AFL TIPS: West Coast v Sydney

Saturday, August 23 – 7:35 PM AEST – Venue: Optus Stadium

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

Only pride on the line here, and will the Swans crowd come to watch to help drown out the strong support for the Eagles? The Swans have been playing excellent footy, despite going down to the Cats last week. They want to finish on a high to start their 2026 campaign now. They have been unlucky with injuries to key players in 2025 and will be looking to play finals in 2026.

Isaac Heeney was well held after quarter time last week by Mark O’Connor and fellow Irishman Oisin Mullin quelled the influence of Errol Gulden who still had 23 disposals but didn’t have his usual time and space with only 316 metres gained. They will both expect to bounce back to their excellent form against the Eagles. Brodie Grundy will be back to continue his excellent form in the ruck and around the ground after missing  a week due to a head knock. Peter Ladhams will be unlucky to get dropped after performing well in the ruck last week.

The Eagles will need to bring their improved effort again this week if they are to knock off Sydney. In recent weeks, Tim Kelly showed why the Eagles got him over from Geelong all those years ago, with his ability to win contests, and Liam Baker 24 disposals, and Jack Graham 20 disposals at 95% efficiency, 445 metres gained and 10 tackles have been excellent pick ups too.

Reuben Ginbey 22 disposals has been outstanding this season as an undersized tall defender, and Tom McCarthy 25 disposals and 4 score involvements has been a revelation since being the first pick in the mid-season rookie draft. Liam Ryan was well held last week and will be looking to return to form if he wants to create interest from other clubs in the trade period.

Sydney will win this, but let’s hope the Eagles bring their effort and pressure to make it a contest.

West Coast and Sydney have delivered contrasting performances in recent rounds, making this clash an interesting one to follow. While the Eagles have shown moments of improvement, consistency remains a challenge. Sydney, on the other hand, have displayed strong form across the tournament, with key players stepping up when it matters most. Looking at recent results, the Swans’ midfield pressure could prove crucial, while West Coast will aim to capitalise on any scoring opportunities. When considering AFL Betting Tips, many fans weigh up team form, past encounters and player match-ups to shape their AFL Prediction for games like this.

Sydney by 37 points