Sport
AFL Round 3 Preview: Big games galore
The AFL season is well and truly under way and it has already thrown up many surprises, heart-stopping moments, acts of individual brilliance and all round great football!
Round 3 of the AFL season looks set to be an absolute cracker. It is shaping up to be a tipster’s nightmare with so many games that are expected to go down to the wire.
The match of the round is surely the Western Bulldogs versus Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium on Sunday at 3.20pm. The Doggies are the hot team of the competition and they have shown over the past couple seasons that they are at their best when playing at Etihad Stadium.
The Hawks were shaken in Round 1 by Geelong, but they bounced back emphatically in Round 2 to defeat West Coast in a Grand Final re-match.
The fast Dogs have easily accounted for Fremantle and St Kilda in the opening matches and many believe they are unlikely to lose a game at Etihad Stadium all year. But if any team can knock them over at home it is surely the reigning premier.
It is a mouth-watering match up; the young, plucky Bulldogs taking on the dominant old guard. One thing is for sure, the atmosphere at Etihad Stadium will be electric with the Dogs fans getting behind their side.
But before the Dogs and Hawks run out, Etihad Stadium has the pleasure of hosting a rare Richmond home game. The Tigers are taking on Adelaide and both teams will be very keen to get their second wins of the year.
Richmond had a forgettable victory over Carlton in Round 1 and they failed to hold off a three-goal surge from Collingwood in Round 2, which resulted in a 1-point defeat. Adelaide on the other hand is coming off a close loss to North Melbourne and a dominant performance over Port Adelaide in the Showdown.
On balance, Adelaide would appear to be in better form, but the Tigers have enjoyed success under the roof at Etihad Stadium in recent matches. Their disappointing loss to the Magpies will surely spark a far better performance from the Tigers against the Crows. We expect this game to be tight and hard-fought.
The Western Derbies are always two of the most highly-anticipated events of the AFL season and the first Derby will be played at Domain Stadium on Saturday night. The Eagles were belted by the Hawks in Round 2 after a solid victory in Round 1, but Fremantle is yet to register a win after suffering a big loss to the Western Bulldogs and a shock defeat at home against the Gold Coast SUNS.
All bets are off when it comes to the Derby. We should expect a passionate and fiery display from both sides and (hopefully) a game that goes down to the wire. And of course, a massive crowd at Domain Stadium provided a brilliant atmosphere for these games.
Geelong is playing its first home match at Simonds Stadium in Round 3. The Cats will be looking to bounce back after losing to GWS in Canberra when the Brisbane Lions travel south on Sunday at 4.40pm.
The Lions have suffered a few big injuries over the past couple weeks so it is hard to see them matching the class of Dangerfield, Selwood and co. But stranger things have happened…
The other Queensland side, the Gold Coast SUNS, provided one of the shocks of the season so far, defeating Fremantle at Domain Stadium in Round 2. The SUNS had never won a match in Perth, but they took care of business in fine fashion last weekend.
They take on Carlton at Metricon Stadium in Round 3. The Blues have lost their two opening matches, but it is clear the young side is heading in the right direction under new coach Brendon Bolton.
Carlton gave Richmond a serious fright in Round 1 and despite a heavy Round 2 loss to Sydney at Etihad Stadium, there were glimpses of what fans can expect in the coming weeks, months and seasons.
Elsewhere, St Kilda will host Collingwood, North Melbourne will take on Melbourne in Tasmania, Port Adelaide will ‘welcome’ Essendon to SA and the Bridge Battle between Sydney and GWS will decide the NSW bragging rights.
Only time will tell exactly what the Round of AFL will dish up, but we already getting excited for what this weekend of football could be. Your clubs need your support to reach that next level so make sure you get your tickets and head along to see your AFL side this weekend. For tickets, click here or see below for direct links to matches being sold by Ticketmaster.
Richmond v Adelaide
Etihad Stadium – Saturday April 9 at 2.10pm
Click here to purchase tickets.
Gold Coast SUNS v Carlton
Metricon Stadium – Saturday April 9 at 7.25pm
Click here to purchase tickets.
West Coast v Fremantle
Domain Stadium – Saturday April 9 at 5.40pm
Click here to purchase tickets.
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn
Etihad Stadium – Sunday April 10 at 3.20pm
Click here to purchase tickets.
Geelong v Brisbane Lions
Simonds Stadium – Sunday April 10 at 4.40pm
Click here to purchase tickets.
