3 minute read
Racing and Sports will provide analysis of many games in the 2020 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.
ESSENDON V WESTERN BULLDOGS
Friday 17 July @ Metricon Stadium
It would be peak 2020 that Essendon are riding high and effectively sit equal first if you consider they should win their game in hand (over Melbourne).
That long standing joke about the length of time since their last Finals victory could well be coming to an end in September…oops October...oops maybe November or December.
The one thing you cannot equivocate about is that the Bombers are playing good football. Consider they were without one of their best impact players in Jake Stringer.
Mind you had they kicked straight, it would have been a rout last week. That in of itself is NOT good football. But they are better than that.
They have barometer players and Devon Smith is one of them. They missed his play recently but in 2020 his high half forward pressure often leads to goals.
Another is Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti. That stat about when he kicks a goal, Essendon invariably win held firm again last weekend.
It comes as no surprise that their run and gun style off half back holds true given their effort against the Kangas. McGrath, Saad etc means the backline needs to hold firm and Hurley, Hooker and Ridley are doing just that.
In the past they have been flaky against teams they should beat but in their form they really should be knocking over the Bulldogs.
Speaking of flaky, there appears not a great deal of substance in that team when the pressure goes on and Carlton brought plenty of it to the Dogs on the Gold Coast.
They can be very much a scoreboard pressure team either way. If they lead they are hard to run down. If they get behind as they did, they find it hard to change the course of the match.
Amazingly, the top FIVE disposal winners on the ground were from the red, blue and whites. That either says they did little with it or the contest was much more turnover based by the Blues.
Whatever the reality, their handpass game didn't work. They do love a stat. This week scoring will be so very important and missing Aaron Naughton and Sam Lloyd from prior injuries is showing the signs.
On a dry day is a difficult to see how Essendon don't bring too much skill for the Western Bulldogs. On top of that you have the great confidence which is very much the Bombers way.
Dylan Shiel's loss to suspension is a knock. And the riot act will have been read by Luke Beveridge. How will those two things conflate?
Could very much see Essendon putting the afterburners on here. They look in a strong frame of mind. The defence is clicking and the mids are clacking. If the forwards go clunk it might be big score. They look value.
Match Selection: Essendon by 26 points
Suggested Bets: Essendon @ $2.10
Suggested Bets: Essendon 25+ @ $5.50
