AFL 2024 Round 8 – Betting tips & Predictions

Round 7 was not, for the most part, a particularly close one in the AFL, but the headline game could hardly have delivered in more memorable fashion. The ANZAC Day Clash between the Bombers and Magpies ended in a highly entertaining draw, with a Jamie Elliott mark and subsequent goal from 50 metres out near the boundary line set to be replayed for many years to come. This weekend of footy looms, hopefully, as a little more close than most of the other games in Round 7, with both the Adelaide and Sydney derbies (or Showdowns, whatever you’d like to call them) a couple of the highlights, while the Blues also take on the Magpies and the Demons face the Cats. Below, we take a look at all nine games set to take place over Round 8.  

The last couple of editions of the Showdown haven’t quite delivered on the very high expectations which invariably surround this matchup, but historically, the Power and Crows have shown a penchant for playing out tight games which often bely their ladder positions. And with a passionate, 50,000 strong crowd guaranteed at Adelaide Oval, the game is generally played at a finals-like intensity. The first edition of it in season 2024 will kick off Round 8 this weekend, and with the Crows beginning to come into a little bit of form after a slow start to the year, has the potential to be a high-quality game. After demonstrating drastic improvement last season the Crows have stumbled out of the starting blocks in season 2024, but in the past three weeks they’ve knocked off the Blues, gone down by just three points to an improved Bombers outfit (though admittedly that could have been a bigger margin) and then smacked the struggling Kangaroos last weekend. Everyone who plays them is smacking the Kangaroos at the moment, but that big win could be just the catalyst this talented Crows outfit needs to really get their season going. If they’re to maintain their winning form, however, they will need to be at their best and then some against the Power. Port Adelaide have lost just two games this season and have generally looked really good, and last week bounced back from a disappointing loss to the Magpies by scratching out a solid albeit unspectacular win over the Saints. That win, however, came at a cost, with Sam Powell-Pepper ruled out for the season with an ACL injury, while Connor Rozee and Aliir and Aliir will both miss this game with a hamstring injury and concussion respectively. Those are massive outs for the Power, and may make this clash a lot tighter than it otherwise might have been. If the Crows play like they have for most of the year then the Power should be too strong even with those outs, but they are better than they have showed for much of the season. Though they have been getting the chocolates for the most part, the Power haven’t been at their absolute best the past few weeks, and this looks like a good spot for the Crows to snatch an upset win against their cross-town rivals.  

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Crows to win	$2.15
	Crows +3.5	$1.91
	Crows 1-39	$2.55

Predicted Squads

Adelaide Crows : B: L. Nankervis, J. Borlase, C. Jones HB: J. Worrell, M. Keane, M. Michalanney C: M. Hinge, M. Crouch, J. Dawson - C  HF: J. Soligo, T. Walker, J. Rachele F: B. Cook, D. Fogarty, I. Rankine FOLL: R. O’Brien, R. Laird, B. Keays I/C: W. Hamill, E. Himmelberg, L. Murphy, N. McHenry, L. Sholl EMG: B. Dowling, L. Gollant, L. Murphy 

Port Adelaide Power : B: K. Farrell, E. Ratugolea, B. Zerk-Thatcher HB: La. Jones, T. Clurey, D. Houston C: M. Bergman, O. Wines, W. Drew HF: D. Byrne-Jones, T. Marshall, T. Boak F: J. McEntee, C. Dixon, W. Rioli FOLL: J. Sweet, J. Horne-Francis, Z. Butters I/C: J. Mead, J. Burgoyne, R. Burton, M. Georgiades, D. Williams EMG: D. Visentini, F. Evans, J. Sweet 
 

