{"id":84501,"date":"2026-03-31T14:26:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/?p=84501"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:28:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:28:05","slug":"2026-afl-round-4-tips-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/2026\/03\/2026-afl-round-4-tips-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 AFL Round 4 Tips &amp; Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Just over a month of footy is in the books and the pressure is already mounting for a few coaches on the chopping block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s another big week for two of Melbourne&#8217;s biggest clubs, starting with Carlton stepping out on Good Friday to face North, and Essendon facing another stiff challenge on Easter Sunday against a well-rested Bulldogs outfit looking to maintain a Top 4 spot on the ladder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The five-day feast of footy culminates with the traditional Easter Monday game between long-time foes Hawthorn and Geelong, a game that should tell us plenty about the finals credentials of both outfits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Neds AFL Unpopular Opinions Podcast: Spinning Around\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nkKSusQrtDQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<section class=\"entain-block teams-tip-block hoverable\">\n  <div class=\"teams-tip-header\">\n    <div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta\">\n      <!--div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta__inner\"-->\n        <div class=\"team-vs-team\" style=\"display:flex\">\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#brisbane-lions\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n          <div style=\"display:flex; flex-direction:row; flex-wrap:wrap; justify-content:center; align-items:center; text-align:center; column-gap:5px; font-weight: 700\">\n            <div class=\"team_1\" style=\"flex-direction:column;\">Brisbane Lions<\/div>\n            <div class=\"versus\" style=\"font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;\">vs<\/div>\n            <div class=\"team_2\">Collingwood<\/div>\n                        <div class=\"info\">Thursday 2nd April 2026 6:30 PM (Gabba)<\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"bet-on\" style=\"margin-top:0\">Tip: Lions to Win &#038; Under\u00a0the Total\u00a0\u00a0<\/div>\n                                  <\/div>\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#collingwood-magpies\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n        <\/div>\n      <!--\/div -->\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n      <div class='teams-tip-content'>\n      <p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Lions head home to the Gabba with a bit of their mojo back after picking up their first win of the season last week in a hard-fought game against St Kilda. The four points came at a cost though with Darcy Gardiner suffering a shoulder injury, which comes at an inopportune time with Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe back in the fold for Collingwood in the defensive half. We\u2019re yet to really see the back to back Premiers click into gear, although that had to be expected with several new faces like Sam Draper and Oscar Allen stepping into the side. That said, we saw the Lions showcase their usual killer instinct late in the final term against the Saints, which is more than can be said for a Collingwood side that has yet to crack 90 points through three games. On a big stage in front of a packed house, the Lions make it three in a row against their old rivals.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n        <div class=\"teams-tip-button\">\t\t\t\n          <a class=\"track-me btn-standard bet-now-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/sports\/australian-rules\/afl\/brisbane-lions-vs-collingwood\/df3263e6-eb76-4420-a6a5-3795ad3f434e\" target=\"_blank\" \n          data-tr-event=\"blog\" data-tr-method=\"bet now button\" data-tr-action=\"open sport_event\" data-tr-label=\"df3263e6-eb76-4420-a6a5-3795ad3f434e\" data-tr-event-id=\"df3263e6-eb76-4420-a6a5-3795ad3f434e\"  \n          >Lions vs Pies<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"entain-block teams-tip-block hoverable\">\n  <div class=\"teams-tip-header\">\n    <div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta\">\n      <!