The second week of the finals series for the 2025 AFL Premiership Season kicks off this Friday night as we see Adelaide hosting Hawthorn for the opporuntiy to play Geelong in the preliminary final next week. These two sides have met twice in the second half of the season with the Hawks defeating the Crows by 3 points at UTAS Stadium and Adelaide getting revenge a few weeks ago in Adealdie by 14 points. Both sides are very evenly matched and we should be in for a firey contest.
As always this is all about the daily fantasy and this Friday night game draws a boosted $70,000 prize pool at Draftstars in their main contest. In addition, there are a variety of alternate contests:
AFL $70,000+ Crows vs Hawks at Draftstars
AFL $7,500+ Crows vs Hawks High Roller ($150 Entry) at Draftstars
AFL $3,000+ Crows vs Hawks Mini ($2 Entry) at Draftstars
If you're new to the Daily Fantasy Sports scene and want to join in on the fun, simply join Draftstars via this link!
AFL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Adelaide vs Hawthorn Semi Final
AFL Fantasy Semi Final Crows vs Hawks: Where to Attack?
Like all finals at this point in the season this is going to be a challenging matchup to break down. When we get to the final four teams we don’t have many avenues where they concede fantasy points. The Hawks specifically are one of the hardest teams in the league to score against, giving up below average points across all positions apart from the ruck. Key forwards specifically get locked down against the Hawks, which can spell trouble for the Crows who rely so heavily on their three headed monster up forward.
The Crows on the other hand have given up above average points to general forwards, which opens up chances for Hawks smalls in the forward line. They have also given up just above average points to inside midfielders.
AFL Fantasy Semi Final Crows vs Hawks: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Josh Rachele ($8,150) returns to the lineup this week after a long layoff with injury. That means we are getting a nicely discounted price in a tough matchup that should suit the Crows small forwards as much as any other position on the ground. We all know that Rachele has the upside to pay back this salary significantly and there will also be potential opportunity for him up the ground with Izak Rankine out of the lineup.
Mitchell Hinge ($7,850) is priced very nicely for a player averaging 65 points this season. Just playing to his average might be a solid enough return on this slate, but he also has a 113 point upside and I love stacking him up with other Crows backs to find value to spend up elsewhere. Hinge has been taking around two kick ins per game, but a more expensive option would be to spend up to Mark Keane ($9,080) who is the Crows designated kicker these days.
AFL Fantasy Semi Final Crows vs Hawks: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Dylan Moore ($12,720) had one of his best games of the season against the Crows earlier this year. That game was down at UTAS Stadium but he posted a 122 fantasy points and his role is one of the few areas on the ground where the Crows give up above average fantasy points.
Daniel Curtin ($10,750) stood up in his first final with a 71 point fantasy performance. Against the Hawks this year he posted 93 and 72 fantasy points, which highlights his ability to get on the board amongst this tight nit Hawks defense.
AFL Fantasy Semi Final Crows vs Hawks: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Jordan Dawson ($16,840) is the one player on the ground that screams trustworthy from the premium players on the slate in this matchup. As we alluded to last week, in the big finals the big players are typically the ones that step to forefront so I love to spend up on the best player in the game. Dawson posted 125 and 97 fantasy points in his two games against the Hawks this season.
Reilly O’Brien ($13,930) and Lloyd Meek played each other closely head to head in both matchups this season. I like taking the lower salary on the home ground for the favourites in this matchup. In addition, the Hawks have been giving up the third most points in the league to rucks over the last 10 games at 9 points above league average.
Heres our Suggested Draftstars Lineup for Adelaide vs Hawthorn
Weather Report for Friday 12th September
16 degrees and partly cloudy
AFL Betting Markets Finals Week 2 Friday
Adelaide ($1.83) vs Hawthorn ($2.01)
Points: 166.5
Line: Adelaide -1.5
Also, be sure to check out our full AFL Previews and Betting Tips for each match. Our experts break down each individual game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
