The Hawks and Dockers will kick off the three game Saturday slate in Round 17 of the AFL from 1.45pm down in Tasmania. PuntingInDanger is back with his match preview and best bets below.
Remember to head over to our AFL Tips page for preview and betting tips on every game across Round 17.
AFL Hawthorn vs Fremantle Betting Tips
UTAS Stadium, Saturday 10th July 1.45pm (AEST)
The smorgasbord of AFL football Tasmanians have enjoyed this season will continue on Saturday afternoon as the Hawks and Dockers square off form 1.45pm at UTAS Stadium.
Match Preview
The Dockers suffered a brutal loss to the Blues in Round 16 as they had a golden opportunity to jump into the top eight. They are still right in the mix, sitting just two points behind the eighth placed GWS Giants, but with a run home that includes games against Geelong, Sydney, Richmond, Brisbane and West Coast, they’ll need to cause multiple upsets to berth a place in the AFL Finals.
One thing in the Dockers favour at the moment is their injury list, which is looking pretty solid compared to the carnage that is going on at other clubs in the 2021 season. Star midfielder Stephen Hill only looks another week away from making his return, which would leave just Brennan Cox, Joel Hamling and Matt Taberner on the sidelines from their best 22.
The Hawks were fancied for an upset last week on the back of Shaun Burgoyne playing his 400th game and some solid form of late. However, the Power were far too good on Saturday night, running out 34 point winners.
Despite the loss, the Hawks were the talk of the AFL landscape throughout the week as they announced the Alistair Clarkson > Sam Mitchell succession plan, set to kick in at the end of the 2022 season.
The Dockers start as favourites down in Tassie and we have to agree with the bookies here. As well as being one of the few teams in the AFL that has regularly travelled to UTAS Stadium to take on the Hawks, they just have so much more to play for here. A win could see them finish Round 17 inside the top eight, and with their lack of significant injuries, they will be able to field a really strong side on Saturday. The Dockers have won their last two games against the Hawks by an average margin of 15.5 points.
Although they have lost all 10 of their games to Hawthorn at York Park, the majority of them came in an era of Hawthorn dominance that is no longer a factor. The experience in Tasmania should hold the Dockers in good stead here and I expect them to salute.
Dockers -5.5 (1.5 Units)
$1.90
Same Game Multi
This same game multi is centred heavily around the Dockers as I think they will have a strong game. Josh Treacy has been one of their best forwards of late, particularly with Matt Taberner out of the side. He has booted at least one goal in his last four games on the spin.
Caleb Serong has passed the 15 disposal mark in every single game this year while David Mundy has passed 20 touches in every game since Round 3.
Treacy 1+ Goal
Mundy 20+ Disp.
Serong 15+ Disp.
HAW vs FRE Same Game Multi
$2.00
