2018 AFL team odds, tips & predictions – the premiership fancies

THE never-ending AFL pre-season has finally come to an end and we’re just over a week away from the real thing.

The race to the 2018 premiership.

During AFLX and two games in the JLT pre-season, every club has fielded their newest players and sold hope to their fans – some of it false, some of it real.

Now it’s up to see who’s for real and who’s in for six months of pain.

We’re taking a look at every team in the competition and formulating a betting picture of the season ahead.

Covering the entire competition in three different parts, we’ll start with the six biggest 2018 premiership contenders.

Who’s going to rule the football world this year? Let’s take a look.

2018 Adelaide Crows betting

No one wants the title of runners up, so it’s with pain and frustration that the Crows enter 2018. The loss in the 2017 Grand Final to Richmond still haunts the players and fans and there’s only one way to cure that pain – going one step better this year. The loss of gun backman Jake Lever will definitely affect the Crows, but Adelaide have already moved on as it makes way for young star Tom Doedee. The addition of former #1 pick Bryce Gibbs from Carlton could boost the Crows midfield and add a touch of much-needed class in the engine room. Ultimately, like last season, the Crows list is far superior than most and they should look to back in the premiership mix come September.

2017 finish: 1st, runners up
2018 Premiership odds: +500 @ Sportsbet
Top 4 odds: -142.86 @ Sportsbet
Top 8 odds: -555.56 @ Sportsbet
Brownlow Medal: Rory Sloane @ +1300 with Sportsbet
Coleman Medal: Eddie Betts @ +2500 with Sportsbet
Rising Star: Darcy Fogarty @ +2000 with Sportsbet

2018 Sydney Swans betting

A horror start to last year’s campaign left the Swans needing to climb mountains just to make the finals – which they inevitably did. It looks to be a contrasting story this season. The Swans ran out both JLT matches well, earning two victories and convincing pundits they’re a real premiership threat. Injuries are the only factor that’s stopping the Swans in 2018. Much to their distaste, they have already suffered an injury to ruckman Sam Naismith, who by all reports was ready to make a major impact as the number one ruckman. The key to the Bloods’ success this season is the connection between the midfield and Lance Franklin, who should have a red-hot crack at winning the Coleman Medal in 2018.

2017 finish: 6th, semi final exit
2018 Premiership odds: +500 @ Sportsbet
Top 4 odds: -142.86 @ Sportsbet
Top 8 odds: -625 @ Sportsbet
Brownlow Medal: Josh P. Kennedy @ +1600 with Sportsbet
Coleman Medal: Lance Franklin @ +300 with Sportsbet
Rising Star: Oliver Florent @ +1300 with Sportsbet

2018 Greater Western Sydney betting

No excuses for 2018. It’s time for the Giants to make a statement and make good on their promise and endless first round draft picks. After two successive preliminary final defeats, the Giants’ injury woes are seemingly the only roadblock towards a Grand Final appearance. If its talented core of Toby Greene, Dylan Shiel, Jeremy Cameron, Callan Ward, Lachie Whitfield, Jon Patton and Josh Kelly all play enough games, the sky’s the limit for the AFL’s latest inclusion.

2017 finish: 4th, preliminary final exit
2018 Premiership odds: +700 @ Sportsbet
Top 4 odds: -125 @ Sportsbet
Top 8 odds: -500 @ Sportsbet
Brownlow Medal: Josh Kelly @ +1100 with Sportsbet
Coleman Medal: Jeremy Cameron @ +1300 with Sportsbet
Rising Star: Aiden Bonar @ +2500 with Sportsbet

2018 Richmond Tigers betting

What more can the Tigers do after breaking a 37-year premiership drought? According to well-known fan Kevin Bartlett (who recently returned to the club after a 30-year dummy spit in which he refused to discuss the team he supposedly loves) the Tigers are going to win the next four flags and make history with a five-peat. After what they achieved last year, we can’t count them out from this season’s premiership – but we can safely say that we want some of what Bartlett is smoking when it comes to five in a row. The Tigers didn’t lose any players over the summer, but did manage to draft some keen rookies that are willing to play their roles when called upon. Damien Hardwick is confident the group has improvement in it, as the yellow and black attempt to do their 81,000-plus members proud by going back to back in 2018. Dustin Martin is also a cheeky chance at going back to back in his own way, by winning another Brownlow.

2017 finish: 3rd, premiers
2018 Premiership odds: +600 @ Sportsbet
Top 4 odds: +125 @ Sportsbet
Top 8 odds: -285.71 @ Sportsbet
Brownlow Medal: Dustin Martin @ +400 with Sportsbet
Coleman Medal: Jack Riewoldt @ +3300 with Sportsbet
Rising Star: Jack Graham @ +500 with Sportsbet

2018 Geelong Cats betting

The talk in Geelong is all about winning a flag. With the return of club legend Gary Ablett Jr, it seems like they aren’t just running their mouths. Patrick Dangerfield (despite a recent injury hiccup) looks set for another outstanding year and, with more class around him, could move forward and kick more goals. The Cats backline is the only worry as they will need to rely on players that were exposed at times last season. It’s now or never for the Cats this season.

2017 finish: 2nd, preliminary final exit
2018 Premiership odds: +800 @ Sportsbet
Top 4 odds: +175 @ Sportsbet
Top 8 odds: -333.33 @ Sportsbet
Brownlow Medal: Patrick Dangerfield @ +400 with Sportsbet
Coleman Medal: Gary Ablett @ +3300 with Sportsbet
Rising Star: Charlie Constable @ +2500 with Sportsbet

2018 Port Adelaide Power betting

Being booted out of the finals series in 2017 with a goal after the final siren was a punch to the gut for the Power. Fresh off the pain of that loss, Port Adelaide went all-out in the trade period to strengthen its list. Jack Watts, coming off an impressive pre-season, will make a massive impact in a forward line without his skill set. Tom Rockliff has gone under the radar and is more than capable of becoming the game’s premier midfielders, as he once was in his prime at Brisbane. Port strike fear into their enemies at home, but they are going to have to learn how to beat a top eight side if they are genuine premiership threat in 2018.

2017 finish: 5th, elimination final exit
2018 Premiership odds: +800 @ Sportsbet
Top 4 odds: +175 @ Sportsbet
Top 8 odds: -222.22 @ Sportsbet
Brownlow Medal: Robbie Gray @ +3300 with Sportsbet
Coleman Medal: Charlie Dixon @ +2000 with Sportsbet
Rising Star: Sam Hayes @ +2000 with Sportsbet