AFL Saturday fantasy trio tips

I'll be away from the computer, but here's a few selections for Saturday:

Collingwood vs Hawthorn

Swan vs Mitchell vs Hodge
Tip: Luke Hodge. Form of more than 100 points in three games is terrific, and he's a big game player.

Davis vs Rioli vs Ellis
Tip: Cyril Rioli: Scored 130 points last week and should be even better for the run.

Pendlebury vs Didak vs Ball
Tip: Luke Ball: Seems to have finally found his feet in the Magpies midfield.

Adelaide vs Carlton

Gibbs vs Murphy vs Vince
Tip: Bryce Gibbs: Had a shocker last week and will be out for redemption.

Simpson vs Judd vs Thompson
Tip: Chris Judd: No form in first game back, but hard to tip against a champion who'll be hungry for the ball.

Scotland vs Edwards vs Goodwin
Tip: Heath Scotland: Has form in a high-possession team.

Brisbane vs Bulldogs

Boyd vs Brown vs Cross
Tip: Matt Boyd: Hard to go against the man who should dominate the midfield.

Power vs Cooney vs Higgins
Tip: Higgins: While others are marked, Higgins usually gets a fair whack of the ball.

Sherman vs Drummond vs Giansiracusa
Tip: Justin Sherman: I don't have great confidence here, but his scores have been the best of the 3.

AFL preview North Melbourne vs Sydney

The Kangaroos lifted last week, largely led by Boomer Harvey but the Swans are in terrific form and play well as a team - they should be far too tough for North Melbourne in this one. Swans by 32.

Fantasy trios on Sportsbet:

Anthony vs O'Keefe vs Goodes

Tip: Liam Anthony

If the Kangaroos are to be at all competitive in this game, Anthony has to get plenty of the ball. And he has to be as intense as he was in the first game, when he registered 9 tackles. O'Keefe is a premier player, as is Goodes, but I'm working on the theory that Anthony consistently gets big fantasy scores, and that the Swans will share it around moreso than the Roos.

Harvey vs Swallow vs Jude Bolton

Tip: Swallow

Each of these three lifted last week, but the consisent performer has been Swallow, who has 99 and 119 points over the past fortnight. One would think that after 44 possessions last week, Harvey will cop a hard tag, and that's something Sydney do well. Bolton ran loose last week with 115 points, but Swallow is the one for mine.

Kennedy vs Kennelly vs Ziebell

Tip: Josh Kennedy

On the surface, the midfielder here (Ziebell) might seem the logical pick, but Kennedy is getting plenty of run off half back and scored 92 and 101 points the previous two weeks. Ziebell lifted last week but still only managed 85 points after a dismall 34 the week before. Irishman Kennelly has been good with 108, 59 and 82 over the past three weeks, but we'll tip Kennedy on current form.

AFL preview West Coast vs Essendon

Essendon is the form side. Some pundits are tipping the West Coast for the reason they're at home, and that they're "due". Not good enough for mine: Bombers by 12.

Fantasy options with Sportsbet:

Le Cras vs Kerr vs Kennedy

Tip: Kerr

Occasionally the bookies throw in a curly one which basically equates to which player will find form first. Le Cras has kicked some goals, but his possession count is low and his intensity is also in question. Kerr has been, by his lofty standards, terrible. Kennedy has defeated Kerr all three weeks so far, but with fantasy scores of 78, 73 and 63. I'd expect Kerr to lift for a must-win game.

Embley vs Ebert vs Rosa

Tip: Embley

Rosa blasted into the team last week with a mountain of possessions, and 120 points, but Embley has been gathering momentum and must continue to perform. He scored 83 points in round 1, but followed up with 102 and 111 last week. Ebert has also been good, but if the Eagles are to improve, I believe a lot of responsibility will be on the shoulders of Embley to lead the charge.

Winderlich vs Reimers vs Dalziell

Tip: Reimers

Reimers at forward has scored 80 in Round 1 and 114 last week. He's getting plenty of the ball and kicking goals. Winderlich had a good pre-season, but scores of 58, 82 and 73 are nothing to write home about. Dalziell had his first game for the year last week with 61 points and is hard to consider. Reimers is the special for mine.

Fantasy winners Friday night AFL

Winners: Nick Dal Santo; Dane Swan; Alan Didak
Aussiepunt tipped Dal Santo.
Based on a $10 bet for each, we were behind by $4 total.