If Adelaide Oval is heaving on Thursday night, the MCG will be just about being blown off its hinges the next evening when the Blues take on the Magpies. Arguably the two biggest clubs in the league, they also both happen to be pretty damn good teams. After storming home to make a Preliminary Final last year, the Blues have gone about establishing themselves as a legitimate Premiership contender this season, and for the most part have done a pretty good job of it. Two losses in the past three weeks have slowed their progress, but their form is a lot better than that would suggest; their initial loss against the Crows was a game they would have won but for a late game meltdown, before they did what no one else has managed all year and knocked off the Giants. Last weekend, they trailed for most of the game on the scoreboard against the Cats, but beat them in many key areas of the game and were it not for some wayward kicking could easily have won. But they will have to be at their best to avoid making it three losses in a month this weekend. As was well documented, the Magpies started the year really slowly, but the reigning Premiers have had a good month of footy, winning three in a row against a couple of very good opposition before their ANZAC Day Clash draw against the Bombers. The latter of those certainly wasn’t the result they would have wanted or expected and was perhaps a sign that they’re not quite where they were at this stage last year, but the Bombers look to be an improved team and it was a pretty high-quality game. This one should be the same this Friday night, with a crowd that will no doubt exceed 90,000 at the MCG set to play witness to a pulsating affair. This is a really tough game to tip, but the Magpies have generally had the wood over their rivals in recent years and can continue that trend with a tight win.  

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Magpies to win	$2.05
	Magpies +4.5	$1.91
	Crows 1-39	$2.65

Predicted Squads

Carlton Blues : B: L. Cowan, Le. Young, B. Kemp HB: Z. Williams, J. Weitering, N. Newman C: O. Hollands, P. Cripps - C, B. Acres HF: E. Hollands, H. McKay, M. Cottrell F: M. Owies, T. De Koning, C. Curnow FOLL: M. Pittonet, S. Walsh, G. Hewett I/C: J. Boyd, M. Kennedy, A. Cerra, C. Durdin, O. Fantasia EMG: S. Durdin, A. Cincotta, J. Carroll 

Collingwood Magpies : B: B. Maynard, I. Quaynor, B. Frampton HB: J. Noble, J. Crisp, D. Moore – C C: S. Sidebottom, S. Pendlebury, J. Daicos F: L. Schultz, P. Lipinski, B. Mihocek F: B. Hill, J. Elliott, M. Cox FOLL: D. Cameron, N. Daicos, C. Dean I/C: F. Macrae, B. McCreery, W. Hoskin-Elliott, H. Harrison, J. Howe EMG: R. McInnes, L. Sullivan, O. Markov 

The start of Round 8 looks like a very, very good one, continuing on Saturday afternoon with what could be one of the best Battles of the Bridge that we’ve had yet. Ever since the Giants came into existence the AFL have been trying to ensure this game turns into a rivalry like we see in other two-team states, but with both teams now among the Premiership favourites, they don’t need to do a whole lot more to ramp up anticipation for these games. These teams both currently occupy spots in the top three on the AFL ladder, each having lost just a solitary game so far in 2024. The Swans have really flexed their muscle over the past fortnight, beating the Suns by 53 points two weeks ago before they dismantled the Hawks to the tune of 76 points last weekend. There remains some question marks about areas of their side, most notably their key forward stocks, but their brilliant midfield has been more than good enough to compensate for that and they look like one of the most well-rounded sides in the league early in the season. The Giants, meanwhile, bounced back from their first loss of the season against the Blues a fortnight ago with their best performance of the year, demolishing last year’s Grand Finalists in the Lions by 54 points. The Lions haven’t been at their best this season but they are still very good, and the Giants made them look like a bottom four team last week. If they put in that kind of performance again, they will be very hard to beat even for a team of the Swans’ caliber. This should be a fantastic game between two teams who could very easily be playing on Grand Final Day later this year, but based on what the Giants dished up last week it’s hard to go past them in what should be a close on.  