--div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta__inner\"-->\n        <div class=\"team-vs-team\" style=\"display:flex\">\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#north-melbourne-fc\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n          <div style=\"display:flex; flex-direction:row; flex-wrap:wrap; justify-content:center; align-items:center; text-align:center; column-gap:5px; font-weight: 700\">\n            <div class=\"team_1\" style=\"flex-direction:column;\">North Melbourne<\/div>\n            <div class=\"versus\" style=\"font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;\">vs<\/div>\n            <div class=\"team_2\">Carlton<\/div>\n                        <div class=\"info\">Friday 3rd April 2026 2:15 PM (Marvel Stadium)<\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"bet-on\" style=\"margin-top:0\">Tip: North Melbourne to Cover (+8.5)\u00a0<\/div>\n                                  <\/div>\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#carlton-fc\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n        <\/div>\n      <!--\/div -->\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n      <div class='teams-tip-content'>\n      <p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Big game with potentially enormous consequences.\u00a0Another second half meltdown last week against Melbourne has Michael Voss almost out the door at Princes Park,\u00a0and it\u2019s fair to say anything less than a close loss might be the final nail in the coffin.\u00a0North silenced a handful of its critics last week with a win over the Bombers, and while it was a tough game to watch at times, there are promising signs with the future with Zane\u00a0Duursma\u00a0and Cooper Trembath both coming to life in front of goal. After doing a\u00a0number\u00a0on Zach Merrett last week, it will be interesting to see whether Finn O\u2019Sullivan is given the job on Patrick Cripps, although\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0fair to say the Blues\u2019 skipper is a fair way off the mark in terms of playing his best footy.\u00a0Losing key\u00a0ruckman\u00a0Tristan\u00a0Xerri is an enormous blow for the\u00a0Roos, but\u00a0you\u2019d\u00a0imagine Alastair Clarkson would be rallying the troops behind closed doors with Carlton already falling in a heap.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0seen North stumble at this hurdle many times in the past, so now we get a good\u00a0indication\u00a0as to whether they are truly ready to take the next step in this long-winded rebuild.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n        <div class=\"teams-tip-button\">\t\t\t\n          <a class=\"track-me btn-standard bet-now-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/sports\/australian-rules\/afl\/north-melbourne-vs-carlton\/345dc475-03dc-4fff-a97d-0d3e1df20d66\" target=\"_blank\" \n          data-tr-event=\"blog\" data-tr-method=\"bet now button\" data-tr-action=\"open sport_event\" data-tr-label=\"345dc475-03dc-4fff-a97d-0d3e1df20d66\" data-tr-event-id=\"345dc475-03dc-4fff-a97d-0d3e1df20d66\"  \n          >Roos vs Blues<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"entain-block teams-tip-block hoverable\">\n  <div class=\"teams-tip-header\">\n    <div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta\">\n      <!--div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta__inner\"-->\n        <div class=\"team-vs-team\" style=\"display:flex\">\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#adelaide-crows\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n          <div style=\"display:flex; flex-direction:row; flex-wrap:wrap; justify-content:center; align-items:center; text-align:center; column-gap:5px; font-weight: 700\">\n            <div class=\"team_1\" style=\"flex-direction:column;\">Adelaide Crows<\/div>\n            <div class=\"versus\" style=\"font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;\">vs<\/div>\n            <div class=\"team_2\">Fremantle<\/div>\n                        <div class=\"info\">Friday 3rd April 2026 6:15 PM (Adelaide Oval)<\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"bet-on\" style=\"margin-top:0\">Tip: Fremantle to Win\u00a0@\u00a0$2.05\u00a0<\/div>\n                                  <\/div>\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#fremantle-dockers\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n        <\/div>\n      <!--\/div -->\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n      <div class='teams-tip-content'>\n      <p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Crows head back to Adelaide Oval with everything to prove following a pair of close losses to the Dogs and Cats. Controversial umpiring decisions aside, this hasn\u2019t been the start to the season many envisioned for Adelaide after\u00a0securing\u00a0the Minor Premiership last year, while the other side of the coin sees Fremantle looking to prove themselves away from home\u00a0on the back of\u00a0two comfortable wins\u00a0home victories against\u00a0Melbourne and Richmond.