Bookies slash odds on Western Bulldogs to win the AFL Premiership
THE Western Bulldogs’ odds to finish inside the top four have been slashed from $8.50 to $1.85 at Sportsbet.com.au.
Sydney’s last-ditch loss to Hawthorn saw the Bulldogs climb above the Swans into third place on the ladder.
The Dogs have lost just once in the last two months, a stretch which has seen the red, white and blue record away wins against Sydney, Gold Coast and Port Adelaide.
Luke Beveridge’s men took advantage of a peculiar set of results to leapfrog a number of more-fancied teams and now sit just four points shy of ladder-leading Hawthorn, and with a superior percentage.
The Bulldogs are on the sixth line of betting to win the 2016 AFL Premiership at $9 after being $26 outsiders just three weeks ago.
Another mover in the market was Adelaide, who jumped onto the second line of betting ($5) after comfortably sweeping Collingwood aside to claim second spot.
Don Pyke’s men have now won eight matches in a row and boast the best scoring record in the league.
The big sliders in the market were the Kangaroos.
North Melbourne sat at the top of the ladder after starting the season with nine straight wins, but they have stumbled since and are in serious danger of falling outside the eight after falling to the Power at home on Saturday.
It was the sixth loss from seven outings for the Roos, who have been wound out to $41 in the Premiership betting at WilliamHill.com.au.
The result saw Port Adelaide’s odds to make the finals tumble in from $8 to $4.50.
North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said the string of losses could completely derail a season that looked so promising just a month ago.
“It has got the potential to (corrode the players’ confidence), no doubt,” Scott said.
“You can’t shy away from the fact that we are not the team that was 9-0 at the start of the year, and that is for a whole range of factors.
“But that’s what coaches are for and that’s what leadership groups are for.
“Anyone can do it (lead) when you are 9-0 and cruising, now is the time that we have got to stand up and right the ship and get back on course.”
North will enter Friday night’s pivotal clash against Collingwood as the $1.55 favourites.
2016 AFL Premiership odds
Odds provided by WilliamHill.com.au
Hawthorn $3.60
Adelaide $5
Geelong $5.50
Sydney $6
Greater Western Sydney $9
West Coast $14
North Melbourne $41
Dustin Martin’s Brownlow odds shorten after dominant performances
DUSTIN Martin is the second favourite ($6 at Sportsbet.com.au) to win the 2016 Brownlow medal after a sensational month of football from the Richmond midfielder.
The 25-year-old Tiger has put together an unbelievable four weeks which has seen him average 37 disposals, including a 43-possession, two-goal outing against Essendon on Saturday.
The 43 touches – a career-high for Martin – was the fourth most disposals ever collected by a Tiger in a game.
Martin’s incredible stretch of form has seen him incrementally eat away at his $46 opening Brownlow quote to currently sit on the second line of betting.
Richmond coach Damian Hardwick was full of praise for his on-ball superstar in the aftermath of his side’s 19-point victory over the Bombers.
“Essendon did a pretty good job of smashing into him, but ‘Dusty’ eventually sees off most guys, so it was a good game from him,” Hardwick said.
“When he plays in that beast-mode mentality, he’s really hard to stop.”
According to the bookies, the prolific Tiger still has his work cut out for him if he is to accumulate more votes than Geelong midfielder Patrick Dangerfield.
Dangerfield again was best afield against the Dockers in the west, collecting 31 disposals and booting four goals in the Cats’ 17-point win over Fremantle on Friday night.
The performance was another A-grade outing from the former Crow, who has firmed even further at $1.85 in the Brownlow outright odds at Sportsbet.
Geelong coach Chris Scott said Danger’s ability to find his way onto the scoresheet was the difference on Friday night.
“His intensity at the contest, to keep his feet and stay in the contest even though he hasn’t got best position,” Scott said.
“But the thing that probably separated (Dangerfield’s) game tonight is the fact that he was able to go forward when we were struggling and hit the scoreboard as well.”
Danger’s former teammate Rory Sloane is the only other man in single figures, quoted at $9.
After a slow opening month Sloane has exploded to lead Adelaide into second position on the ladder.
The 26-year-old is having a career-best year in both disposals and tackles, and sits inside the top 10 across the league in four separate categories.
Former Adelaide hero Mark Ricciuto wrote last week that Sloane was a “huge chance” to win the 2016 Brownlow medal.
“He is also a big chance to “quinella it” (finish first and second) with his old teammate Patrick Dangerfield,” Ricciuto wrote in the Adelaide Advertiser.
Sloane is at $2.75 to finish inside the top-three in the Brownlow medal vote count.
2016 Brownlow Medal odds
Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au
Patrick Dangerfield $1.85
Dustin Martin $6
Joel Selwood $14
Daniel Hannebery $16
Luke Parker $21
Sam Mitchell $21
Marcus Bontempelli $26
Jack Steven $34
Josh P. Kennedy $34
Matthew Priddis $51
Luke Shuey $51
Callan Ward $51
Bryce Gibbs $67
Lance Franklin $67
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