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.

SYDNEY V GWS

Thursday 13 August @ Optus Stadium

The Battle of the Bridge or whatever garbage moniker that the AFL wants to put on it sees a Sydney Derby being played as far west as one can find.

Things don't get any more bizarre than this in this 2020 season of playing pick-up sticks. Throw everything up in the air and see where it falls. Imagine being Travis Auld.

What he wouldn't give for just one team complaining they don't get enough prime time games or Collingwood complaining about Port's black and white stripe requests.

Everyone knew coming into the season that the two NSW teams were on differing paths and different stages of the footy life-cycle.

Sydney were investing in and subsequently playing the kids. They've now had six new ones in 2020 with Zac Foot's debut on top of so many in recent years.

Getting the games into them has been both important but a necessary evil. It meant accepting some short term pain for much longer term gain. However elements of the media only focus on when a team is down the bottom that they are on a long slide.

Always judge a team when their best is available and when Franklin, Kennedy, Heeney, Hewett etc have essentially missed half or more of the season, it's spelt issues for John Longmire's mob.

That is many goals and many clearances hubbing from the boundary line. But some youngsters have stepped up.

James Rowbottom has taken on plenty of workload in the middle and looks capable of handling that grunt that Kennedy would normally take. Hayward has been switched to half back and has contributed giving Mills more midfield time.

And then the newcomers like Ling, Taylor and especially Dylan Stephens are having a real crack. He will be an elite runner when that tank develops over a couple of pre-seasons.

Then to GWS who were able to conjure a win from nowhere against Essendon. Near five goals down into Q3, they pegged it back and got in by under a kick. It included a controversial free-kick but hey that happens in every game.

While the umpires are having issues with all the interpretation changes thrust upon them consider, unlike the players, they don't get to team up and train together. They are hubbing in small groups too.

It was good to see a very good young player in Tim Taranto getting plenty of it on the Gold Coast. Besides being a top talent, he's got plenty of smarts and deserved a change of luck after his early season injury.

He is one player to benefit greatly from the COVID break as he barely missed a match instead of missing most of the season.

GWS should get all that run off half back against the Swans and if they kick straight have to be the ones to win this. Sydney are lacking in tall defenders with Rampe having to seemingly take on the world (and with one broken hand too).

At some stage Cameron, Himmelberg or Finlayson will dominate a game and doubting the Swans have the ammunition to get back any sort of a margin. A fast start and GWS could put a gap on them.

Match Selection: GWS by 35 points

Suggested Bets: Jeremy Cameron 3+ goals @ $3.00