\u00a0Getting the ball cleanly inside 50 has been a huge issue for the Crows through the first month of the season, which is more than you can say for a Fremantle outfit averaging close to 15 goals a game. Freo\u2019s fourth quarter capitulation in Geelong three weeks ago will be front and\u00a0centre\u00a0for many heading into this stiff road test, but we saw last week that they really only need to play two solid quarters of footy to put up big points with so many attacking weapons up forward. Setting up shop in South Australia for the next two weeks ahead of Gather Round, Freo should relish the underdog role here with more question marks popping up around the Crows each week.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n        <div class=\"teams-tip-button\">\t\t\t\n          <a class=\"track-me btn-standard bet-now-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/sports\/australian-rules\/afl\/adelaide-crows-vs-fremantle\/b0f09b32-807f-4ec8-bd7a-8af332d59812\" target=\"_blank\" \n          data-tr-event=\"blog\" data-tr-method=\"bet now button\" data-tr-action=\"open sport_event\" data-tr-label=\"b0f09b32-807f-4ec8-bd7a-8af332d59812\" data-tr-event-id=\"b0f09b32-807f-4ec8-bd7a-8af332d59812\"  \n          >Crows vs Dockers<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"entain-block teams-tip-block hoverable\">\n  <div class=\"teams-tip-header\">\n    <div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta\">\n      <!--div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta__inner\"-->\n        <div class=\"team-vs-team\" style=\"display:flex\">\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#richmond-tigers\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n          <div style=\"display:flex; flex-direction:row; flex-wrap:wrap; justify-content:center; align-items:center; text-align:center; column-gap:5px; font-weight: 700\">\n            <div class=\"team_1\" style=\"flex-direction:column;\">Richmond<\/div>\n            <div class=\"versus\" style=\"font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;\">vs<\/div>\n            <div class=\"team_2\">Port Adelaide<\/div>\n                        <div class=\"info\">Saturday 4th April 2026 3:15 PM (MCG)<\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"bet-on\" style=\"margin-top:0\">Tip: Richmond to Cover (+10.5)\u00a0<\/div>\n                                  <\/div>\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#port-adelaide-power\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n        <\/div>\n      <!--\/div -->\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n      <div class='teams-tip-content'>\n      <p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This could be another ugly Saturday afternoon game between two sides that appear destined for a bottom four finish. Port started fast last week against West Coast but\u00a0failed to\u00a0match the Eagles\u2019 intensity in the second half, with many questioning whether\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0time to officially declare a state of rebuild\u00a0as\u00a0Zak Butters looks destined to head elsewhere. Likewise, the Tigers put up a fight in the\u00a0opening term against Fremantle\u00a0but were\u00a0ultimately smashed\u00a0in the inside 50 count, also managing only nine hit outs to Fremantle\u2019s 57.\u00a0The Power have made a meal of the Tigers winning five in a row dating back to 2023,\u00a0but\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0confident if West Coast were set defensively during that first term,\u00a0we\u2019d\u00a0really be struggling to draw positives away from that game. The Tigers have shown\u00a0fight\u00a0in spurts here and there and represent some\u00a0good value\u00a0as outsiders back at the \u2018G.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n        <div class=\"teams-tip-button\">\t\t\t\n          <a class=\"track-me btn-standard bet-now-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/sports\/australian-rules\/afl\/richmond-vs-port-adelaide\/e89e01c0-5785-47ee-81fc-edf7ccd510f6\" target=\"_blank\" \n          data-tr-event=\"blog\" data-tr-method=\"bet now button\" data-tr-action=\"open sport_event\" data-tr-label=\"e89e01c0-5785-47ee-81fc-edf7ccd510f6\" data-tr-event-id=\"e89e01c0-5785-47ee-81fc-edf7ccd510f6\"  \n          >Tigers vs Power<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"entain-block teams-tip-block hoverable\">\n  <div class=\"teams-tip-header\">\n    <div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta\">\n      <!