AFL Tips: Sydney v Essendon

Saturday, August 2 – 4.15 PM AEST – Venue: SCG

Sydney is in good form despite their loss to GWS last week. Although they don’t have anything to play for now that they can’t make the finals, they will be far too good for the undermanned Bombers.

Here are our AFL tips for Sydney v Essendon – including our best bet, player prop, and Same Game Multi, with odds brought to you by BetBetBet.

Disappointingly the Bombers can’t even do the basics well, like tackling! They miss more tackles than any other side has done in league history. Ridley is out with a hamstring again and it could give first year forward/ruck Kayle Gerreyn an opportunity to come in as he had 16 disposals and seven marks in defence in the VFL last week. Ben Hobbs and Archie May could return, and Vigo Visentini played well in the VFL and should come back in rather than playing Todd Goldstein. Although they may want Goldy in as a bigger body against Brodie Grundy who is in great form.

Sydney will need to replace Hayden McLean with concussion and Joel Hamling who won’t play again this year due to a hamstring injury. Tom McCartin should return after his concussion and Aaron Francis or Peter Ladhams will be considered for a recall.

Heaney will be disappointed with his game last week after he kicked 5 goals and had so much of the ball the previous week. Eric Gulden with 32 disposals and Brodie Grundy with 24 disposals, five clearances and a goal continued their excellent form. Chad Warner is due to run riot too. The Swans forwards will get plenty of opportunity this week with the Bombers having 15 injured players leading them to be playing guys that would not get a game normally.

Sydney will want to finish the season strongly and build into 2026, after a wretched run of injuries didn’t allow them to play the footy, they were in 2024. 

Sydney and Essendon go head-to-head this Saturday in what’s shaping up to be a must-watch clash. Both sides have shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season, but consistency has been an issue. Sydney’s midfield continues to be a strength, with their clearance game proving effective, particularly at home. On the other hand, Essendon’s forward line has looked dangerous, especially when Jake Stringer and Kyle Langford find space inside 50.

Looking at recent form, the Swans have edged out tight matches at the SCG, while Essendon’s away record remains patchy. Historical matchups between the two sides tend to be close, often decided by under 20 points, which adds another layer to this week’s AFL prediction.

When considering AFL betting tips, punters might look at player disposals markets or goal-scorer options rather than margins. Both sides have midfielders in good touch, with Errol Gulden and Zach Merrett frequently racking up high disposal numbers.

This matchup could come down to which team brings more pressure around the contest and makes the most of their forward entries. As always, it’s worth reviewing form trends and injury lists before placing any selections. Stay tuned for more AFL tips throughout the season.

Sydney by 65 points