Fremantle Dockers v Hawthorn Hawks
AFL Aussie Rules : Australia : AFL Premiership
Venue : Subiaco Oval, Perth
Saturday, 4th September 2010, Start 15:20 AEST

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This will be an interesting game out west and the odds suggest it will be the closest game. I was surprised to see the Hawks start as favourites and that is why I feel this could be a very solid bet.

The Hawks are in exceptional form but the home ground factor for Freo means they should make it a very tight contest.

Fremantle Dockers
6th, 13-9, Form : WLLLW

The Dockers will be finding things tough against an in form Hawks team but I feel the home crowd will help them to stay in the game when things get tough. They are feeling the strain from injuries and will be stretched at times during this match.

Down back is where the Dockers are suffering the most injuries. Roger Hayden and Antoni Grover will be the important figures in defence. They are not the big name players but their vast experience should stand them in good stead and also assist the younger players like Greg Broughton and Jay van Berlo. Luke McPharlin and Adam McPhee will also need to stand up and be recognised with their opponents likely to be Jarryd Roughead and Lance Franklin.

In the middle the Dockers will be looking at the likes of Anthony Morabito who was just about best afield last week and David Mundy. Mundy would be close to being the best Docker this season and if he can get support from Stephen Hill, Garrick Ibbotson and Paul Duffield I think it will stand the Dockers in good stead of competing well against an impressive looking Hawks midfield.

Up forward the Dockers will miss the livewire presence of Hyden Ballantyne who will miss the rest of the season with a leg injury. However in his absence Chris Mayne and Matthew de Boer will be asked to stand up and contribute on the scoreboard. The main man is still Matty Pavlich and if he can assert his prowess I think he can easily find himself with a bag of 4-5 goals. Michael Johnson will need to find a way to help out and if he can I think the Dockers could post a useful score.

Aaron Sandilands is a man that deserves his own paragraph. The ruck position is one that he can expect to dominate on Saturday afternoon and if he gets first hand to the majority of balls, he can set his teammates up for easy use. Sandilands can also go forward and take a mark or two which can easily translate into goals. I think he can be the decisive factor in the contest.

Hawthorn Hawks
7th, 12-9-1, Form : LLWWW

The Hawks would be feeling great in terms of form but this week a drugs scandal has rocked their side and it will be interesting to see how they deal with it. They flogged the Dockers 2 weeks ago by over 100 points but that was a different story. The Dockers rested 10 of their starters and the game was in Tasmania, now the game will be played on their terms.

Hawthorn’s defence is useful without being outstanding. They will be tested on Saturday and it will be up to Josh Gibson and Thomas Murphy to play well on their big name opponents. Brent Guerra will be pivotal in terms of transferring defence into attack and I think Ben Stratton and Stephen Gilham will relish the challenge as promising youngsters.

In the centre of the field the Hawks will look to 2 men; Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell. Mitchell gets plenty of the ball and you often see him clearing stoppages and getting his teammates involved in play. On the other hand Hodge uses the ball so well with his penetrating kicks and ability to kick goals for his side. When you add Brad Sewell and Chance Bateman into the midfield mix there is no doubt that the Hawks have what it takes to travel west and get the win.

Roughead, Franklin and Rioli. These three names are all you need to know when it comes to the Hawthorn forward line. Rioli is the magician who relies on his size, speed, and skill to conjure some of the most remarkable goals footy fans can expect to see. The other two blokes use their height, strength and combination of skill and agility to dominate their opponents. The problem for the Hawks is these 3 never turn up on the same outing and if they can find a way to all fire it will be very tough for the Dockers.

The Pick :

Too close to call

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Take Fremantle +18.5 points on the Pick Your Own Line function at Centrebet.
(High Stakes - Bet of the Week)