AFL North Melbourne vs West Coast preview

If form is any indicator, the West Coast should notch their first win of the season over a Kangaroos outfit shattered after a 100-point loss last week. This is not only a test of character for the Roos to see whether they'll bounce back (so to speak) but also a test of character for new coach Brad Scott.

Sportingbet fantasy trios are as follows:

Anthony vs Selwood vs Priddis

Tip: Adam Selwood

Liam Anthony was well held last week, but so were most of the Roos' midfield, including Boomer Harvey who had only 5 disposals. If Anthony bounces back to his absolute best, expect him to score around 120-130 points, the same score Selwood managed last week. If that's par for this group, Priddis has been well below it in his two opening rounds. We'll tip Selwood on form and consistency.

Embley vs Swallow vs McIntosh

Tip: Embley

This is tough. A man who consistently gets 20-odd touches (Embley) against a Swallow who barely touched the ball in Round 1 but bounced back in a well-beaten side, against an out-of-form ruckman who is likely to be outclassed in the middle. Again, we'll tip Embley on the basis of consistency.

Ebert vs Ziebell vs Masten

Tip: Brad Ebert

Ebert managed 95 and 96 points in his last two matches, and is against the promising Ziebell who did nothing against the Saints. Yes, he was in good company, but we'd rather go with someone who is already getting their hands on the ball. Masten hasn't done much in the first two rounds.

AFL Collingwood vs St Kilda preview

Given Collingwood's form last week against Melbourne, St Kilda is rightfully favourite for this game. They should win by about 4-6 goals. But it will be interesting to see how the two midfields match up, how Ball lifts against his old team, and how youngsters Wellingham and Sidebottom stand up to the big-game pressure.

Here are Sportingbet's fantasy match ups and tips:

Reiwoldt vs Swan vs Montagna

Tip: Leigh Montagna

This for mine is not so much a battle of how the stars stand up; rather a battle of who manages to get loose. Assuming Maxwell can hold Reiwoldt better than other defenders, and that Swan will get the Clint Jones hard tag, that will leave Montagna in a position to repeat his 35 disposals and 134 points of last week.

Dal Santo vs Goddard vs Hayes

Tip: Nick Dal Santo

This is a coin flip. Goddard could well fall loose of an opponent and go wild with possessions, but to score as he did last week with 137, he must also kick goals. Dal Santo lifted significantly last week with 33 disposals and is in far better form than Hayes.

Pendlebury vs Didak vs Davis

Tip: Scott Pendlebury

Pendlebury needed to lift last week and he did - in intensity - with 7 tackles compared to the week before when he stood off and managed only 2 tackles. With that as a benchmark, he's the model of consistency against the two razzle dazzle players.

Geelong vs Hawthorn fantasy results

Just the one game to end the round:

Winners: Jimmy Bartel; Sam Mitchell; Luke Hodge.
Aussiepunt tipped Mitchell and Hodge.
Based on a $10 wager on each, that means we're up $22 on the game.

So, for the week, Aussiepunt tipped 14/24. Based on an average $2.50 return for each, and a $10 wager on each, we're up $110.

If anybody wants to give it a crack next week, take a look at the Sportingbet site. Click on AFL and scroll down to the Superstars link. It's all explained there.

AFL Hawthorn vs Geelong preview

This is set to be a cracking game, with the Hawks finding some form and Geelong not quite the same side of old. Both teams will be remembering the 2008 grand final, so intensity should be at a terrific high.

Sportingbet again has some fantasy trio betting options:

Ablett vs Bartel vs Chapman

All three were keys in their victory last week, with Ablett out to prove his loyalty to the club, he scored 129 points, including 13 kicks, 24 handballs and a couple of goals. Bartel scored 114 points and Chapman 105, but Chapman is the wildcard this week for mine. Ablett is likely to get a hard tag which means Chapman will be in a position to take up some of the slack.

Tip: While Chapman is a real chance in probably the toughest of fantasy trios, it's hard to tip against Ablett.

Joel Selwood vs Mitchell vs Corey

By his own high standards, Mitchell was just on par last week, but still managed 27 touches and 112 points, while Selwood is caught in a team with extremely high possession counts and managed 107 points, including 23 disposals and 9 tackles. Corey's intensity wasn't up to his usual standard with 80 points, but expect that to lift against the Hawks. Note the last time Geelong played the Hawks, Selwood had 42 disposals.

Tip: We'll expect Mitchell to take a leading role today to narrowly pip Selwood.

