3 minute read

Racing and Sports will provide analysis of many games in the 2021 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.

GWS V CARLTON

Saturday 19 June @ Giants Stadium

Seasons are on the line already for two teams who would have thought September was a possibility in 2021.

While GWS did lose some players in the trade period they still had a fair bit of fire power. They have a core which still exists.

Carlton had few excuses to not keep improving even without Charlie Curnow for the year to this time at the least.

And yet both of them sit over a game outside the Eight and not going well enough to get in, even if some above them are just going at present.

Those Giants gave away 2 points in Hobart or did they make 2 points. Nobody knows yet but they could be crucial either way.

To not beat North Melbourne really is criminal for a decent team but then again they were about five goals down at one stage. Securing something from the wreck was one thing to take away.

In the end they really could have snatched it. North's inability to kill the game off kept giving them hope and even a last second torp was 10m short.

Josh Kelly kept finding the sherrin to be clearly their best but you need more than that. Greene was well held and he is often their barometer. If he kicks four, they often win.

However the bigger story now is Carlton who kept telling all they were right there, standing over home plate about to knock it out of the park.

Once again their supporters have to wait another 12 months of torture unless they can win about nine more this year and that seems a problem.

It won't be happening unless it starts in Sydney but this internal (and external) intervention into the club all began in that very city two weeks ago.

They were deplorable against West Coast. Only being beaten by 22 was indicative of their set up. Good enough for it to be close but poor, poor, poor in any execution of the fundamentals.

OK they lost McKay to concussion which takes away the structure but the Eagles lost one early too. And don't forget West Coast had not won at the SCG for over 20 years. Carlton played there 1 week prior.

Their backline couldn't handle an Eagles team without the spearhead. Josh Kennedy was at home waiting for Richmond (as that turned out, it was a good thing).

This is very much the sort of match the Giants win and win comfortably. They've been handing the Blues thrashings in some recent contests. At their best they love a bloody thirsty pile on. The old Orange Tsunami gets rolling and is unstoppable.

You can smell that here unless Carlton has turned things around in the week off. That can happen as we saw for some teams off the Bye recently.

Were it to be a fine weekend you'd not be surprised if this was a space job. However some rain is on the radar which might quell that.

Still fancy GWS will give it one last launch at the season and finish the Blues off.

Match Selection: GWS by 29 points

Suggested Bets: GWS 25+ @ $2.90