Round 9 of the 2025 AFL season kicks off on Thursday night with an intriguing matchup between Fremantle and Collingwood at Optus Stadium in Perth. The Dockers have had a shaky start to the season while the Magpies are coming off a tough loss against the Cats. We bring you our full preview, best bet, and Same Game Multi below!
Also, Before You Bet will be providing free previews and betting tips for EVERY game in the 2025 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.
Fremantle vs Collingwood
Location: Optus Stadium – Perth
Date: Thursday, 8th May
Time: 8:10pm AEST
Odds: Fremantle ($1.85) vs Collingwood ($1.95)
Line: Fremantle -4.5
Points: 160.5
Odds and lines provided with thanks to Dabble. Note that odds and lines can fluctuate throughout the week and are correct at the time of writing.
Match Preview
Round 9 of the 2025 AFL season kicks off with a Thursday night clash between Fremantle and Collingwood at Optus Stadium. The Dockers are looking to bounce back after a heavy loss to St Kilda, while the Magpies aim to continue building momentum. Fremantle has been patchy this season, and they’ll be keen to make a statement at home in front of the purple army. But they'll need to tighten things up against a Collingwood side that is back in form and stacked with depth.
Fremantle’s numbers don’t paint the prettiest picture. They sit 17th in kicks per game, 16th in total disposals, and 14th in scoring. Their ball movement has been stagnant at times, and they’re also 16th in clearances—far from ideal when up against a midfield like Collingwood’s. The Dockers had only five inside 50s in the third quarter against the Saints last week and struggled to generate any forward pressure. While Serong and Brayshaw are usually reliable, they were both unusually quiet, and Fremantle will need a big response from their midfield group.
Collingwood, meanwhile, are looking more like the side that stormed to the premiership in 2023. They currently rank top five in tackles, inside 50s, and clearances, and their defensive unit is restricting opposition scores better than any other side. Their forward efficiency is elite—they’ve been converting at 48.1% from inside 50 entries, the best in the league. Even when they don’t dominate possession, they make it count. And their pressure game is still one of the fiercest in the comp. They’re starting to find rhythm at the right time, and you get the sense they’ve got another gear to go.
Both teams are missing some key names. The Dockers have lost Hayden Young for 10–12 weeks with a serious hamstring injury, which is a massive blow to their already thin midfield. The Magpies will be without Brody Mihocek due to injury, and they’ve chosen to rest Scott Pendlebury, Jordan De Goey, and Brayden Maynard for this trip west. That’s a big chunk of leadership and experience missing for Collingwood, but their depth has held up well so far this year, and their system tends to cover for individual absences better than most.
Even with a few outs, Collingwood just looks better drilled right now. Their ability to lock the ball in their front half and apply repeat pressure should be too much for Fremantle to handle, especially considering how poor the Dockers have been at clearing from stoppages and transitioning cleanly. Fremantle will lift at home, but Collingwood’s defensive setup, midfield pressure, and scoring efficiency should give them the edge.
Collingwood to Win
$2.02 (1 Unit)
Same Game Multi
Throughout the 2025 AFL season we’ll be putting together a fun same game multi for every match at BoomBet using their BetShare feature.
To follow our multi, just click on the BoomBet BetShare button below and our same game multi selections will be added straight into your bet slip on BoomBet. You can then enter how much you wish to wager, and with a single click, your bet has been placed!
Nick Daicos 30+ Disposals – Copped a heavy tag last week but still found plenty of the footy. The Dockers don’t have a suitable matchup for Nick, so I expect him to rack it up here.
Luke Ryan 20+ Disposals – Was one of the few Dockers that could hold their head up high last weekend. Takes the kick-ins and should find his way to 20 disposals again.
Lachie Schultz 2+ Goals – Was in terrific form prior to getting injured this season. However, he now has a game under his belt since returning and comes up against his old side, which only adds more motivation to perform.
SGM Odds: $5.00 at BoomBet