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Giants to win	$2.00
	Giants +2.5	$1.91
	Giants 1-39	$2.50

Predicted Squads

Sydney Swans : B: N. Blakey, T. McCartin, L. Melican HB: H. Cunningham, O. Florent, J. Lloyd C: E. Gulden, Ch. Warner, J. McInerney HF: J. Jordon, L. McDonald, T. Adams F: T. Papley - C, J. Amartey, W. Hayward FOLL: B. Grundy, I. Heeney, J. Rowbottom I/C: R. Fox, M. Roberts, S. Wicks, H. McLean, L. Parker EMG: P. Ladhams, J. Konstanty, A. Francis 

GWS Giants : B: S. Taylor, H. Himmelberg, C. Idun HB: L. Whitfield, J. Buckley, L. Ash C: J. Wehr, J. Kelly - C, F. Callaghan HF: B. Daniels, A. Cadman, T. Greene F: J. Riccardi, J. Hogan, C. Brown FOLL: K. Briggs, S. Coniglio, T. Green I/C: X. O’Halloran, H. Thomas, H. Perryman, T. Bedford, C. Ward EMG: D. Jones, R. Angwin, J. Peatliing 

• The Crows have had the wood over the Power in recent Showdowns, winning three of the past four despite being an inferior team to their cross-town rivals in that time.  
• The Tigers’ past four games have averaged a total of only 148 points and just one of those has surpassed 160, while the Dockers’ last five games have averaged just 141.4 points.  
• The Suns won the most recent QClash, but prior to that the Lions had won it nine times in a row by an average of 47 points.  

Multi of the Week

The Saints badly need the win, so a clash with the Kangaroos could hardly come at a better time. After a solid start to the season they have lost three games on the trot, and while a couple have been respectable defeats, a ten-goal loss to the Bulldogs a fortnight ago certainly wasn’t. They’ve been unable to replicate the Round 2 performance which saw them knock off the Magpies, their only win since then coming by just seven points against an undermanned Richmond team. This weekend, they shouldn’t have too many problems getting back on the winners’ list against a North Melbourne side which is simply failing to be competitive at the moment. They remain the only winless team and, with the improvement of the Eagles, are comfortably the worst team in the AFL. They have lost five consecutive games by at least nine goals, the latest of them a 57-point against the Crows last week, and while there is no doubting that they do have some young talent running around, it’s not enough to have the team playing at the level required to compete in the AFL at the moment. The Saints aren’t exactly renowned for their ability to put teams to the sword so this could be a good opportunity for the Roos to stop their run of 50+ point defeats, but nonetheless this should be an easy win for St. Kilda.  

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Saints to win	$1.11
	Saints -36.5	$1.91
	Saints 40+	$2.01

Predicted Squads

St. Kilda Saints : B: J. Battle, Z. Cordy, C. Wilkie HB: D. Howard, J. Sinclair, N. Wanganeen-Milera C: R. Byrnes, S. Ross, B. Hill HF: J. Higgins, D. Wilson, M. King F: M. Phillipou, A. Caminiti, T. Membrey FOLL: R. Marshall, J. Steele - C, M. Windhager I/C: M. Owens, L. Stocker, A. Hastie, P. Dow, R. Bonner EMG: L. Collard, J. Hayes, C. Sharman 

North Melbourne Kangaroos : B: C. Comben, A. Corr, L. McDonald - C HB: R. Hardeman, B. Nyuon, B. Scott C: D. Tucker, L. Davies-Uniacke, C. McKercher HF: Z. Duursma, H. Sheezel, C. Taylor F: P. Curtis, N. Larkey, C. Zurhaar FOLL: T. Xerri, G. Wardlaw, J. Simpkin I/C: Z. Fisher, W. Phillips, M. Bergman, T. Powell, B. Drury EMG: H. Greenwood, J. Archer, C. Lazzaro 