--div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta__inner\"-->\n        <div class=\"team-vs-team\" style=\"display:flex\">\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#west-coast-eagles\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n          <div style=\"display:flex; flex-direction:row; flex-wrap:wrap; justify-content:center; align-items:center; text-align:center; column-gap:5px; font-weight: 700\">\n            <div class=\"team_1\" style=\"flex-direction:column;\">West Coast Eagles<\/div>\n            <div class=\"versus\" style=\"font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;\">vs<\/div>\n            <div class=\"team_2\">Sydney Swans<\/div>\n                        <div class=\"info\">Saturday 4th April 2026 6:35 PM (Optus Stadium)<\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"bet-on\" style=\"margin-top:0\">Tip: West Coast to Cover (+27.5)\u00a0<\/div>\n                                  <\/div>\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#sydney-swans\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n        <\/div>\n      <!--\/div -->\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n      <div class='teams-tip-content'>\n      <p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Somewhat of an interesting game with the Eagles stringing together two in a row and the Swans coming off the bye. West Coast fans\u00a0must\u00a0be pleased with last week\u2019s win over the Power, spearheaded by a huge second half from Harley Reid and Jake Waterman, to go with another classy\u00a0afternoon\u00a0from Elliot Yeo. The future suddenly looks bright for the long-suffering\u00a0bottom dwellers, but rest assured this is a much sterner test against a Swans outfit\u00a0looking to atone for blowing a three-goal lead against Hawthorn a fortnight ago. Unfortunately, the loss of Errol Gulden (much like last year) makes Sydney vulnerable, although\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0no shortage of depth to cover.\u00a0Like\u00a0Brisbane, the Swans have shown\u00a0a killer blow to pile on points in a hurry, but\u00a0the jury\u00a0remains\u00a0out on two wins against lowly Carlton and the wounded Lions.\u00a0Two wins over North and Port hardly stack up either if\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0West Coast, but playing with confidence\u00a0at home,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0easy to entertain the Eagles with\u00a0a five-goal head start.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n        <div class=\"teams-tip-button\">\t\t\t\n          <a class=\"track-me btn-standard bet-now-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/sports\/australian-rules\/afl\/west-coast-eagles-vs-sydney-swans\/18aab514-ec48-42b7-868c-7779c289f91f\" target=\"_blank\" \n          data-tr-event=\"blog\" data-tr-method=\"bet now button\" data-tr-action=\"open sport_event\" data-tr-label=\"18aab514-ec48-42b7-868c-7779c289f91f\" data-tr-event-id=\"18aab514-ec48-42b7-868c-7779c289f91f\"  \n          >Eagles vs Swans<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"entain-block teams-tip-block hoverable\">\n  <div class=\"teams-tip-header\">\n    <div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta\">\n      <!--div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta__inner\"-->\n        <div class=\"team-vs-team\" style=\"display:flex\">\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#melbourne-fc\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n          <div style=\"display:flex; flex-direction:row; flex-wrap:wrap; justify-content:center; align-items:center; text-align:center; column-gap:5px; font-weight: 700\">\n            <div class=\"team_1\" style=\"flex-direction:column;\">Melbourne<\/div>\n            <div class=\"versus\" style=\"font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;\">vs<\/div>\n            <div class=\"team_2\">Gold Coast Suns<\/div>\n                        <div class=\"info\">Sunday 5th April 2026 3:15 PM (MCG)<\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"bet-on\" style=\"margin-top:0\">Tip: Suns to Cover (-19.5)\u00a0<\/div>\n                                  <\/div>\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#gold-coast-suns\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n        <\/div>\n      <!