We take a look at Thursday nights (5/9/2019) AFL 2019 Finals Week 1 match is between the West Coast Eagles and the Essendon Bombers. The Eagles go into the first of the AFL Finals as the red hot favourites with the match to be played at Optus Stadium in Perth. We expect West Coast to be heavily backed in this one.
When: Thursday, 5th September at 8:10PM
Where: Optus Stadium
Bet: Bet On This Match HERE
Preview:
The reigning premiers are the shortest price of any of the eight finals sides to win this weekend, priced at $1.21 to topple the Bombers at Optus Stadium. West Coast will be devastated not to have secured the double chance after back-to-back losses to end the season but they host an Essendon side that hasn’t won a final in more than a decade and are big outsiders ($4.50) to claim a win in the west.
The Bombers last finals success was in 2004 against Melbourne and they are 28.5-point underdogs to end that 14-year wait for a September victory. They come into this finals campaign having lost three of their past four games.
All time they are 2-2 at Optus Stadium, covering the line twice. In their only meeting this season in round 14, the Eagles toppled the Dons by 35 points, but should have won by much more. Fourteen goals and a staggering 22 behinds were kicked by West Coast in an inaccurate display.
The Wolf thinks the Eagles will have used the week off to sharpen up after a bad performance against the Hawks in round 23. If the Bombers can hang with them in the early exchanges, it will set up a tense second half. The Dons won’t lay down and are set to welcome back a host of quality players for this do or die match and I think they can keep things close.
Odds:
Tip: West Coast Eagles at $1.21
Value Tip: First Goal Scorer: Joshua J. Kennedy at $7.50
Teams:
EAGLES
B: S. Hurn, T. Barrass, W. Schoefield
HB: B. Sheppard, J. McGovern, L. Jetta
C: D. Sheed, J. Redden, A. Gaff
HF: W. Rioli, J. Darling, C. Masten
F: J. Cripps, J. Kennedy, L. Ryan
FOLL: N. Naitanui, E. Yeo, L. Shuey
I/C: J. Waterman, T. Hickey, J. Nelson, M. Hutchings
EMG: L. Duggan, N. Vardy, J. Cameron, B. Ah Chee
IN: W. Schoefield, N. Naitanui, M. Hutchings
OUT: O. Allen (Injured), L. Duggan (Omitted), J. Petruccelle (Omitted)
BOMBERS
B: A. Saad, C. Hooker, A. Francis
HB: C. McKenna, M. Hurley, M. Redman
C: A. McGrath, Z. Merrett, D. Parish
HF: J. Stringer, S. McKernan, P. Ambrose
F: A. McDonald-Tipungwuti, M. Brown, O. Fantasia
FOLL: T. Bellchambers, D. Shiel, D. Heppell
I/C: J. Laverde, K. Langford, W. Snelling, B. Ham
EMG: T. Jok, D. Clarke, M. Hartley, J. Ridley
IN: C. Hooker, O. Fantasia, D. Heppell, W. Snelling, J. Stringer
OUT: M. Hartley, (Omitted), T. Jok (Omitted), J. Begley (Omitted), D. Clarke (Omitted), M. Gleeson (Injured)
*Odds correct at time of posting. Subject to change