Round 2 of the 2021 AFL season continues on Saturday with four games on the cards. Here, we take a look at the twilight fixture that sees Port Adelaide host Essendon at Adelaide Oval. Catch our match prediction and player props for this intriguing clash right here!
Remember, you can check out our preview and tips for every game in Round 2 and beyond of the AFL season, just be sure to head to our AFL Betting Tips page for regular updates.
2021 AFL Round 2 Port Adelaide vs Essendon Tips
Adelaide Oval, Saturday 27th March 4.35pm (AEDT)
Port Adelaide return to the ‘Portress’ for their first home game of the 2021 season as they look to build on their big win against the Kangaroos in Round 1. On the other hand, Essendon hit the road for the first time this season and will be looking to bounce back from a devastating first up loss against the Hawks.
Match Prediction
Port Adelaide were a touch sloppy in the first quarter against North Melbourne last weekend, but after that it was business as usual as they went onto win very comfortably. Orazio Fantasia (four goals) and Aliir Aliir were both fantastic in their club debuts, while Travis Boak showed no signs of slowing down with a clear best-on-ground performance.
The Power have made just the one change to their team with Hamish Hartlett coming in for the injured Riley Bonner (hamstring), which just adds further class to an already formidable line-up. In other injury news, Connor Rozee is expected to return from a foot injury next weekend to take on the Eagles in Perth.
Essendon fans would’ve loved what they saw from their side in the first half against Hawthorn as they led by 39 points at the main break; however, it was a completely different story after half time and they went onto lose in heartbreaking fashion. On a positive note, Nick Hind made a great club debut with 25 disposals off half back, as did Jye Caldwell with 22 touches and nine tackles.
Interestingly, the Bombers have made no changes to the team that gave up a 40-point lead last weekend, instead deciding to back in their boys in hope of a positive reaction. They weren’t the only team to lose in bad fashion in Round 1 however, so it would’ve been a big call to completely shake up their line-up.
This has been a dream fixture for the Power in recent years as they’ve defeated the Bombers 50+ points in each of their last two meetings. The last time they met the Bombers kicked just four goals for the entire game and although they should hit the scoreboard a bit more this time around, it’s hard not to love the Power to win this comfortably on their home deck.
Port Adelaide -33.5 (1.5 Units)
$1.90
Port Adelaide Prop
The superstar that is Robbie Gray was relatively quiet against the Kangaroos last weekend, but that’s partly due to him playing more time deep forward. He attended less than half of the centre bounces and we expect more of the same this weekend considering how well they were clicking last weekend. With that said, Gray looks a great bet to kick 2+ goals at even money odds, or even 3+ at over $4.
Essendon Prop
We mentioned above that Jye Caldwell made a promising club debut for the Bombers. He relished more midfield minutes and was at over half of their centre bounces, which he made the most of with 22 disposals. Like most Bombers, Caldwell did most of his work in the first half and faded a bit late, but we still saw enough to assume that he should be a regular accumulator for the Bombers. Getting $3 for him to rack up 25+ touches looks to be one of the better prop bets in this game.
Jye Caldwell 25+ Disposals
$3