After a breather the game before, the quality matchups continue on Saturday night when a couple more of the best teams in the league go head to head at the MCG. After a poor performance against the Lions and then a week off to think about it, the Demons bounced back against the Tigers, and though they were a long way from their best they were still able to break the game open after a tight first half and eventually run out 43-point winners. They’ve been really solid for much of the year, and they will need to be that and then some if they’re to knock off the Cats. Geelong is the only team in the league that remains undefeated, as they continue to defy all logic and stay competitive in a league in which virtually every other team goes through periodic highs and lows. They started the year with five solid wins against no particular teams of note, but in the past two weeks they have significantly raised their stocks with wins over the Lions and then the Blues. The latter of those unfortunately came at a cost, with Patrick Dangerfield hurting his hamstring and set to miss around a month, but he’s no longer the barometer of their team that he once was. This game will likely be a real arm wrestle against two experienced and talented teams, but even without Dangerfield in the middle, it’s hard to find a reason to tip against Geelong at the minute. Melbourne should go really close and could easily win this game, but having not lost all year and beaten the Lions and Blues in the last two weeks, the Cats look like the tip here.  

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Cats to win	$1.85
	Cats -1.5	$1.91
	Cats 1-39	$2.40

Predicted Squads

Melbourne Demons : B: T. Rivers, S. May, T. McDonald HB: B. Howes, J. Lever, J. McVee C: E. Langford, C. Petracca, J. Billings HF: K. Chandler, J. Van Rooyen, K. Pickett F: A. Neal-Bullen, B. Fritsch, H. Petty R: M. Gawn - C, J. Viney, C. Oliver I/C: C. Windsor, B. Laurie, T. Sparrow, T. Woewodin, D. Turner EMG: M. Hore, K. Tholstrup, B. Brown 

Geelong Cats : B: Z. Guthrie, S. De Koning, J. Kolodjashnij HB: Z. Tuohy, J. Henry, M. Holmes C: M. O’Connor, T. Atkins, M. Blicavs HF: B. Close, J. Cameron, G. Miers  F: T. Stengle, T. Hawkins, O. Henry FOLL: R. Stanley, C. Guthrie, T. Bruhn I/C: O. Dempsey, B. Parfitt, J. Bowes, T. Clohesy, M. Duncan EMG: S. Neale, J. Clark, T. Conway 

The Eagles have at long last begun to show some signs of improvement, with a competitive loss to the Swans being followed by surprise wins over the Tigers and the Dockers. They were unable to make it three from three last weekend against the Suns, but they were once again competitive for most of the game. Jake Waterman and Elliot Yeo continued their elite form in that game, and with Harley Reid back in the fold next weekend back on their home turf, they will give themselves a real chance of taking it up to the Bombers. Essendon, however, appears to be a genuinely improved team this year. They’ve been really impressive over the past three weeks, beating the Bulldogs easily, sneaking over the line against the Crows in Adelaide the following week, before last Thursday they of course drew against the Magpies in their annual ANZAC Day Clash. While they would have been disappointed to lose that game given Kyle Langford had a chance to win it for them late, they were really impressive in that game, jumping out to an early lead and then managing to stem the Magpie flow when the reigning Premiers worked their way back into the game as they were invariably going to do. They are trying to establish themselves as a finals team this year as they look to end a 20-year finals-winning drought, and with a lot of teams likely to be tightly packed in the middle parts of the ladder later this year, these kinds of games could prove to be pivotal. West Coast, based on their recent form, can make this a competitive game, but the Bombers should be able to get the job done.  

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Bombers to win	$1.53
	Bombers -11.5	$1.91
	Bombers 25+	$2.50

Predicted Squads

West Coast Eagles : B: T. Cole, J. McGovern, A. Witherden HB: L. Duggan - C, T. Barrass, B. Hough C: J. Hunt, E. Yeo, J. Cripps HF: J. Petruccelle, J. Waterman, R. Maric F: J. Williams, J. Darling, L. Ryan FOLL: B. Williams, T. Kelly, H. Reid I/C: D. Sheed, T. Brockman, J. Rotham, R. Ginbey, N. Long EMG: A. Gaff, H. Johnston, J. Culley 

