The second AFL Round 3 game on Good Friday is an intriguing one, with the Fremantle Dockers set to welcome the Adelaide Crows to Optus Stadium in Perth. The Dockers have started the season in great form and will be searching for their third win in as many games, whereas the Crows are still aiming to get off the mark. We provide our full betting preview for the clash below!
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2024 AFL Round 3 Preview & Betting Tips
Fremantle vs Adelaide
Friday 7:30pm AEDT, March 29th, Optus Stadium
2023 was a tough year for Fremantle who finished 10-13 and in 14th spot on the ladder; however, the early signs are bright in 2024 as they enter Round 3 with an unblemished record (2-0).
The Dockers set the tone from the get-go in Round 1 with a terrific comeback win against last year’s runners-up in the Lions (93-70). Another comeback was also required in Round 2 against the Kangaroos whom they trailed to by five goals during the second term, but they were up to the task once again (102-76).
The downside of what’s been a hot start to the season for the Dockers is their mounting injury list. They currently have 11 players unavailable for selection, including key players Brennan Cox, Heath Chapman, and Sam Darcy. Fortunately, the latter two are expected to return over the next 2-3 weeks.
On the other end of the spectrum, Adelaide are still hunting their first win in 2024 after dropping their opening two games against the Suns (54-60) and most recently the Cats (77-96).
It’s been a bitterly disappointing start for the Crows considering the expectations by many are for them to at least finish in the top eight this season. These sentiments of course come after they were robbed of a finals berth in 2023 due to a goal umpiring error.
The Crows engine room has been comprehensively beaten in both games to date which lead to David King labelling their midfield as ‘vanilla’. There’s a distinct lack of pace and flair in their current starting mix of Crouch, Laird, and Dawson, so perhaps we’ll see names like Rachele, Rankine, and Soligo running through there a little bit more in the near future.
Match prediction: Although one side is 2-0 and the other 0-2, these teams are very evenly matched on paper and I believe a close encounter is to be expected. The Crows also came out on top convincingly in their only meeting last season (111-72) and will be desperate to find a win to open their account this season. With that in mind, I’m happy to be with them to cover the two-goal spread here.
Adelaide +11.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
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Josh Rachele 2+ Goals – He loves this matchup having kicked eight goals in his two games against the Dockers. He’s also started the season with four goals in two games and is only improving.
Rory Laird 30+ Disposals – He’s an absolute ball magnet and has picked up where he left off. 30+ disposals in four of his last five games, and should get a clean run at the pill all day with Hayden Young expected to give his full attention to Jordan Dawson.
SGM Odds: $6 at BoomBet
