West Coast ready to bounce back against the Bombers
After some impressive away form in recent weeks, the Bombers will need that to continue against the Josh Kennedy-less Eagles in Perth on Thursday night.
Friday night's fixture will be a corker, with both teams playing for a top four spot. It will be a battle of the midfields at the Adelaide Oval, where a raucous home crowd will be looking to get Port over the line.
After their phenomenal ten-game winning streak was snapped by the Swans last week, the Eagles fly back home to take on the Bombers at Optus Stadium.
If West Coast are to get back to winning ways here however, they'll have to cope without star forward Josh Kennedy, who was ruled out with a leg fracture.
Although Essendon have been a shadow of their high-scoring 2017 team, they have recorded wins in their last two away games. These victories over the Giants in Round 10 and the Lions in Round 12 will surely give them a confidence boost for one of the toughest road trips in the game.
You know the Eagles will be on their game. Gun midfielder Luke Shuey plays his second game back from injury, and he will be looking to return to the form he is capable of after a quiet game against Sydney. West Coast should be too strong.
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Josh Kennedy (West Coast)
Chance of light showers, however unlikely to impact the ground conditions.
Where it will be won
West Coast's big men. Despite losing Kennedy, the Eagles will start with three ruckmen and have plenty of height all over the ground.
Essendon will neeed to curtail the marking and hit-out numbers that the tall timbre of West Coast have been racking up all year.
While it mightn't look like much, a positive difference in average hit-outs and marks per game provides a key advantage for teams, enabling them to get more of the ball in goal-scoring areas.
Key AFL stat
West Coast have scored 100 or more points in their last 4 home games.
AFL Betting Tip: West Coast to cover the -28.5 point line @ $1.92
This will be a Friday night blockbuster at the Adelaide Oval. Two of the league's most exciting teams are coming into this clash on 32 competition points, with the result having huge ramifications in the race for the top four.
The Demons have had a week off to mull over their poor second-half fadeout against fierce rivals Collingwood in Round 12. You know they will be itching to get back out onto the field and show that they're made of much sterner stuff.
But it's going to be their toughest assignment all year, with Port fresh off three super-impressive home wins in a row.
Chad Wingard's move to the midfield has been a revelation, while new midfield recruit Tom Rockliff is finally beginning to show why he was such a great buy for the Power.
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Fine and sunny with a perfect playing surface expected, lending itself to plenty of points being scored.
Where it will be won
The midfield. Both sets of mids have been at the heart of everything good for their teams this year. This is evident in how they sit in the league rankings in four of the key midfield-based stats.
Key AFL Stat
The Demons have covered the line in their last 5 games at the Adelaide Oval.
AFL Betting Tip: Melbourne to cover the +10.5 point line @ $1.92
Jun 21, 2018 12:57 PM
AAP
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Josh Kennedy (West Coast)
Chance of light showers, however unlikely to impact the ground conditions.
AFL Betting Tip: West Coast to cover the -28.5 point line @ $1.92