Essendon Bombers : B: D. Heppell, B. McKay, J. Laverde HB: N. Martin, M. Redman, A. McGrath C: X. Duursma, D. Parish, J. Kelly HF: S. Durham, K. Langford, A. Davey Jnr F: S. Draper, P. Wright, A. Perkins FOLL: T. Goldstein, J. Caldwell, Z. Merrett - C I/C: J. Gresham, N. Cox, N. Hind, H. Jones, J. Stringer EMG: E. Tsatas, N. Caddy, M. Guelfi 

The Tigers were not expected to be world beaters in Adem Yze’s first year as head coach, and courtesy largely due to a horrendous injury list those expectations have proven to be justified. They have won just one of their first seven games, but things have not been nearly as bad as that record would suggest. Few teams in the league would be able to overcome the raft of long-term injuries to key players that they have had to endure, and realistically they have done very well to be as consistently competitive as they have throughout the course of the year. In their last couple of games, however, there have been some signs that it is all becoming a little too much for this young side to deal with, with a 39-point loss against the Eagles after they kicked the first four goals of the game followed by a 43-point loss to the Demons. But they were once again competitive in that Melbourne game, with the far more talented and battle-hardened Demons breaking open what had previously been a close game late in the piece. The Dockers, meanwhile, have been pretty good to start the year and could feel aggrieved by their 4-3 record given that two of those losses came when they were leading late in the game. But lose them they did, and a disappointing defeat at the hands of the Eagles which followed was their worst of the year. Those three consecutive defeats meant there was plenty on the line against the Bulldogs last week, but they were impressive in winning that game by four goals, and importantly put 95 points on the board having not surpassed 68 in the previous three. Putting scores on the board remains their Achillles heel, and given that the Tigers are not exactly renowned for their offensive firepower at the moment, this will likely be a heavily contested, low-scoring game. The Dockers are the better team, particularly given Richmond’s injury list, but they rarely play at the MCG and the young Tigers will be well-rested coming off an 11-day break. With a couple of key players potentially set to return, the home side can earn a much-deserved second win for the year by a slim margin In a game in which goals will likely to come by.  

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Tigers to win	$2.50
	Tigers +11.5	$1.91
	Under 161.5 total match points	$1.90

Predicted Squads

Richmond Tigers : B: T. Young, N. Broad, D. Grimes HB: N. Vlastuin, T. Brown, D. Rioli C: H. Ralphsmith, J. Graham, M. Pickett HF: S. Campbell, N. Balta, M. Rioli F: M. Lefau, S. Bolton, D. Martin R: T. Nankvervis - C, L. Baker, T. Dow I/C: S. Naismith, R. Mansell, B. Miller, J. Short, T. Sonsie EMG: J. Koschitzke, K. McAuliffe, S. Banks 

Fremantle Dockers : B: J. Aish, A. Pearce - C, E. Hughes HB: H. Young, L. Ryan, J. Clark C: H. Chapman, A. Brayshaw, J. Sharp HF: J. O’Meara, L. Jackson, M. Frederick F: M. Walters, J. Treacy, J. Amiss FOLL: S. Darcy, C. Serong, N. Fyfe I/C: P. Voss, C. Simpson, S. Switkowski, M. Johnson, B. Banfield EMG: N. Erasmus, E. Hughes, B. Walker 

The Bulldogs continue to hold the mantle of the league’s most frustrating and unpredictable side, returning to the losers’ list last weekend after a ten-goal win against the Saints the week prior. They weren’t disgraced in that loss against a solid Dockers’ unit over in Perth, but they were far from the side which so capably flexed its muscle against St. Kilda the week prior. They look like a top four team at their best, with their fast ball movement, talented midfield and raft of forward options making them hard to stop. But their lack of defensive pressure at times and inability to consistently play at the same level or even with the same effort means the gap between their best and worst is far too big. They should have no troubles disposing of the Hawks, but the Bulldogs are a team which it is hard to tip – or tip against – with any great deal of certainty. Hawthorn have been disappointing this year after finishing 2023 strongly, winning just one of their first seven games – and that win coming against the Kangaroos. They beat up on the worst team in the league to notch up that first victory a couple of weeks ago but were quickly brought back to earth by the Swans last Sunday, losing that one by 76 points. They have some talent on their team but clearly have a long way to go, and as erratic as the Bulldogs can be something would have to go horribly wrong for them to lose this one. The Doggies should be able to continue their recent trend of trading wins for losses with a big victory.  

