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.
GOLD COAST V WESTERN BULLDOGS
Thursday 23 July @ Metricon Stadium
Essentially for the first time in their existence, the Gold Coast Suns are getting a deserved Free-To-Air feature match. And in reality they are doing this without their best player.
When Matt Rowell did his shoulder a month back it threw the same scares through the Suns ranks as a very similar thing did when Gary Ablett hurt his the same way many moons ago.
However there is far more substance and resolve amongst these younger and classier troops in 2020 and they have shown even in defeat their competitive nature and future.
Just when the world was anointing Rowell his Rising Star award with only a handful of games on the resume, along comes a draft pick from the previous year in Izak Rankine.
His silky skills and dash has pricked the interest of impartials and excited their growing band of merry followers. Two games of that exhilaration are so easy on the eye.
But focussing just on Rankine is to do them a disservice. They were composed and structured against the Swans at the SCG in what was a very decent match. Who knew Sydney could do that after that Richmond game?
It was the poise of Lukosius, Hanley and Anderson with Weller and Ballard along with the forwards to target in King and Day that give them great hope for the future.
They go back home to ironically meet a team who has played their last couple at Gold Coast's base. 2020 is such a bonkers year.
The Bulldogs turned around a shocker against Carlton to overwhelm Essendon who in the end were undermanned and lost the will after quarter time.
Any team that scores near or over 100 points should be winning every game in 2020. The reduction in game time coupled with the extra travel and hubbing is a problem for scoring.
Well they were faster and more skilled against those Bombers. While Macrae and Hunter got plenty of it, it was the class of Bontempelli linked to the continued upward spiral of ruck Tim English that drove them on.
Witts against English will be a good pointer to the winner. Even a halving of the contest is a win for Witts. He's more your bash and barge ruckman than the touch of English.
Last year the Suns got the Dogs and it was in Melbourne too. That augurs well given they are such an improved lot that team.
If the Western Bulldogs are going to play any sort of a role in September (sorry October) then they need to be winning this match. It won't be a doddle and the loss of Hunter is a concern on several levels.
The extra days rest and the fact they should have bigger midfielders to be dealt with gives them a slight advantage. But that is only slight. A wet day forecast and a ground which has had plenty of traffic might simply make it closer.
Match Selection: Western Bulldogs by 16 points
Suggested Bets: Match Total Under 116.5points @ $1.90
