Saturday's early AFL match previews, free tips & analysis

Free Australian Rules tips, best bets and analysis for Friday's AFL games.

Best bets

Essendon Bombers -14.5
1pt 91-100 bet365
Back this tip with bet365

Geelong Cats +9.5
1pt 10-11 Hills
Back this tip with bet365

Greater Western Sydney v Geelong

BT Sport 2, 8.25am Saturday

In arguably the pick of the AFL round-one clashes, last year's Grand Final runners-up Greater Western Sydney Giants host Geelong Cats, who were eliminated in the preliminary final by eventual Premiers Richmond.

The Giants won three times on the road during the finals but were never in the game in a 114-25 battering by Richmond in the Grand Final.

They'll be keen to show that form is all wrong this season, but they face a tough opener when Geelong visit.

The Cats have won their Round-one fixture in 13 of the last 15 seasons and while their squad are beginning to look a little long in the tooth they certainly look capable of making another serious assault on the title.

GWS have won just one of the last five meetings between these sides and have never put up a three-figure score against the Cats.

Geelong are given a 9.5-point start by the bookmakers, and that looks worth backing.

Essendon v Fremantle

BT Sport 2, 2.45am Saturday

Home advantage may not count for as much with no fans in the stands, but there's no escaping the fact that the host team has triumphed in eight of the last nine meetings between these two teams.

The one match that doesn't fit the trend was the most recent clash, when the Bombers ran out 87-55 winners at Perth Stadium in August. That was Essendon's third straight victory against the Dockers.

In both of last season's meetings, Essendon employed an extra defender to great effect - limiting Fremantle to just 108 points over the two matches - so expect to see similar tactics this time.

If they can keep the Dockers in check to a similar degree, then it's easy to see Essendon surpassing the 14.5-point handicap they are assigned by the layers.

Saturday's other early games

Adelaide are 9.5-point favourites to beat a Sydney Swans side who won only two of their final eight matches last season.

Neither side made the finals in 2019 and both are in rebuild mode, but the Crows have scored at least 80 points in each of their last five meetings with Sydney and look the likelier winners.

Last year's whipping boys Gold Coast host Port Adelaide as 16.5-point underdogs.

The Suns lost their last 18 matches of the 2019 campaign and have been beaten by Port Adelaide in all of their last ten meetings.

Gold Coast have tended to be at their strongest early in the season however, winning four of their last seven opening-round fixtures.

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