AFL Saturday Tips, Round 8 2020
AFL Saturday for Round 8 of the 2020 AFL Season and it all starts with the Kangaroos taking on the Blues at the Gabba. We then head to Sydney for the Clash between the Swans and the Hawks, and it is over to Adelaide for Saturday Night Football and the Power taking on the Saints.
The Giants managed to get back on the winner’s table last night after a win against the Tigers in which Toby Greene kicked 5 Goals.
Check out some of the highlights from the Friday Night Football clash below.
2 for 2 so far in tipping this round, but need to find some form with the player props with Jacob Hopper giving away a few free-kicks and missing his fantasy line against the Tigers by 4 points.
Be sure to check back before each round for AFL Footy Tips, AFL Previews and AFL Predictions for each Round of the 2020 AFL Season.
Tipping Results so Far
This Round – 2/2 = 100%
Player Props – ½ = 50%
Season – 42/64 = 65.6%
Player Props – 4/11 = 36.3%
North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues
Last Week
The Kangaroos have lost four on the trot and were no match for an injury-depleted Tigers side last week. They continue to try and play aggressive football by going straight down the line, and it just isn’t working. The Tigers beat them comprehensively by 54 Points.
Carlton continues to impress despite losing to the Power after the siren last week. They only lost by 3 points to the ladder leaders and will go into this game full of confidence.
The Kangaroos have made four changes to their line-up and welcome back Cameron Zurhaar. They do lose Jack Ziebell, who was injured in the early stages of the match against Richmond.
Carlton goes into this match with an unchanged line-up.
Conditions for this match are expected to be wet and windy, which may favour the Kangaroos as they have been ok in greasy conditions in recent times.
Last Meeting
Round 7 2019 Carlton 8.14 62 – North Melbourne 18.12 120
(North Melbourne by 58 Points)
Last 5 Meetings
North Melbourne – 5 Wins
Carlton – 0 Wins
Current Head to Head Odds
North Melbourne – $2.75
Carlton – $1.45
Why the Kangaroos Can Win
Well, they are probably not playing good enough footy to win, but they have beaten the Blues on the last five occasions. The delivery to their big forward Ben Brown has been well below par, and if they can fix that and their disposal efficient they may be a chance.
Todd Goldstein is a significant advantage in the ruck and in fine form, but they are up against a confident Blues side. Rain is expected, which might help the Roos in this encounter.
Why the Blues Can Win
After nearly beating the ladder leading Power last week, the Blues will remain confident they can continue to win. The added motivation of not beating the Kangaroos for a significant period is there, and their senior players are playing good football. If they keep up their current form of being first to the football, they may be knocking on the door of the 8.
Prediction
Our Pick – Carlton (Win)
Player Prop – Shaun Higgins + 78.5 Fantasy Points
Found some form last week with some elite disposal efficiency and with Cunnington and Ziebell out of the side they need a guy to step up in the middle. May cop a tag, but should still get plenty of the footy.
Sydney Swans vs Hawthorn Hawks
Last Week
Both sides were disappointing last week with the Swans going down to the Suns by 32 Points, although they did have some significant player outs.
The Hawks were also struggling and were well below their best in their 43 Point loss to the Demons.
The Swans have made five changes for this match with four players out injured. Sam Reid is a decent in, and they finally have a big marking forward to target.
The Hawks have made a couple of changes with Keegan Brooksby making his debut for the Hawks and Jack Scrimshaw coming in at the expense of the injured Ricky Henderson and Tim O’Brien.
Last Meeting
Round 14, 2010 Sydney 12.10 82 – Hawthorn 9.9 63
(Sydney by 19 Points)
Last 5 Meetings
Sydney – 2 Wins
Hawthorn – 3 Wins
Fact – 4 of the last 5 clashes between these two sides have been decided by 10 points or less.
Current Head to Head Odds
Sydney – $2.15
Hawthorn – $1.71
Why the Swans Can Win
The Swans get the Hawks at a time when they are not playing the best footy, but do have their injury concerns, with no Kennedy, Heeney or Franklin. They are finding it tough to put a score on the board, but do welcome back big man Sam Reid who always presents well up forward.
Will be tough with a depleted midfield, but these two sides generally have close encounters, and they will be motivated to snap a four-game losing streak.
Why the Hawks Can Win
The Hawks need a win badly after losing three on the trot and are just not looking confident out on the field. They got smashed in the clearances last week and usually are pretty good at rectifying errors the following week. With rain expected, their midfield should get on top, and they are favourites and rightly so.
Prediction
Our Pick Hawthorn – (Win)
Player Prop – Luke Parker + 83.5 Fantasy Points
The Hawks don’t like to tag opposition players, and Parker is the only elite Swans midfielder left on the park. Scored 157 Fantasy points in his last game against Hawthorn and this number seems rather low, considering.
Port Adelaide Power vs St Kilda Saints
Last Week
The Power scraped through after the siren with a goal from Robbie Gray to beat the Blues by 3 points. The Saints got some form back with a 23 point win over the lowly Crows in Adelaide.
A few lineup changes for the Power for this clash with them losing the in-form Ryan Burton to injury. Shannon Motlop is also out injured, and Justin Westhoff has been dropped. Coming into the side is Riley Bonner, Brad Ebert and Mitch Georgiadis.
The Saints have lost Josh Battle to injury and have dropped Jack Lonie and Ryan Byrnes. Nick Hind, the energetic Matthew Parker and Jack Sinclair come into the team.
Last Meeting
Round 11, 2019 St Kilda 9.15 69 – Port Adelaide 22.7 139
(Port Adelaide by 70 Points)
Last 5 Meetings
Port Adelaide – 5 Wins
St Kilda – 0 Wins
Current Head to Head Odds
Port Adelaide – $1.39
St Kilda – $3
Why the Power Can Win
The Power have a good record against the Saints in recent times and are finally home after an extended period in the Gold Coast Player Hub. They did a pretty good job at controlling the football last week against the Blues and managed a narrow win. They are playing confident football and will be tough to beat at home.
Why the Saints Can Win
The Saints showed some excellent form in patches last week, and Jack Steele and Zak Jones led the way in their win over the Crows. Probably can’t read too much into it after beating the Crows, but a win is a win, and they regained some confidence. If their midfield can get their hands on the footy like they did last week and they can somehow stop Charlie Dixon, they will be in this match for extended periods.
Prediction
Our Pick – Port Adelaide (Win)
Player Prop – Charlie Dixon + 59.5 Fantasy Points
Dixon is in good form, and fine conditions are expected for this clash. He is averaging 68 for the Season and should cover this number.