Collingwood will continue their run towards a finals campaign with a ‘fill your boots’ Round 17 game against cellar dwellers North Melbourne at the MCG.
After a tough run in which they have excelled, the Magpies will be keenly anticipating Saturday’s clash, while the Kangaroos will be desperate to make a stand and mount a defence for coach David Noble.
Remember, Before You Bet will be previewing every game of the 2022 AFL season, so be sure to check out our AFL Tips page for regular updates.
Collingwood vs North Melbourne Betting Tips
MCG, Saturday 9th July, 1.45pm (AEST)
Collingwood
Injuries: Darcy Moore (out), Brodie Grundy, Nathan Kreuger, Reef McInnes, Tom Wilson, Harvey Harrison, Charlie Dean
With Darcy Moore going down Collingwood’s key defensive stocks are now nearly non-existent. Jeremy Howe comes back in but the Pies may have to get creative with their backline structure this week.
The Collingwood train rolls on, although it was not without challenge last week. Gold Coast performed admirably but the Magpies ultimately showed that they have grit to match their style. Sitting sixth on the ladder at 10-5, the door has now opened for a top four berth… who would have thought we would be saying that before this season? As such, you would like that they won’t be taking this weekend’s game lightly, seeing it as a chance for a huge percentage boost. The only main roadblock which lies in the way of Collingwood continuing their road to September is the aforementioned lack of key defenders. Jeremy Howe and Nathan Murphy are the only clear options to play that position this Saturday, although last week Brody Mihocek was swung into defence to cover for Moore’s absence.
North Melbourne
Injuries: Aaron Hall (out), Tristan Xerri (out), Kayne Turner (out), Jackson Archer, Miller Bergman, Charlie Comben, Ben Cunnington, Will Phillips, Jared Polec
As if things weren’t already bad enough for the Kangaroos, three more players have gone down with injuries. Aaron Hall is a huge loss, as he is the top rebounder out of defence, while Kayne Turner was starting to show some good form.
Another 100+ point loss sent North Melbourne to a new low last week, compounding their woes. Just about everyone at this club will surely want this season to be over, however there are still plenty of rounds left so the players will have to come together to launch some kind of fightback. There aren’t many positives to talk about for the Roos – plenty of youngsters have been blooded but many have struggled to adapt to the level of AFL football, while the experienced players have failed to pull their weight. Perhaps there is an opportunity on Saturday though. If North can win some ball out of the middle, then Nick Larkey and Callum Coleman-Jones should get some good looks against a small backline. One can only hope, as the game is worse off when one team is such an easybeat.
Match Prediction
Collingwood will have too much firepower in this one, so what will be the margin of victory?
The Magpies have won the last two encounters between these teams by an average of four goals, however it may be foolish to read too much into those results.
I would have liked the line for North if there were less changes to their line-up, but five ins and outs this week means I am hesitant to put faith in such a rabble of a team.
As such, I’ll look to the total points market this week.
North’s last two games have gone over the 160.5 line, and that’s without them scoring more than eight goals.
The Pies have a dynamic forward line and might concede a few themselves, so I’ll back the overs.
Total Points Over 160.5
$1.88 (2 Units)
Prop Bets
Luke McDonald will have renewed responsibilities to distribute the ball from the backline this week after Aaron Hall’s injury. He had 24 disposals last week and has hit this mark nine times this season.
Luke McDonald 20+ Disposals ($1.62 at Ladbrokes)
The leading Rising Star candidate has had a purple patch over the last month, notching up 30 disposals three times. Daicos is growing with confidence by the week and gets a prime matchup this week against the lowly Kangaroos.
Nick Daicos 30+ Disposals ($2.45 at Ladbrokes)
