3 minute read

Racing and Sports will provide analysis of games in the 2024 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 6 September @ MCG

In one of the few Finals games to be played in Melbourne for the rest of the season, two of the most exciting sides will meet.

Whoever is the more conservative could well be courting disaster as this shapes as a walk the plank game.

For the Western Bulldogs, anything short of a Preliminary Final is probably a wasted year as they should be considered in that Top 4 reckoning.

And yet it turned out they had to win in Ballarat to be assured of taking their place. Boy they did that justice beating the Giants in a quality affair.

They have plenty of attacking weapons across the board from the half back line, in the middle led by Bontempelli and that tall forward line.

Hawthorn has to combat that and maybe the best way to do that is to run and gun and make it a highly up tempo game.

That way the structure of the talls can slightly be reduced. No doubt the Hawks are in cracking form. Hard to knock anything about what they are doing.

Speed in the midfield may make the Dogs chase. Question is can they maintain that over the full 2 hours? Boy Hawthorn will miss Will Day and it could be the difference.

Tactic: Hawthorn need to try that high tempo and if that means scrubby, chaotic balls into the forward line allowing the smalls to crumb, then that would be smart.

Have the impression, under the full lights, that all that might be a tough ask for the whole game. At times the Hawks will score quickly but if the Bulldogs are right with them at half time, reckon they win.

Match Selection: Western Bulldogs by 17 points

Suggested Bets: Western Bulldogs -5.5 @ $1.90