Round 2 in the AFL continues on Friday night with the Adelaide Crows looking to get their first win of the season when they take on the Geelong Cats. Action will get underway at Adelaide Oval from 7:40pm (AEDT), and we have you covered with our full betting preview below!
Also, Before You Bet will be providing free previews and betting tips for EVERY game in the 2024 AFL season, so make sure to head over to out our AFL Tips regularly to keep up to date with all of our free content.
2024 AFL Round 2 Preview & Betting Tips
Adelaide vs Geelong
Friday 7:40pm AEDT, March 22nd, Adelaide Oval
After being robbed of a finals berth in 2023, Adelaide were unable to hit the ground running in 2024 as they suffered a six-point defeat away against the Suns in Round 1 (54-60). The Crows trailed by 29 points heading into the final term and piled on the goals late to give the Suns a genuine scare, built they’d ultimately left their run too late in the trying conditions on the Gold Coast.
The Crows didn’t do a whole lot wrong against the Suns and it was their sluggish start that costed them in the end. As mentioned, the conditions were far from ideal and it made it tough for both clubs to connect with their kicks going inside 50. With that said, the Crows managed only 16 shots from 54 inside 50s (29%) whereas the Suns were far more efficient with 20 shots from their 51 entries (39%).
One of the major issues for the Crows with Riley Thilthorpe out with a long-term injury is the back-up ruck spot. Chris Burgess was brought across from the Suns to add some depth to their talls but wasn’t expected to feature at AFL level too much, and he struggled to have an influence in his first game for the club last weekend.
Elsewhere, Geelong were able to get their 2024 campaign off to a winning start. They were granted a home game in Round 1, and fans were able to pack the new Joel Selwood Stand for the first time. 39,353 fans were in attendance and they certainly weren’t disappointed as the Cats took down the visiting Saints by eight points in an entertaining duel (76-68).
The Cats were able to play a front half game for the most part on the back of a dominant inside 50 count (63-44). The negative was they were only able to generate scoring shots from 49% of their entries compared to the Saints at 63%.
GMHBA Stadium has been a fortress for the Cats for a long time now, and they’ve now won eight of their last 11 home games. The test lies on the road however, where they’ve enjoyed far little success of late, winning only three of their last 12 away matches.
Match prediction: The home team has dominated this matchup for the best part of 15 years now, winning 18 of their 22 matches during that span. The last time these clubs met at Adelaide Oval was in Round 1 2021 with the Crows coming away 12-point winners (103-91).
Albeit in a loss, there was a lot to like about the Crows last weekend, particularly in the last quarter where they were firing on all cylinders. And after the devastating finish to last season, they’ll be desperate to avoid slipping to 0-2.
In contrast, the Cats would be pleased but not satisfied with their win in Round 1, and would be well aware that they’ll need to turn their fortunes in away games around if they’re to have a bounce back year.
Regardless, I have high hopes for the Crows in 2024 and have not lost any faith after their Round 1 defeat. They were tough to stop at home last year with an 8-4 record and I expect similar if not better results this season. With that said, I’m keen to back them in to cover the small spread against the Cats on Friday night.
Adelaide -12.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
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Adelaide to Win – As mentioned above, the home team has dominated the H2H count in this matchup for a long time now, and I expect the trend to continue on Friday night.
Rory Laird 25+ Disposals – Just an absolute magnet to the footy and hit the ground running in Round 1 with 30 touches. He’s averaged 33, 32, and 29 per game the last three years.
Jordan Dawson 25+ Disposals – Got plenty of the footy last weekend and should only be better in the much kinder conditions in Adelaide. I’m expecting at least 25 from him.
Oliver Dempsey 1+ Goal – Was electric last weekend with three goals to earn the Rising Star nomination for Round 1. He looks ready for a big year and remains great value for a goal.
SGM Odds: $5 at BoomBet
