Fremantle v West Coast AFL Rd 3 betting preview & best bets

It’s a good old-fashioned Western Derby to end the third round of the 2023 AFL season on Sunday night, with Fremantle and West Coast each vying to be the dominant team in WA. The Dockers come into this game having lost a thriller to North Melbourne, whereas the Eagles secured their first win of the season against the Giants.

There are a lot of Fremantle Dockers fans out there who are plenty upset about the controversial call to end the game last Saturday night. But even they can’t expect their team to produce three and a half quarters of garbage footy and still win the game at the end.

Don’t let the one-point loss fool you – the Dockers were outplayed almost all night by the Roos, and it all started in the engine room. Last year, Fremantle boasted the best young midfield in the competition and looked ready to take the next step. But since the retirement of David Mundy, they now look just like a young midfield as Luke Davies-Uniacke and company tore them to ribbons.

After losing the clearances by 15, Justin Longmuir stated that much of the attention at training this week would be focused on getting the ball forward from the middle. Expect last year’s semi-finalists to achieve this feat and go on to claim their first victory for season 2023, with odds of $1.44 on offer at BetOnline.

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The West Coast Eagles did away with GWS last Sunday night to notch up their first win. After a hard-fought loss to the Roos in round one, they came in against the Giants with a point to prove. Their midfield stood up, which allowed their forwards to tear through the Giants defence.

The Dockers defence will be much stronger, with Luke Ryan and Brennan Cox being able to cover the air. This will restrict how many opportunities the Eagles key forwards will get, but it will open the door for their mid-sized and small forwards. If the Eagles can get first use out of the middle, then look for another Ryan, Liam, to find the ball inside 50 and kick a couple of goals ($2.40).

Matches between these two clubs are always high emotion and high intensity. The crowds always flock to see which team is the best in the west, giving it a finals-like quality.

A player who has lifted in the past two occasions these sides have met is Will Brodie. The former Sun came across to Fremantle with little fanfare, but last year he proved to be a key cog to what could be a dominant midfield. So far this year, he hasn’t lived up to the lofty standards of 2022, so expect him to get a rocket from his coach and bounce back on the big stage with 25 or more disposals ($1.94).

Key matchup: Andrew Brayshaw v Tim Kelly

Andrew Brayshaw vs Tim Kelly

Last week we called Tim Kelly to have a big game, which he most certainly delivered on. The Eagles star lifted for 32 possessions and a goal. With both teams having their focus on the midfield battle, it’s not out of the question to see Kelly push for even greater impact against the Dockers.

Kelly’s likely opponent in the middle will be Andrew Brayshaw. The Dockers’ best player, Brayshaw could stand to be the difference in his team losing or winning. Last week defined those sentiments, as he alone kept his side from being worse off on the scoreboard.

It’s fair to say that this game could be decided on which player between these two can have greater impact for their side.

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