Hawthorn vs West Coast AFL betting tips & odds – Round 8, 2021

AFL bookmakers have the West Coast Eagles as $1.50 favourites for their clash with Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.

Alastair Clarkson’s Hawks were torn apart by the Saints in round seven, losing by 69 points in a very one-sided affair. Adam Simpson’s Eagles were on the winning side of a belting last week, downing the Dockers by 59 points in their Western Australian Derby.

Jaeger O’Meara and Chad Wingard should return from soreness after missing round seven for the Hawks, while the club will be hopeful Shaun Burgoyne’s ankle is good to go as well.

The Eagles are likely to enter this match unchanged from last week’s 22, but if any of Jeremy McGovern (groin), Shannon Hurn (calf) or Tom Barrass (shoulder) are declared fit to play, they will come in immediately.

Hawthorn vs West Coast match preview

The Hawks beat the Eagles in the 2015 AFL Grand Final and held a strong record against them at the MCG for a few seasons, but West Coast turned that record around by winning the last two meetings in Melbourne. The Eagles are 5-2 at the MCG since the start of the 2018 season.

With McGovern, Hurn and Barrass out injured for the Eagles, their defensive back six is missing three key pillars. The Hawks have also been hit by injuries to their backline, which is why they are ranked 15th in the AFL for points against. Since both sides are struggling in their back halves, we can see this game exceeding the total match points value.

HawthornHawks

• Blake Hardwick
• Kyle Hartigan
• Jack Scrimshaw
• Harry Morrison
• Sam Frost
• Changkuoth Jiath
• James Cousins
• James Worpel
• Tom Phillips
• Jack Gunston
• Mitchell Lewis
• Liam Shiels
• Emerson Jeka
• Jacob Koschitzke
• Chad Wingard
• Ben McEvoy
• Tom Mitchell
• Luke Bruest
• Oliver Hanrahan
• Jarman Impey
• Michael Hartley
• Daniel Howe
• Dylan Moore (Emg)
• Conor Nash (Emg)
• Josh Morris (Emg)
• Damon Greaves (Emg)
• Coach: Alistair Clarkson

West CoastEagles

• Jake Petruccelle
• Josh Kennedy
• Oscar Allen
• Jamie Cripps
• Jack Darling
• Brendon Ah Chee
• Andrew Gaff
• Dom Sheed
• Zac Langdon
• Alex Witherden
• Josh Rotham
• Jackson Nelson
• Tom Cole
• Harry Edwards
• Brad Sheppard
• Nic Naitanui
• Tim Kelly
• Jack Redden
• Jake Waterman
• Jarrod Brander
• Jamaine Jones
• Bailey Williams
• Luke Edwards (Emg)
• Xavier O’Neill (Emg)
• Brayden Ainsworth (Emg)
• Luke Foley (Emg)
• Coach: Adam Simpson

Key matchup: Tom Mitchell vs Tim Kelly

The midfield battle between these sides is going to be mouth-watering, as Tom Mitchell and Tim Kelly will face off at most stoppages. Mitchell has been a superstar for the Hawks since moving down from Sydney in 2016, and he has start the 2021 campaign with four matches exceeding 35 disposals. Tim Kelly has stepped up for the Eagles this season while Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo have been sidelined, averaging 27 disposals from his seven matches and collecting a career-high 42 touches against the Dockers last week. Which of the two midfield guns will have the bigger impact this weekend?

Hawthorn vs West Coast betting tips

West Coast Eagles to win by 1-39 points

The Eagles sit eighth on the AFL ladder after the first seven rounds, but we think they can climb higher by the end of the year. The Dockers have been hard to score against in the past two seasons, but the Eagles still piled on 132 points last week and proved they have one of the best forward-lines in the league. The Hawks are not strong enough down back to handle West Coast.

Tim Kelly to get 30+ disposals

Although Kelly does not have the best track-record against the Hawks, his 42-disposal game last week should boost his confidence heading into this one. Zak Jones accumulated 37 disposals against Hawthorn last week thanks his speed around the contest, so the matchup could suit Kelly down to the ground.

Same game multi: 3 legs @ $10.50

Even though the Hawks are set to bring back two important senior players, we still think they are not strong enough to tackle the Eagles. Seven players kicked multiple goals in the Eagles’ win over Fremantle last week, emphasising how dynamic and dangerous they are in front of goal, which is why they will both win the match and clear the total points line this Sunday.