Sunday afternoon football begins with a clash between two unbeaten teams as Carlton and Hawthorn face off at the MCG from 1:10pm. There’s been plenty of hype around these two sides who haven’t featured in finals for a few years, but who will remain undefeated?
Jack Tobin has his preview and tips for this clash, and make sure to check out our AFL Tips page where the BeforeYouBet team has coverage of every game of the 2022 AFL season.
Carlton vs Hawthorn Betting Tips
MCG, Sunday 3rd April, 1:10pm AEDT
Carlton
Injuries: Mitch McGovern, Oscar McDonald, Ed Curnow, Caleb Marchbank, Jack Carroll, Josh Honey (Out) Sam Philp, Liam Stocker (Test)
Carlton will regain Adam Cerra, Jack Martin and coach Michael Voss who are out of health and safety protocols. Defenders Oscar McDonald (back) and Mitch McGovern (hamstring) are out, with Lewis Young set to play his first game for the Blues. Liam Stocker and Sam Philp will return via the VFL. Jordan Boyd is in line to make his debut after being named in the extended squad.
Carlton are 2-0 for the first time since 2012, after a twelve goal first half proved the difference in a two goal win over the Western Bulldogs. Carlton’s midfield featuring Patrick Cripps (35 disposals, 11 clearances), Sam Walsh (34 disposals), George Hewett (32 disposals) and Matthew Kennedy (31 disposals) set the tone for a scintillating brand of football played by the Blues in the first half of the game.
Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay kicked five goals and four goals respectively, showing a potency in attack that will cause Hawthorn’s defence plenty of headaches. With Tom De Koning being the third string forward, the Blues have got a plethora of options inside forward 50. Carlton rank number two for scoring through the first two rounds of the season.
Hawthorn
Injuries: Lachie Bramble, Connor Downie (Out)
It’s excellent news on the injury front for Hawthorn, with Chad Wingard fit to play after being subbed out with a hamstring injury. Tom Phillips has been omitted from last week’s side as Daniel Howe, Ned Long, Jacob Koschitzke and Will Day have been named in the extended squad. Day is the most likely to come into the side which will be a big boost for Hawthorn with the speed he can bring to the side.
Hawthorn sit at the top of the ladder after a remarkable 64 point win over Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval last week. A lot of praise was given to the Hawks forward line last week as Mitch Lewis (5 goals), Jack Gunston (3 goals) and Luke Bruest (3 goals) led a forward line that kicked thirteen goals straight from set shots. However the Hawks have the number one ranked defence this season, conceding an average of 57 points in the first two games of 2022.
Sam Mitchell has brought a more attacking brand of football to Hawthorn and it came to full fruition last weekend against Port Adelaide. Mitchell brought an excellent defensive plan to nullify Port Adelaide’s three key forwards, and it will be interesting to see what he has in store to contain Curnow and McKay. The Hawks pressure game has been vastly improved on last season, ranking third in the league for tackles.
Match Prediction
It’s a surprise to see these two sides with 2-0 records, however with Carlton to make their expected rise to the top eight - they must win games against these sides. The Blues performances against Richmond who have been the best side of the best five years and the Bulldogs who made last year’s Grand Final, show that this form is very real. Although Hawthorn have played well, they’ve come up against a North Melbourne side that will be bottom four and an injury riddled Port Adelaide side.
The way the Carlton midfield is playing right now is going to be hard for the Hawks to stop. Cripps, Hewett, Walsh, Cerra and Kennedy provide a diverse midfield that can dominate opposing sides in a variety of ways. Carlton are a more developed side and it’s important to note that while they are 2-0, the Hawks are very much in a rebuild. The Blues are playing incredible football, and the 8.5 point line won’t be any issue for them.
Carlton -8.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
Prop Bets
Blues captain Patrick Cripps has started this season on fire with 30 and 35 disposal games to kick off 2022. Cripps is thriving under Carlton’s new midfield structure and has been in absolutely everything and in his last four games against the Hawks he’s had 25, 27, 28 and 30 disposal games. More importantly, the Hawks don’t have anyone that’s physically capable of stopping him, with Hawthorn possessing one of the smaller midfields in the AFL. Cripps has an excellent opportunity to go 30+ for a third straight week.
Patrick Cripps 30+ Disposals ($1.73 with Ladbrokes)
After a quiet performance in Round One, the 2021 Coleman medalist got going against the Bulldogs last week with 12 marks and 4 goals. Carlton are the third highest scoring team in the competition so far this season, which is giving McKay even more opportunities at goal than what he saw last season. McKay kicked 3+ goals eleven times in 2021, and he’s got a big role to play on Sunday afternoon.
Harry McKay 3+ Goals ($2.05 with Ladbrokes)
George Hewett is turning out to be the recruit of the year, with an outstanding start to his Carlton career. Hewett is averaging 30 disposals per game this season, relishing a bigger role under new coach Michael Voss. The Blues rank number one for disposals and number two for handballs in the AFL, with their new style of football conducive to midfielders picking up high disposal numbers.
George Hewett 30+ Disposals ($2.85 with Ladbrokes)
