undefeated as the home side through three games. Those three wins have come over the Roos, Saints and Dogs, so the contest against Richmond this weekend should be a great measuring stick.
Love the look of the Dockers at home with a near full strength squad and on the contrary, Richmond’s injury list is a real concern. We think the Dockers actually win this one quite comfortably.
