While hardly a blockbuster clash, this clash Round 19 clash between West Coast and St Kilda could have huge implications in the race for the top eight. St Kilda are now at the ‘must win’ stage of their season after a dismal run of form that has seen them fall out of the finals positions.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are out to give their fans something to cheer about as their catastrophic campaign comes to an end.s
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.
West Coast vs St Kilda Betting Tips
Optus Stadium, Sunday 24th July, 4.40pm (AEST)
West Coast
Injuries: Oscar Allen, Campbell Chesser, Tom Cole, Luke Edwards, Callum Jamieson, Tom Joyce, Jeremy McGovern, Nic Naitanui, Jack Petruccelle, Dom Sheed, Elliot Yeo
Injuries have wreaked havoc all season at West Coast and many of the absentees are done for the year.
West Coast have fallen back into a rut after showing promise for a brief period in June. Since their drought breaking win against Essendon the Eagles are 0-3, coming closest to a victory against the Hawks last week. As such, Adam Simpson has promised during the week to ‘experiment’ with his line-up to gain some knowledge in preparation for 2023. What that means in terms of team performance remains to be seen, however it is fair to say that mixing up the magnets is more likely to produce improvement than decline. While the veterans have been pivotal to West Coast’s fortunes over a period of years, the final weeks of 2022 will likely see the youngsters take on more responsibility. Connor West, Greg Clark, Xavier O’Neill and co should get plenty of chances to play through the midfield, while Jake Waterman and Harry Edwards need to show that they can take over from the likes of Josh Kennedy and Shannon Hurn, who are both approaching the end of their careers.
St Kilda
Injuries: Nick Coffield, Jack Hayes, Dougal Howard, Daniel McKenzie, Paddy Ryder
Hunter Clark returns from his nasty facial injuries this week, however the ruck department is looking light on as Paddy Ryder remains sidelined and Rowan Marshall battles illness.
It’s been a frustrating year for St Kilda fans, who have been treated to both the best and worst that the Saints can offer. A season that started so strongly has quickly turned into a scrap for a top eight position, a scrap which St Kilda are losing at this point. Brett Ratten has put his players on notice, threatening that some are on their ‘last chance’, so it will be interesting to see which team shows up at Optus Stadium on Sunday. There are no excuses for the Saints in Perth – they have a near full strength midfield, are playing lowly opposition and should be well rested coming off an eight-day break. Nevertheless, supporters are losing faith and many of the footy experts are tipping West Coast to record an upset win this weekend on home soil.
Match Prediction
If the Saints were up against just about any other team, they would probably be underdogs. However, they will enter this clash favourites.
History does not read well for St Kilda – they have lost four of their last five matches against the Eagles and have not won in Perth since 2010.
However, a bleak record cannot distract us from the fact that West Coast are at their lowest point in a long time, and the stakes are far higher for the Saints.
As such, I think the travelling team will respond with a much-needed win.
The margin is difficult to pick due to the inconsistency of the Saints, however I’ll back them to kick straight and cover the line.
St Kilda -19.5 (1.5 Units)
$2.00
Prop Bets
Witherden is still finding his place in the AFL system, however he has churned out some fantastic fantasy scores this year. The attacking defender has hit 100+ six times and has not scored below 90 points at home all year. The Saints also tend to give up plenty of free ball in their forward half.
Alex Witherden 100+ fantasy ($2.60 at Ladbrokes)
Max King has had an up and down season, but he gets a prime matchup this week. The Eagles have struggled to contain key forwards, and King has had strong performances against them in the past. The towering figure has also managed three or more goals seven times this year.
Max King 3+ goals ($1.68 at Ladbrokes)
