3 minute read
Racing and Sports will provide analysis of many games in the 2022 AFL Season.
We'll endeavour to run through the form, incorporate appropriate stats and also supply a betting prediction which won't always just be who will win.
WESTERN BULLDOGS V HAWTHORN
Friday 24 June @ Marvel Stadium
As it turned out, the Friday night allocation, especially with a double header, hasn't provided much fanfare when other games screamed to be played leading into the weekend.
With the greatest of respect, the winners of four straight Flags (2013-16) looks great of paper but things have hit some hurdles since.
The Dogs are appropriately scrapping and scragging onto the hope of snagging a late spot in the finals. The Hawks are not out of the question of getting Pick 3 in the draft.
To be somewhat fair, the Bulldogs could have succumbed to a free-wheeling GWS side but were willing to run with the speed battle on the night and came out on top. 19 goals to 16 is something you would see on 'The Winners' rather than any current day weekend replay.
No surprise who from the Kennel had the most stats but importantly Bontempelli is starting to recapture some form and they had a couple more targets.
Cody Weightman had five goals before his painful elbow injury and Duryea did his knee. But they might begin to get some more troops back soon with Bruce surely getting closer and Ugle-Hagan doing his bits and pieces. Aaron Naughton can't carry this forward line himself.
Hawthorn also had some reason to be encouraged over in Perth against the high-flying Dockers. So much so they held a nice little margin into the second half before Fremantle realised that was not going to be reviewed well.
Jaeger O'Meara and Tom Mitchell have taken a long while to get their midfield connection on the right page. Be it through injury or form, it hasn't gelled. But they both played well on that same day. More of that will embolden a few more Glenferrie fans.
When the Hawks forwards do work it out and get in tandem they stretch many teams. The Dogs defence is certainly gettable at most times so now would be a good time to make it work.
Of course you think the Western Bulldogs will win this game but funnier things have happened. We saw it just one week back over this very course and distance involving Essendon.
When Hawthorn constrict the Dogs to 90 points or less they basically win every time. We realise that that makes obvious sense but there have been a few occasions this year where more than that has been scored yet still been on the losing side.
The last five times the Hawks have played them at Marvel they have come out on top. So an upset is not out of the cards.
Maybe not game to back Hawthorn but happy to take the start under the roof.
Match Selection: Western Bulldogs by 11 points
Suggested Bets: Hawthorn +17.5 points @ $1.90
