Brisbane made a statement in Round 4 with a win on the road against Melbourne, that firmly establishes them as the flag favourites. Round 5 is a festival of footy, with six of the nine games taking place on Thursday and Friday.
Jack Tobin has you covered with his tips for Round 5, and be sure to check out our AFL Tips page for our AFLW previews each week.
AFLW Round 5 Betting Tips
West Coast vs Fremantle
Thursday 3:10pm AEST, Optus Stadium
Round 5 kicks off with the fourth instalment of Western Derby, with West Coast having their best chance to finally defeat their arch rivals. The Eagles are 2-2 after a seven point win over GWS, while Fremantle are still winless after a draw against Carlton. The Dockers controlled the majority of the game, but conceded 3 goals in the final quarter to surrender their lead.
Fremantle kicked their highest score of the season against the Blues, and are beginning to get some continuity with players returning from injury. Kiara Bowers (17 tackles) led the way as the Dockers brought their renowned pressure game for the first time this season. Fremantle just need to find a way to keep their pressure and contested game consistent across four quarters.
The Dockers are 3-0 against the Eagles with an average winning margin of 46 points, and there will be an unwavering belief that West Coast cannot beat them. Fremantle have some senior bodies in the midfield that will be tough for the young Eagles to compete with. If the Dockers can win the territory battle from the midfield, they’ll be too strong for West Coast.
Fremantle -10.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
Western Bulldogs vs North Melbourne
Friday 12:40pm AEST, Punt Road
The Bulldogs will be looking to move to 5-0 when they take on North Melbourne to kick off Friday’s action. The Kangaroos kept themselves in the top eight race with a gritty twelve point win over Geelong last week.
The Dogs have been on the cusp of the finals over the past two seasons, and were expected to make the jump this season with the finals expanded from a top six to a top eight. However they’ve exceeded expectations with four wins from four games. The Bulldogs have made a big jump in key statistical areas, ranking first for hitouts, second for disposals, second for fewest points conceded, third for marks and sixth in points for.
The Dogs have played against opposition that they’ve been expected to beat, however it’s clear to see that they’ve made the next step and are amongst the better teams in the competition. The Bulldogs are at excellent value in the head to head market, against a North Melbourne side that has been far from convincing in Season 7.
Western Bulldogs
$2.70 (1.5 Units)
Essendon vs Collingwood
Friday 3:10pm AEST, Olympic ParkIt’s third vs sixth as Collingwood hosts Essendon in a huge clash on Friday afternoon. The Pies are coming off their first loss of the year against Adelaide, in a thrilling game that will give Collingwood confidence that they can match it with the best sides in the competition. For the second time in three weeks, the Bombers had their hearts broken in a two point loss to Richmond, in a near identical performance to their one point loss against Carlton a fortnight earlier.
Essendon’s starts have been a weakness in their two losses this season, kicking one goal in the first three quarters against Carlton, and only two goals up to three quarter time against Richmond. If they start slow against a quality Collingwood side, things could get ugly very quickly.
Collingwood are yet to concede more than three goals in a game this season, and are the number one ranked defence in the competition. The Pies will be confident they can strangle Essendon’s attacking game and create a slower tempo that will grind the Bombers into a hault. Collingwood have been impressive this season, and will move to 4-1.
Collingwood -11.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
More AFLW Round 5 Tips
Geelong vs St Kilda - GMHBA Stadium, Thursday 5:10pm AEST
The Cats are the second best defensive side in the league, and have conceded just three goals in their two games at GMHBA Stadium this season. The Saints are out of form with consecutive losses, and to beat Geelong at the Cattery is going to be too big of an ask.
Tip: Geelong -7.5, $1.90 with TAB
Sydney vs Hawthorn - Punt Road, Friday 5:10pm AEST
The two expansion clubs anchored to the bottom of the AFLW face off on Friday afternoon, with someone to walk away with their first ever AFLW win. Playing in Victoria will be helpful for the Hawks, and the mounting injury list for the Swans is a major concern.
Tip: Hawthorn -4.5, $1.90 with TAB
Carlton vs Melbourne - Ikon Park, Friday 7:30pm AEST
The Dees lost their first game of Season 7, going down by 15 points at home against Brisbane. Melbourne have had an average winning margin this season of just 15 points this season. An improving Carlton outfit that are coming off three consecutive results decided by a point or less, should be able to keep this one close.
Tip: Carlton +20.5, $1.90 with TAB
Richmond vs Brisbane - Punt Road, Saturday 11:10am AEST
Brisbane firmly entrenched themselves as the premiership favourites with a win at Casey Fields over Melbourne last week. The Lions have only played Richmond once before, a 29 point victory at Punt Road, and their attacking firepower will produce another similar result.
Tip: Brisbane -28.5, $1.90 with TAB
Gold Coast vs Port Adelaide - Bond University, Sunday 1:10pm AEST
Gold Coast were impressive last week putting up seventeen scoring shots in the win over St Kilda, and they’ve got a golden opportunity to pick up a second straight win against expansion side Port Adelaide. The Power haven’t won away from home, and the trip to Queensland looms as a tough task for a young side. If Gold Coast can kick straight, it should be a comfortable win.
Tip: Gold Coast, $1.67 with TAB
Adelaide vs GWS - Unley Oval, Sunday 3:10pm AEST
Round 5 concludes with the Crows hosting GWS at Unley Oval. Adelaide have won three games on the trot after going down to Melbourne in Round One, and are beginning to show signs they’re still a contender. Their ability to grind Collingwood down last week and keep them to just two goals will put fear into the Giants minds. GWS don’t have the firepower to penetrate a dominant Croes defence
Tip: Adelaide -24.5, $1.90 with TAB
