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.
WESTERN BULLDOGS V BRISBANE
Saturday 10 April @ Mars Stadium
Early matches which could sway many minds don't come any more vital than the one at good ole Ballarat on Saturday afternoon.
Are the Bulldogs the real deal considering they beat up on a Z-grade line up last week? Should the Lions be considered in a better position than they are given the Geelong game or are they lucky not to be 0-3?
It really can be your opinion which totally contravenes those of the person next to you.
Good Friday was hard to take much out of it. Sure Josh Bruce kicked 10 goals which, in some way, best explains the return of the big forward having an impact.
But North were witches hats. They have few elite players anyway and then what they do have are injured or out of form seeing the ball sail over their heads with regularity.
It really wasn't hard for six players to get 25+ possessions in that game. Good news for the Dogs was that it wasn't Bontempelli needing to be the man. He had a game off compared to others.
When you win by 21 goals it does become effectively at least a half game in the win total as the % will be hard to give away. You may find come the end of August that that helps the boys from the West claim a Top 4 spot.
Percentage was the very least of Brisbane's worries with a minute to go last Thursday. Staring down the barrel of 0-3, it took a kick after the siren to get them off the mark.
Zac Bailey had nerves of steel. He was off celebrating before the ball was halfway to the posts. Never in doubt. You'd love his confidence but not to play poker with him.
They started to get more out of McCluggage, Rich and Zorko but it was Mitch Robinson that got them going with some strong attack on the ball – his trademark.
Lachie Neale may be struggling physically and with tags but he still needs to lift. The Lions rode his back last year and need to again. At least Joe Daniher is beginning to make an impression albeit he has to do that on a weekly basis.
Knowing they will return home after this game rather than the unknown of a week ago following the Brisbane coronavirus lockdown, the Lions could be freed up a bit more.
Brisbane has won the last couple over the Bulldogs but will their midfield have enough soldiers to take on the abundance of them in red, blue and white?
Teams that have had easy matches haven't always backed it up a week on this year. That offers the Lions opportunity. But the likelihood is the Dogs will have one too many guns for their opponents.
You can't tag them all so somewhere gets loose and that could be Lachie Hunter. We'll suggest he has a good day.
Match Selection: Western Bulldogs by 20 points
Suggested Bets: Lachie Hunter 30+ possessions @ $3.50