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Bulldogs to win	$1.29
	Bulldogs -22.5	$1.91
	Over 170.5 total match points	$1.89

Predicted Squads

Western Bulldogs : B: E. Richards, L. Jones, B. Dale HB: T. Duryea, B. Khamis, J. Johannisen C: B. Williams, A. Treloar, J. Harmes HF: L. Vandermeer, A. Naughton, R. Sanders F: S. Darcy, J. Ugle-Hagan, R. Garcia FOLL: T. English, M. Bontempelli - C, T. Liberatore I/C: L. Bramble, H. Gallagher, C. Clarke, J. Macrae, J. O’Donnell EMG: C. Daniel, C. Poulter, A. Keath 

Hawthorn Hawks : B: J. Scrimshaw, S. Frost, J. Sicily - C HB: E. Phillips, J. Impey, K. Amon C: F. Maginness, D. Moore, J. Weddle HF: B. Hardwick, J. Newcombe, C. Nash F: J. Ginnivan, M. Lewis, J. Gunston FOLL: L. Meek, J. Worpel, C. Mackenzie I/C: W. Day, S. Mitchell, M. Lewis, M. D’Ambrosio, C. Macdonald EMG: H. Hustwaite, M. Ramsden, H. Morrison

o beat the Lions than what they have been showing in recent wins, even if Brisbane has been far from the best version of themselves so far this year. Last year’s Grand Finalists looked to be working their way into the season after putting in a really impressive performance against the Demons at the MCG three weeks ago, winning that game by four goals, but since then they have been beaten on their home turf by the Cats pretty comfortably, and last week were smacked around by the Giants to the tune of nine goals. There is no doubting what this team is capable of, as they showed last year and have for many years, but at the moment they simply aren’t getting things done. Of particular note are their struggles at the Gabba so far this year, where they were undefeated last year, but this game presents a great opportunity for them to get back to winning form on their home deck. The Suns will be looking to wrestle control of this game in the midfield, where they are one of the best contested ball sides in the league, but the Lions should be good enough to nullify that strength. With a much more well-rounded side than their Queensland counterparts, they should be able to notch up a comfortable win to end the round’s action.  

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Lions to win	$1.47
	Lions -12.5	$1.91
	Lions 25+	$2.40

Predicted Squads

Brisbane Lions : B: B. Starcevich, J. Payne, R. Lester HB: D. Wilmot, H. Andrews - C, D. Gardiner C: J. Fletcher, C. Rayner, J. Berry HF: C. Cameron, E. Hipwood, H. McCluggage F: L. McCarthy, J. Daniher, D. Zorko FOLL: O. McInerney, J. Dunkley, L. Neale I/C: K. Lohmann, J. Lyons, C. McKenna, J. Tunstill, N. Answerth EMG: H. Sharp, H. Smith, D. Joyce

Gold Coast Suns : B: J. Lukosius, C. Ballard, S. Collins HB: W. Powell, S. Flanders, M. Andrew C: M. Rowell, T. Miller - C, S. Clohesy HF: B. Ainsworth, J. Walter, T. Berry F: B. Humphrey, B. King, J. Rogers FOLL: J. Witts, N. Anderson, W. Graham I/C: R. Atkins, B. Long, B. Fiorini, E. Read, A. Sexton EMG: D. Swallow, D. Macpherson, N. Moyle

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