Hodge vs Lewis vs Enright

Hodge was outstanding in the first week with 34 disposals, 9 marks and 5 tackles. Throw in a goal and he racked up 142 points. Lewis had 27 disposals for 109 points and Enright 17 disposals for 90 points.

Tip: It's hard to go against form, so we'll tip Hodge to repeat his 2008 grand final dose on the Cats.

AFL Fantasy tipping results Sunday

Three games on Sunday:

Adelaide vs Sydney:
Winners: Ryan O'Keefe; Scott Thompson; Bock.
Aussiepunt tipped O'Keefe to win for a narrow overall loss.
Based on a $10 bet on each, we're down $6 on that game.

Essendon vs Fremantle:
Winners: Aaron Sandilands; Greg Broughton; Michael Barlow.
Aussiepunt tipped Broughton and Barlow for a good result.
Based on a $10 bet on each, we're up $20 on that game.

Bulldogs vs Richmond:
Winners: Lindsay Gilbee; Matthew Boyd; Cooney.
Aussiepunt tipped Boyd and Cooney for a good result.
Based on a $10 bet on each, we're up $20 on that game.

AFL Bulldogs vs Richmond preview

The Bulldogs should win this game easy, but Sportingbet's fantasy markets are interesting. There are some potentially tight ones among them.

Giansiracusa vs Murphy vs Gilbee

Giansiracusa had a great pre-season but wasn't up to it last week against Collingwood with just 63 fantasy points, including 13 touches, 6 marks and 3 tackles. Murphy, however, showed that he's prepared to make space with 12 marks and 23 touches. Gilbee was also ordinary against the Pies with 17 touches, but just 1 mark and 3 tackles.

Tip: Murphy seems to be finding his old form, leading into space and running all day. He should outdo his opponents (or should we say team mates) again.

Boyd vs Cross vs Delidio

Boyd is one of the most skilled players in the AFL and despite the loss last week, still managed 38 touches, racking up 128 fantasy points. Cross seemed to be everywhere and out-tackled Boyd, but 29 possessions meant he reached 107 points. It's hard to judge a man who is part of a well defeated team, but Brett Delidio picked up 21 touches, 5 marks and 6 tackles in his 94 points.

Tip: Boyd is the class player and has terrific form.

Higgins vs Cooney vs Hargrave

On pure form, this is a tough one to pick. Cooney seems stuck on doing the extraordinary, rather than concentrating on perfecting the basics as he can, and seems to be constantly over-running the ball. His 26 touches seem good, but only 4 marks was out of character. Higgins was quiet for a half last week, but bounced back in the second to finish with 23 possessions, 5 marks and a couple of tackles, finishing just 3 fantasy points ahead of Cooney. On form, we can forget Hargrave, but needless to say the coach has probably had a few words after just 14 touches last week.

Tip: We'd expect Cooney's butter fingers to disappear this week against weaker opposition. He could have a field day.

AFL Bombers vs Fremantle preview

Essendon should bounce back after last week, but Freo are on a high after their win against Adelaide at home last week. The Bombers home ground advantage should be enough to see them win.

Fantasy markets on Sportingbet follow:

Stanton vs Sandilands vs Prismall

Stanton was sensational last week with 33 touches, 7 marks and 8 tackles for 145 fantasy points, well ahead of Sandilands who managed 97 - 33 of them hitouts. Prismall was solid with 22 touches and 8 tackles for 98 points. These are three class players.

Tip: It's hard to tip against form, so Stanton should prevail here.

Broughton vs Watson vs Pavlich

Broughton should play more on the ball than Pavlich which gives him the edge when it comes to fantasy points. The difference will be whether Pavlich can do a Jonathan Brown or Riewoldt and dominate the half forward line. But he must also kick a bag of goals. Broughton racked up 32 touches in the win last week, adding 7 marks and 4 tackles. Pavlich was also good with 22 touches and 3 goals. Jobe Watson, by his standards, was ordinary with 18 touches, only 1 mark, 3 tackles and 2 goals.

Tip: Again, form is a good indicator, so we'll go with Broughton.

Barlow vs Winderlich vs Welsh

Barlow kicked some serious butt against Adelaide with 33 touches, 6 marks, 4 tackles and 2 goals for a score of 128. Welsh for the Bombers will need to lift considerably this week to make his team and coach happy. 22 touches, just the 1 mark and 5 tackles is not enough, nor is his 75 points. Winderlich had a great pre-season, but didn't take that form with him to the first round - just 17 possessions, 3 marks and 2 tackles.

