The big men fly for the first time in the new AFL season on Thursday evening when the Blues meet the Tigers in their now traditional opening night stoush.
Once upon a time, this was a battle between two of the league’s genuine heavyweights, suburban superpowers who ruled the footy roost with only the likes of Collingwood, Essendon and Hawthorn as genuine challengers.
But that was a long time ago in a world far away – the 1970s and 80s in Richmond’s case, nearly two decades ago in Carlton’s. Now, these two struggle to even make the final eight, as their odds for the championship show all too clearly. Richmond is $51 to win the flag with Sportsbet, Carlton double the price at $101.
Still, there has to be a winner tomorrow night (we’ll discount the draw) and the Tigers, at $1.44 with Sportsbet, are certainly expected to do the business over a Carlton side in a state of rebuild under second season coach Brendan Bolton.
Magic Happened Once – Can it Again?
Last year’s AFL finals series gave us a storyline for the ages with the fairytale victory of the Western Bulldogs, the first Premiership for the club since 1954.
The Doggies did it the hard way, winning finals in Perth against West Coast and in the harbour city against the terrifically talented tyros of Greater Western Sydney. They then saw off the Swans in a nailbiter at the MCG.
Those experiences will have tempered the steel already developing in this still young side, and Luke Beveridge’s men ($1.46 at Sportsbet) should be too good for Collingwood on Friday night.
But will they be able to go back to back? Confidence will be strong in the kennel, and in Marcus Bonteompelli they surely have a Brownlow medallist and superstar of the future in their midfield. And they won last year despite having a series of injured stars, chief of which was captain Bob Murphy.
Giant Strides Towards a Flag?
But punters have fixed upon the prodigiously talented GWS as their flag favourites, reckoning that their experience last season, when they were so close to toppling the Bulldogs in the preliminary final, will be enough to see them take the next step.
GWS have a tough opening game in Adelaide against the Crows, who, at $2.62 might look like a bit of value in front of their own fans against the new challengers, who are odds on at $1.62 to take the points.
The league’s new boys are the outright favourites for the Premiership at $4.50 with the Bulldogs at $5.50 and last year’s defeated Grand Finalists Sydney at $7.00
Former champions Hawthorn have drifted in the futures market and can be backed now at $13 for the flag. The men from Glenferrie have been ruthless in trading and recruiting in the past and, like the Swans and Geelong, are not a club that likes to ”bottom’ before reloading for a tilt at the Premiership. They will be buoyed by the return of skipper Jarryd Roughead, missing last season after battling skin cancer, and if they get off to a quick start those outright odds may tumble.
