We get a great two game slate for the 2024 AFL Premiership Season’s Anzac Day. Kicking off Thursday afternoon with the day’s traditional contest between Essendon and Collingwood at the MCG. This is a huge game in the context of the season as Essendon have started the year on fire at 4-2 and currently sitting 7th on the ladder. They will be desparate to keep winning and push for a finals birth, but it won’t be easy as they take on the reigning premiers in Collingwood who have had a rocky start to the year at 3-3, but looked back to their best as they dismantled Port Adelaide last week.
Then in the night game GWS will host Brisbane at Manuka Oval. The Giants will be looking to keep chasing down the top spot on the ladder as they sit one game behind the Cats at the moment. Meanwhile things aren’t getting any easier for the Lions who are already struggling at 2-4.
Draftstars continue to offer massive prize pools with the Wednesday night main being worth $60,000 along with their usual variety of alternate contests:
- AFL $60,000+ Thursday
- AFL $20,000 Bombers vs Magpies
- AFL $20,000 Giants vs Lions
The AFL Star contest is back for 2024 and Draftstars are offering the biggest prize pool in Australian DFS history with a $1 million guaranteed final with $250,000 top prize! There are qualifiers and satellites running for every AFL match, while there will also be a sprinkling of qualifiers across other sports such as NRL and NBA.
Meanwhile the 1000 AFL Target contests are set to return to Draftstars for the first time since 2018. Enter the contest and hit the 1000-point barrier with your team to scoop the jackpot!
Betting Markets
Essendon ($2.75) vs Collingwood ($1.44)
Points: 169.5
Line: Collingwood -13.5
GWS Giants ($1.84) vs Brisbane ($1.96)
Points: 168.5
Line: GWS Giants -1.5
If you’re looking to bet on the AFL this season, then you can bet with PlayUp by using the same account that you have at Draftstars. PlayUp are Australian owned and offer an strong range of AFL betting markets and offers, including Same Game Multis.
Additionally, we have a full Betting Previews for the both games on this slate where we provide our best bet for the games as well as a great value Same Game Multi!
Weather
Melbourne – 16 degrees and a shower or two, but less than 1mm. Shouldn’t really impact the game.
Canberra – 18 degrees and partly cloudy. No rain. Let’s play!
Where to Attack?
The stand out area to attack on this slate is inside midfielders against Essendon. The Bombers have been giving up the fifth most points to the position in 2024. That suits Collingwood game stacks through the midfield and the forward line as they are the biggest favourites from the two games. On the flip side the Magpies give up points to the back line, in particular the designated kicker.
In the other game, the Brisbane ruck is the go-to play with GWS (and Briggs) giving up the fourth most points to the position this season. In other roles, the Giants also give up points to each area of the opponent’s backline, but in particular attacking half backs.
Game Script – Essendon backs, Collingwood inside midfielders and forwards
VALUE PLAYS
Darcy Fort ($9,620) has been called up to replace the injured Oscar McInerney this week. He will take the lead ruck role and lucks a fortune as he is drawing what has been one of the best matchups in the league for that position in 2024. Fort has shown 80+ point upside in past games where he has been the number 1 ruck and that is the range we should be expecting in this matchup.
Conor McKenna ($9,650) also makes his return to the senior side after having his year interrupted with injury. Given the Lions are without Coleman for the season they have been looking everywhere for a replacement in that half back role and more recently turned to Dayne Zorko. We say that to say that McKenna will fill a much needed gap and will likely be the Lions designated kicker out of the back line. He brings 90-100+ point upside in this role and finds himself in a positive matchup with the Giants giving up the fifth most points this year to attacking half backs.
MID PRICED PLAYS
Jordan De Goey ($13,820) is right back into the level of form you would expect from a player with his talent. Back to back fantasy games of 135 and 100 heading into Anzac day where it you can expect hotly contested like football that will suit De Goey’s game style. He is still too cheap at under $14k and this will be a solid matchup with the Bombers giving up the fifth most points to inside midfielders this season.
PREMIUM PLAYS
Nic Daicos ($15,770) has been well held this season compared to his usual lofty standards. Facing a tag week in week out, this matchup might see him let off the leash to a degree and we all know what they means. The Bombers have not been typically employing a hard tag this year beyond hard head to head inside matchups with Durham, so Daicos should get plenty of opportunity when he is on the outside. Last year he was the games top scorer with a ridiculous 140 fantasy points from 40 possessions and 2 goals.
Nic Martin ($15,860) has settled in well to his new role off half back and given the expected game script of this game and playing at the wide spaces of the MCG I think this will be a day out from a fantasy perspective for Martin. We have already seen his ceiling in this role with the 145 point game against Saints in Round 3. As we noted above, Collingwood is a positive matchup for Bombers backs.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup
Cheat Sheets