Tip: If form is a true guide, we must favour Barlow to outscore these two opponents, although Winderlich must lift.

Fantasy tipping results

There were three games yesterday.

Collingwood vs Melbourne:
Winners: Jordie McKenzie; Aaron Davey; Dane Swan.
Aussiepunt tipped McKenzie and Swan for a good result.
Based on a $10 bet on each, we're up $20 on that game.

St Kilda vs North Melbourne:
Winners: Nick Dal Santo; Nick Riewoldt; David Armitage
Aussiepunt tipped Riewoldt for a narrow loss.
Based on a $10 bet on each, we're down $4 on that game.

West Coast vs Port Adelaide:
Winners: Kane Cornes; Adam Selwood; Nic Natanui
Aussiepunt tipped Cornes and Selwood for another good result.
Based on a $10 bet on each, we're up $22 on that game.

Brisbane vs Carlton preview and dream team predictions

Fantasy markets have been drawn for tonight’s Carlton vs Brisbane game in Brisbane. They’ve been cunningly presented by the bookmakers, but that’s the idea.

There are three groups of three players, so let’s try to separate them. Firstly, we need to keep in mind that Brisbane is a low-possession team. Last week, they were heavily out-possessed by West Coast. Despite their win, they racked up just over 300 possessions, while Carlton amassed almost 400 against Richmond.

Bryce Gibbs vs Jonathan Brown vs Andrew Carazzo

Carazzo was magnificent last week with 40 possessions, but Brown’s 5 goals meant he outscored the midfielder in dream team points. Remember, it’s three points for a kick and only two for a handball. Brown had 16 kicks vs 6 handballs, while Carazzo had 21 kicks and 19 handballs. Brown has been talking all week about how Fevola will have a big game against his old club. That’s a nice diversion for a man who is enjoying the freedom of not being double-tagged – he took 14 marks last week. He’s also enjoying Brisbane’s direct style of play. By his standards, Bryce Gibbs (23 possessions) had an average game last week.

Result: Brown to again cut loose across half forward with a high number of marks, but keeping in mind this is probably the most difficult of the three markets.

Marc Murphy vs Luke Power vs Mitch Clark

This is a battle between three players who performed below their usual standard last week. Power was used as a goal sneak, but is likely to be more dynamic in the mid-field this week. Murphy’s 24 possessions and two goals were against weaker opposition, while Clark’s 9 possessions and 15 hitouts only scored him 46 dream team points, half that of his opponents in this market. Remember though, that he was up against Dean Cox last week, and should get many more hitouts against Kreuzer.

Result: Power to have a better week in terms of possessions, although it’ll be close against Murphy.

Jared Brennan vs Heath Scotland vs Justin Sherman

Brisbane tackled fiercely last week and although they didn’t out-possess their opposition, they certainly out-pressured them. Brennan laid 7 tackles, while Serman laid 5. They’re worth 4 points each in the Sportingbet fantasy structure. However, Scotland’s 11 marks at half back helped his score, amid 32 possessions, including 18 kicks. Brennan is a freakish performer, but is also hot and cold. Sherman is steady, and his goal last week helped his score which was still well below that of Brennan and Scotland.

Result: Scotland to again find possessions at half back, and through the middle. He’s a go-to man and should win this race.

Oh, and by the way, Brisbane should win the game. Let's say 24 points.

Fantasy team punting

A number of people I've spoken to recently say they don't have time to get involved with Fantasy Leagues and competitions. And where there's no return, I can't blame them - actually, I'm in exactly the same boat.

But I've been sucked in by Sportingbet's innovation for this year's footy season. It works the same way as a 3-ball in golf betting, that is three players are pitted head to head. Their performance on the field dictates how many points they get.

And put simply, the player with the most fantasy points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

It's three points for a kick, two points for a handball, four for a tackle etc. Anyway, I'll be giving an analysis of some of the markets over the next couple of weeks.

I've found that it's a great way to watch the game. Regardless of the result, your player is still in the contest until the end. It's great fun and an added interest in the game. There are also opportunities to make some real money as most picks are around the $2.50-$2.80 mark.

We'll discuss a few AFL options as markets are posted towards the middle of the week.

Until then, if you want to put a few dollars into an account with Sportingbet and have a look at what the whole Fantasy betting is all about, do it here.