AFL Ladder / Andy Morris / 13 August 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now

Port Adelaide aim to cement their eighth spot on the ladder by beating Carlton at AAMI Stadium, writes Andy Morris.

The Power have beaten Carlton 12 times in 19 meetings, albeit the Blues have taken three of the last four, most recently in round 19 last year where they won by 66 points.

Their disappointing defeat to Fremantle last time out would have allowed other teams to overtake them in the standings, but Hawthorn and Essendon have failed to take advantage.

However, with Port owning a 9-10 record they may well need to win two of their last three games to earn a spot in September. And things will be tough against Carlton, who have won five of their last six games.

Carlton showed in their 35-point win over Geelong that they are a force to be reckoned with on their day, and with a match-winner in the shape of Brendan Fevola they should be backed in match odds betting.

Hawthorn have seen their finals chances almost disappear after three straight defeats, most recently the 25-point loss to an undermanned St Kilda last weekend.

Adelaide won this match-up in round 10 by 27 points at AAMI Stadium, but go into this one on something of a low having lost their last two games.

Until that point, though, the Crows had looked solid with eight wins in their previous nine games, so they can be backed to bounce back against the Hawks.

Hawthorn will be missing Jarryd Roughead, which is a real blow, while Trent Croad will miss the rest of the season with a broken foot.

Unless the Hawks can lift themselves and win this one, they can kiss September footy goodbye. Unfortunately for them, the task will be too much and Adelaide should be taken in match odds betting.

West Coast have won two consecutive games, most impressively their success last time out against the Western Bulldogs. And they are an obvious choice in match odds betting against North Melbourne this weekend.

Now that the Eagles have overcome their hoodoo on the road, they can continue their winning streak on their own ground where they have been a force this season - they challenged St Kilda and Geelong and have scored several big wins.

The Kangaroos have not won at Subiaco in eight years, and though they go into this one on the back of a victory, it was only against Melbourne so don't expect them to be riding a high of confidence right now.

Melbourne can be forgiven for losing to the Kangaroos, having had 20 players unavailable for selection. And things have not markedly improved ahead of the game with Fremantle.

The Dockers have won two of their last three games, and have beaten the Demons five times in the last six meetings, so it all points to way of a safe bet on Fremantle in match odds betting.

St Kilda look like they will go through the entire home and away season unbeaten - something that only previously happened to Collingwood in 1929. This weekend their challengers to that record are Essendon, but the wise money is on the Saints in match odds betting.

The Saints will welcome back skipper Nick Wiewoldt, who was absent last weekend with concussion, with several other key players are likely to return. Their win, with so many players unavailable, against Hawthorn last time out will have strengthened their belief that they can finish the task.

Essendon should have beaten Brisbane last weekend but had to settle for a draw, damaging their chances of making the finals. They have several players out injured for this one, and will have to look elsewhere for the wins they need.

Collingwood can be backed in match odds betting against Richmond, who were poor in the defeat to Sydney last weekend.

The Magpies have won 10 of their past 11 matches, and now stand third on the ladder with a 13-6 record.

The Tigers will be keen to give Joel Bowden a fitting send-off, but Collingwood have been the only truly consistent team over the past few weeks and they should breeze past Richmond here.

Geelong beat Sydney by 51 points back in round 7, but they are rocking slightly now and they could be seriously challenged in this return fixture.

The Swans beat Richmond last weekend and held St Kilda to a one-point victory the previous round, while Geelong lost by 35 points to Carlton last time out.

Leo Barry could make the Sydney line-up for the first time this year, and Adam Goodes plays his 250th match against the Cats so it should be a special occasion. They will make it very difficult for the Cats, and they are a tentative selection in match odds betting.

Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs are both sure of making the finals, and sit just two points apart on the ladder with the Bulldogs one place higher in fourth.

The Bulldogs are coming off the back of a surprise home defeat to the Eagles last weekend, while Brisbane will be heartened by their never-say-die attitude earning them a draw against Essendon.

This clash was tight the last time the teams met, the Lions winning by 11 points in a low-scoring affair in round 20 last year. And it threatens to be close again.

The Bulldogs are missing several key players at this vital stage of the season, and Brisbane could take advantage. They can push into the top four with a win here, so take them in match odds betting.

Tags: AFL, Carlton, Port Adelaide