--\/div -->\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n      <div class='teams-tip-content'>\n      <p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If the season stopped now, the Dees would be in the Wild Card\u00a0picture, which is more than most Melbourne fans could\u00a0have\u00a0hoped\u00a0for\u00a0two months ago. Another rousing second half led by\u00a0Kozzie\u00a0Pickett saw the Dees roll over the Blues\u00a0last week, and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0fair to say Steven King will be asking for more of the\u00a0same\u00a0against a well-rested Suns outfit that\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0missed a beat. Through three games, Gold Coast has put Geelong, West Coast and Richmond away with relative ease,\u00a0although\u00a0this is their first real test with Cristian Petracca ruled out for 4-6 weeks. Even so, the last two meetings between these two have been blowouts in\u00a0favour\u00a0of the Suns, and with the Demons averaging\u00a0nearly 15\u00a0goals a game to opponents (sixth most in the league) it could be a big night for Ben King and company.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n        <div class=\"teams-tip-button\">\t\t\t\n          <a class=\"track-me btn-standard bet-now-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/sports\/australian-rules\/afl\/melbourne-vs-gold-coast-suns\/71b5376e-d085-440c-a25c-5da9a0187f68\" target=\"_blank\" \n          data-tr-event=\"blog\" data-tr-method=\"bet now button\" data-tr-action=\"open sport_event\" data-tr-label=\"71b5376e-d085-440c-a25c-5da9a0187f68\" data-tr-event-id=\"71b5376e-d085-440c-a25c-5da9a0187f68\"  \n          >Dees vs Suns<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"entain-block teams-tip-block hoverable\">\n  <div class=\"teams-tip-header\">\n    <div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta\">\n      <!--div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta__inner\"-->\n        <div class=\"team-vs-team\" style=\"display:flex\">\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#western-bulldogs\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n          <div style=\"display:flex; flex-direction:row; flex-wrap:wrap; justify-content:center; align-items:center; text-align:center; column-gap:5px; font-weight: 700\">\n            <div class=\"team_1\" style=\"flex-direction:column;\">Western Bulldogs<\/div>\n            <div class=\"versus\" style=\"font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;\">vs<\/div>\n            <div class=\"team_2\">Essendon<\/div>\n                        <div class=\"info\">Sunday 5th April 2026 7:20 PM (Marvel Stadium)<\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"bet-on\" style=\"margin-top:0\">Tip: Bulldogs to Win By 100+\u00a0@\u00a0$4.00\u00a0<\/div>\n                                  <\/div>\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#essendon-bombers\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n        <\/div>\n      <!--\/div -->\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n      <div class='teams-tip-content'>\n      <p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have the Bombers reached rock bottom yet? There\u00a0was\u00a0some\u00a0signs of life\u00a0in last week\u2019s\u00a012-point\u00a0loss to\u00a0North, but as\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0seen over the last week, even Brad Scott is out of answers. A well-rested Bulldogs side is up\u00a0next\u00a0and this\u00a0one has all the makings of a lopsided blowout. Zach Merrett\u2019s measly 10 touches last week have come under the microscope, and aside from individual efforts from Nate Caddy and Issac Kako,\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0very little\u00a0to feel good about at the Hangar. Of all 18\u00a0teams, the Dogs have\u00a0looked\u00a0the most\u00a0complete outfit through the first month of footy, averaging the second-most goals and ranking second in clearances per-game.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0yet to really see Sam Darcy rack up a bag of goals, and as Tom Rockliff said on this week\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">AFL\u00a0Unopopular\u00a0Opinions\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">podcast, this might be the week\u00a0where\u00a0the Dons get 100 put on them.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n        <div class=\"teams-tip-button\">\t\t\t\n          <a class=\"track-me btn-standard bet-now-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/sports\/australian-rules\/afl\/western-bulldogs-vs-essendon\/223cb4d0-500c-4517-a6a0-3bd831b0afc8\" target=\"_blank\" \n          data-tr-event=\"blog\" data-tr-method=\"bet now button\" data-tr-action=\"open sport_event\" data-tr-label=\"223cb4d0-500c-4517-a6a0-3bd831b0afc8\" data-tr-event-id=\"223cb4d0-500c-4517-a6a0-3bd831b0afc8\"  \n          >Dogs vs Bombers<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"entain-block teams-tip-block hoverable\">\n  <div class=\"teams-tip-header\">\n    <div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta\">\n      <!