The final game of the 2023 AFL home-and-away season is set to be a cracker, with high flying Carlton hosting a GWS side that will likely need to win to earn a finals berth. Both sides have been playing fantastic football lately, so it will be fascinating to see the drama unfold in this Sunday twilight blockbuster at Marvel Stadium. We bring you our preview, best bet and value Same Game Multi below!
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AFL Round 24 Preview & Betting Tips
Carlton vs GWS
Sunday 4:10pm AEST, August 27th, Marvel Stadium
The lid is well and truly off at Carlton heading into September, with the Blues sitting fifth on the ladder riding a winning streak that now sits at nine. It’s hard to believe that the men in navy blue have achieved such a feat given their lacklustre start to the season, and it’s particularly impressive considering the personnel who have been absent during periods of that run. Harry McKay, Adam Cerra, Sam Walsh, Mitch McGovern, Matthew Kennedy and Jack Silvagni have all watched on from the sidelines as the Blues have chalked up win after win, setting up a finals campaign of unlimited possibility. By definition, Carlton are tracking the best out of any team in the league, so the top four sides will undoubtedly be nervous. Carlton’s flag charge will be boosted by the return of some of their aforementioned stars on Sunday – Walsh, Cerra and McGovern will all play as they look to find some form before the fun stuff gets underway. With this game shaping up as an elimination final of sorts for the Giants, it will be interesting to see how Carlton close out a regular season that has been full of ups and downs.
Depending on how the Bulldogs fare against Geelong on Saturday night, this game could either mean everything or very little for the Giants. At the time of writing, GWS can still plausibly finish anywhere from 6th-9th on the table, but a loss for the Dogs will see GWS guaranteed a finals berth - their #1 goal. Like the Blues, the Giants were way out of the picture at the halfway point of the year, but they have turned things around in stunning fashion. Adam Kingsley has brought a new attacking flair to the west of Sydney, paving the way for high-scoring wins and maximum entertainment. It’s been a collective effort from the Giants, with the likes of Sam Taylor, Tom Green, Kieren Briggs, Jesse Hogan, Toby Greene and Stephen Coniglio all elevating themselves to bring about team improvement through a revised game style. Regardless of the result on Sunday, this year has been a success for GWS, but the lure of finals football is strong and I expect to see tenacious footy from the orange team at Marvel.
The Giants have struggled against the Blues in recent years, losing their last three encounters. However, none of those matches have held the same stakes as this one, and GWS should come out firing. Given some of Carlton’s best will likely be underdone, I fancy the underdogs, although a loss for the Dogs on Saturday night changes that thinking considerably. As such, I’m going to predict a close encounter that goes either way.
Either Team By Under 15.5 Points
$2.50 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
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Stephen Coniglio 25+ Disposals – Sunday will be game 200 for Coniglio, who has been a fantastic servant of the Giants as a foundation player. With finals on the line, expect him to put in a big performance.
Jack Martin 1+ Goals – Martin has demonstrated his ability since returning to the side, hitting the scoreboard in five consecutive matches. As such, he’s a great pick to boost the SGM.
Nic Newman 25+ Disposals – Newman has been Carlton’s main distributor for over a month now, racking up 30+ disposals in each of his last three matches. With Docherty out of the side, I can only see Newman’s stocks rising.
SGM Odds: $3.10 at BoomBet
