Multi tips, bookie bonuses & best bets for AFL Finals Week 1

THE footy finals are now upon us and we have four sensational games awaiting us this weekend.

The Crows and the Giants kick us off on Thursday night for the right to play in the first preliminary final, and Geelong and Richmond clash just 24 hours later for the same reward.

Then on Saturday we have four teams that could easily cause a premiership upset from outside the top four.

West Coast just scrapped into the finals, but they have never lost to Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, while Sydney needed the last kick of the game to overcome Essendon last time the pair met at the SCG.

Every team at this point dares to dream and we are in for a wild ride, starting on Thursday night in South Australia.

Multi selections for the first week of the AFL finals:

Adelaide to beat GWS Giants ($1.50)
Geelong to win against Richmond ($1.74)
Essendon to cover the line (+32.5) against Sydney ($1.92)
Port Adelaide to win against West Coast ($1.46)

Combined multi value: $7.31 @ Sportsbet.com.au

Adelaide vs. GWS Giants

Thursday, September 7 from 7.50pm AEST at Adelaide Oval

The two teams many predicted to be fighting it out for the minor premiership do battle on Thursday night as the top of the table Crows host the fourth-placed Giants.

Both teams bring indifferent form into the contest, but we are not reading much into that given Adelaide had top spot on lockdown a long way out and the Giants are still trying to get their best team out on the park.

The big question coming into Thursday’s match will be the availability of Crows’ vice-captain and Brownlow Medal hope Rory Sloane.

Sloane stated on Wednesday that he was “starting to feel really good” a week removed from appendix surgery, but he still needs to prove his fitness. Our gut feel is the tough on-baller will take to the field.

It promises to be a fantastic contest but we are siding with the hosts here. The Crows are formidable at home and the Giants will have a hard time quelling their multi-faceted forward line.

Adelaide to win – $1.50 at Sportsbet.com.au

Geelong vs. Richmond

Friday, September 8 from 7.50pm AEST at Melbourne Cricket Ground

Close to 100,000 patrons are expected for the second leg of our AFL finals multi as the perennial powerhouse that is Geelong host the mercurial Richmond under Friday night lights.

Both teams ended the AFL season in brilliant fashion, but that accounts for nothing given we are now two weeks removed from round 23.

The Cats have a few question marks coming into this game, most notably the fitness of Joel Selwood. The club captain missed the last month of home and away football after undergoing ankle surgery. Training vision from Geelong during the week seemed to show the superstar moving freely, which suggests he will be ready to go on Friday.

The other key for the Cats will be nullifying the influence of Dustin Martin. The Brownlow Medal favourite was kept to just 21 touches last time the teams met and it is expected that Cam Guthrie will again get the job on the Tiger star.

Are Richmond ready to win their first final in over a decade? We do not think so. The Dangerwood combination could be back in full swing on Friday and that spells big trouble for the Tigers.

We are backing the Cats to prevail in a high-pressure contest.

Geelong to win – $1.75 at Sportsbet.com.au

Sydney vs. Essendon

Saturday, August 9 from 4.40pm AEST at Sydney Cricket Ground

The Swans and the Dons lock horns at the SCG on Saturday in a rematch of their round-14 thriller.

It took a Gary Rohan mark right on the siren for Sydney to sink the Bombers, who had gallantly pushed last year’s grand finalists right to the brink.

A strong tail-end got the Swans to finals after a horror start to the year. Lance Franklin’s 10 goals against Carlton in the final round places him in rarefied air. Last time against the Bombers he was kept goalless, so we think the Bud will be looking to atone on Saturday.

The odds are lopsided in Sydney’s favour, but given the recent history between the two sides at the SCG we think the bookmakers may have this match slightly askew.

In three of the last four matches played at the SCG, Sydney have won by a combined total of 32 points – half a point less than what the line is set at for Saturday’s contest.

The match should be much closer than that margin, which is why we recommend a line bet on the Dons.

Essendon line bet +32.5 – $1.92 at Sportsbet.com.au

Port Adelaide vs. West Coast

Saturday, September 9 from 4.40pm AEST at Adelaide Oval

There are a number of scenarios that could play out in the last leg of our AFL finals multi, which makes Port Adelaide and West Coast’s Saturday night encounter arguably the hardest to predict.

The Power have been a juggernaut at home this season, but one team they have never beaten at Adelaide Oval is their Saturday night opponents. However, they ended a three-game losing streak against the Eagles at Domain Stadium against all odds earlier this season.

For two teams dubbed flat-track bullies, the permutations of what is to come on Saturday are fascinating.

Port’s makeshift backline will need to limit the impact of All-Australian full forward Josh Kennedy, while West Coast will have their hands full given Charlie Dixon and Robbie Gray have been running riot in the Power forwardline.

It promises to be one of the games of the year. However, despite their fantastic record at Adelaide Oval, we are worried about West Coast’s ability to win away from Perth, and the Power look in much better shape on-field.

Port Adelaide to win – $1.46 at Sportsbet.com.au

Promotions for week one of the AFL Finals

There are plenty of great deals around in the opening week of finals action.

Sportsbet.com.au is offering a terrific AFL Same Game Multi insurance deal that will see your stake returned up to $50 in bonuses if only one leg fails out of three or more.

Sportsbet’s early payout deal returns for the AFL finals, with head-to-head bets paid as wins once your team leads by 24 points or more.

If you back any team in AFL Finals Week 1 at CrownBet, you can pocket $1 in bonus bets for every point your pick wins by.

Ladbrokes has footy specials running for every game of the weekend, so check the website daily for the latest info on bonuses and promotions.