--div class=\"teams-tip-header-meta__inner\"-->\n        <div class=\"team-vs-team\" style=\"display:flex\">\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#hawthorn-hawks\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n          <div style=\"display:flex; flex-direction:row; flex-wrap:wrap; justify-content:center; align-items:center; text-align:center; column-gap:5px; font-weight: 700\">\n            <div class=\"team_1\" style=\"flex-direction:column;\">Hawthorn<\/div>\n            <div class=\"versus\" style=\"font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;\">vs<\/div>\n            <div class=\"team_2\">Geelong Cats<\/div>\n                        <div class=\"info\">Monday 6th April 2026 3:15 PM (MCG)<\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"bet-on\" style=\"margin-top:0\">Tip:\u00a0Either team\u00a0to win\u00a0by less than 15.5 points\u00a0@\u00a0$1.96\u00a0<\/div>\n                                  <\/div>\n          <span class=\"icon\"><svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><!----><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/punters\/assets\/brand-icons\/neds\/svg-sports-afl-icon.svg?v=20260707b#geelong-cats\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n        <\/div>\n      <!--\/div -->\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n      <div class='teams-tip-content'>\n      <p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Big watch here on the Hawks as they return from a lengthy break of almost three weeks. We last saw Sam Mitchell\u2019s side ravage understrength Sydney with a big fourth quarter, led by the usual cast of Jai Newcombe, Mabior Chol and Dylan Moore. It was the first time all season\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0seen the Hawks play with their usual attacking edge \u2013 a welcome sign as they head into what is always a spirited Easter Monday clash with rivals Geelong. The Cats,\u00a0on\u00a0the other\u00a0hand, have left plenty to be\u00a0desired\u00a0despite winning\u00a0back-to-back\u00a0games over\u00a0Freo and Adelaide. With an\u00a0aging list, points have\u00a0proven hard to come by (12<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in the competition), but Geelong\u2019s pressure\u00a0remains\u00a0as\u00a0ferocious as ever with Chris Scott\u2019s side sitting second in tackles.\u00a0All in all, only a few goals ever separate these two teams and given both are yet to really click into gear, a\u00a0bet\u00a0each way is how\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0playing this one.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n        <div class=\"teams-tip-button\">\t\t\t\n          <a class=\"track-me btn-standard bet-now-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/sports\/australian-rules\/afl\/hawthorn-vs-geelong-cats\/c2091b15-35b1-4c23-bd2b-f62f4d12b720\" target=\"_blank\" \n          data-tr-event=\"blog\" data-tr-method=\"bet now button\" data-tr-action=\"open sport_event\" data-tr-label=\"c2091b15-35b1-4c23-bd2b-f62f4d12b720\" data-tr-event-id=\"c2091b15-35b1-4c23-bd2b-f62f4d12b720\"  \n          >Hawks vs Cats<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just over a month of footy is in the books and the pressure is already mounting for a few coaches on the chopping block. It&#8217;s another big week for two of Melbourne&#8217;s biggest clubs, starting with Carlton stepping out on Good Friday to face North, and Essendon facing another stiff challenge on Easter Sunday against a well-rested Bulldogs outfit looking to maintain a Top 4 spot on the ladder. The five-day feast of footy culminates with the traditional Easter Monday game between long-time foes Hawthorn and Geelong, a game that should tell us plenty about the finals credentials of both&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":84506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,1],"tags":[33],"hub_post_cat":[],"class_list":["post-84501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australian-rules","category-uncategorized","tag-afl-tips"],"acf":{"md_tip_date":"","md_tip_date_end":"","md_market_url":"","tip_date":"31\/03\/2026","event_country":"Australia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84501\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84501"},{"taxonomy":"hub_post_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub_post_cat?post=84501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}