Port plunges in AFL 2017 premiership market after lightning start

PORT Adelaide’s brilliant beginning to the 2017 AFL season has not gone unnoticed at Sportsbet.com.au after the online bookmaker moved the Power in to $21 for the flag.

The Power started the season as $34 outsiders after two lacklustre seasons, but their blistering start to the new campaign has injected life into a betting market that was being dominated by the Giants and the Bulldogs.

Following a strong opening round win against Sydney at the SCG and a comprehensive 89-point thrashing of Fremantle on Sunday, the South Australians have become the biggest mover in premiership betting since the market opened.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said the club is keeping a lid on things down at Alberton.

“I’m really pleased with our two performances so far this year, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s early in the season,” Hinkley said.

“All things get exaggerated at the start of the season.

The Power’s head man believes the key to his side this season will be narrowing the gap between their best and their worst.

“We’re working really hard on that horrible word of consistency, we are trying to work really hard at.”

The Power’s South Australian compatriots, the Crows, have also made an impression on the premiership market.

After their impressive opening round win against GWS, the Crows rubber-stamped their credentials on Saturday after a strong 24-point win over Hawthorn at the MCG.

Sportsbet subsequently moved Adelaide onto the third line of premiership betting at the $8 quote.

The Crows looked in desperate trouble after conceding a sizeable first half lead, compounded by a rib injury to key forward Josh Jenkins, but the visitors turned it around in the second half to run out convincing winners.

Crows coach Don Pyke said the half-time turnaround was player-driven.

“I thought at half-time the game had swung and we were back playing a little bit more how we wanted to,” Pyke said.

“Credit to the players: they were able make that adjustment in the game and bring a bit more energy around the ball.”

Despite both teams surging towards the top of the premiership market, South Australia remains at long odds to produce the state of the premiership winning team.

South Australia is $5 to be the winning state at Sportsbet.com.au.

Punter feels pain after Dockers’ dismal start to the season

Spare a thought for this pre-season punter who gets to slowly see his huge bet go down the drain unless something dramatically changes down at Fremantle.

A story emerged in late 2016 about an ostensibly astute investor that placed a $20,000 bet on Fremantle to win the flag at odds of $51.

The bet singlehandedly brought the odds on the Dockers odds down to $26.

Possible Freo best 22 “recruits”

McCarthy
Hill
Hamling
Kersten
Pick 7
Bennell
Fyfe
M Johnson
A Sandilands

$51 for flag #strapyourselvesin

— Sam Landsberger (@SamLandsberger) October 11, 2016

The pre-season buzz around Fremantle was genuine, but after a horrendous opening two rounds of football which has seen the men in purple lose by an average of 64-points, the bubble has burst in the west.

The Dockers are now at the huge price of $101, one of only five teams in the competition at triple figures.

Even Fremantle coach Ross Lyon admitted the premiership may have been out of reach prior to the start of the season.

Fremantle Dockers admit they may not win a premiership until 2019. https://t.co/1E0UidHz2d

— AFL on 7 (@7AFL) February 27, 2017

Chalk this one up to a poor use of funds and be thankful you were not on the receiving end.