{"id":86482,"date":"2026-06-02T17:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T07:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/?p=86482"},"modified":"2026-06-04T07:10:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T21:10:55","slug":"2026-afl-round-13-tips-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/2026\/06\/2026-afl-round-13-tips-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 AFL Round 13 Tips & Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The King\u2019s Birthday long weekend delivers a four-day footy feast, kicking off with a pair of must-see Top 8 clashes between the Crows and Cats on Thursday night, followed by the Hawks and Dogs on Friday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saturday is headlined by a finals rematch and the first Q-Clash of the year between the Suns and the Lions, while the Pies and Dees have the MCG stage all to themselves on Monday with close to even money on offer. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\n \n
\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n
\n
Adelaide Crows<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Geelong Cats<\/div>\n
Thursday 4th June 7:30 PM (Adelaide Oval)<\/div>\n
Tip: Over 165.5 Total Points @ $1.88 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n

Could<\/span> be a good one to <\/span>sit on the fence and play the Over. Taylor Walker\u00a0<\/span>looks<\/span>\u00a0a good chance at returning after snagging five goals down at the SANFL, although Izak Rankine is under a bit of an injury cloud with a calf complaint.\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m<\/span>\u00a0of the opinion Adelaide is an entirely different outfit w<\/span>ithout him\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0the side, and not for the better, of course. The Cats, meanwhile, have been one of the top scoring sides in the competition all year and will no doubt be hungry to bounce back from a head scratching loss to the Blues last week. Ten of the last 18 games played betw<\/span>een these two have gone Over the Total, so\u00a0<\/span>that\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0how\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m<\/span>\u00a0playing this Top 8 belter.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Crows vs Cats<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n
\n
Hawthorn<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Western Bulldogs<\/div>\n
Friday 5th June 7:40 PM (Marvel Stadium)<\/div>\n
Tip: Hawks to Cover (-20.5 Points) @ $1.90 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n

Another Top 8 battle that<\/span>\u00a0sees the Hawks and Dogs meet for the second time\u00a0<\/span>this year<\/span>. The Hawks did a number on Luke Beveridge\u2019s side at Gather Round<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>they will face\u00a0<\/span>an even stronger outfit this time around with Mabior Chol fit and Will Day returning to the side last week\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>18 touches in the big win over St Kilda. The Jack Gunston show continues to\u00a0<\/span>impress, although there is something to be said for this gritty, never-say-die Bulldogs\u00a0<\/span>squad<\/span>. The likes of Tom Barass and Cody Weightman are names to watch on the injury front for both sides, and their inclusion could really help turn this into a<\/span>\u00a0much closer game than the one we were promised in Adelaide. The\u00a0<\/span>Dogs were smashed around the ruck in their\u00a0<\/span>previous<\/span>\u00a0meeting in a game that really got away from them early. The Hawks replicated that performance against the Saints last week, and\u00a0<\/span>they\u2019ll<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>likely win<\/span>\u00a0this win by at least a few goals, like the line suggests.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Hawks vs Dogs<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n
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North Melbourne<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Fremantle<\/div>\n
Saturday 6th June 2:15 PM (Hands Oval)<\/div>\n
Tip: Fremantle 1-39 @ $2.15 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n

The Dockers passed the litmus test with flying\u00a0<\/span>colours<\/span>\u00a0last week, running out 25\u00a0<\/span>points winners<\/span>\u00a0against the reigning premiers. Limiting a near full strength Lions squad to 78 po<\/span>ints was impressive and yet another example of how well Alex Pearce and the rest of Freo\u2019s defenders set up behind the ball. North has stood strong against Top 8 opponents this year,\u00a0<\/span>playign the Lions and Cats close earlier in the year before the fourth quarter got away from them. They were rewarded with a confidence-boosting win over the Suns before the bye, but whether fresh legs\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0enough to offset a potent Freo attack that could rec<\/span>eive a big boost in the form of star midfielder Caleb Serong remains to be seen.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Roos vs Dockers<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n \n
\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n
\n
Gold Coast Suns<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Brisbane Lions<\/div>\n
Saturday 6th June 2026 5:15 PM (People First Stadium)<\/div>\n
Tip: Gold Coast 1-39 @ $2.30 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n

Another highly\u00a0<\/span>anticipated<\/span>\u00a0Q-Clash with both the Suns and Lions sliding down the ladder at warp speed. The Suns have had an extra week to get their heads right after suffering one of the upsets of the season two weeks ago against North, while the Lions have dropped three in a row after failing to turn up for a big tilt last week against the Dockers.\u00a0<\/span>Whether Chris Fagan finally swings the axe on team list Thursday remains to be seen, but there are big question marks around players like Cam Rayner and Josh Dunkley after what has\u00a0<\/span>largely been<\/span>\u00a0a disappointing season. Surprisingly, the Lions are also leaking goals at an alarming rate,\u00a0<\/span>compounded even further by some of their scoring woes of late. Fagan is out of answers, and against a Suns team that has held opponents to the\u00a0<\/span>second-fewest<\/span>\u00a0inside 50 entries all year<\/span>, this<\/span>\u00a0looks like a good spot for them to enact a bit of revenge for last year\u2019s finals\u00a0<\/span>embarrassment<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Suns vs Lions<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n \n
\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n
\n
West Coast Eagles<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Port Adelaide<\/div>\n
Saturday 6th June 8:15 PM (Optus Stadium)<\/div>\n
Tip: West Coast to Win @ $2.35 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n

Certainly not a game that holds any\u00a0<\/span>finals<\/span>\u00a0implications, but it could go a long way to\u00a0<\/span>determining<\/span>\u00a0the bottom of the ladder when\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0all said and done. West Coast has improved\u00a0<\/span>considerably in<\/span>\u00a0comparison to the wooden spoon outfit we saw 12 months ago,\u00a0<\/span>putting away a hopeless Bombers outfit by 30 points last week in blustery conditions. Harley Reid\u00a0<\/span>remains<\/span>\u00a0a one-man show at times, while a win three weeks ago against a red-hot GWS side reads quite well in terms of form.\u00a0<\/span>Bizarrely,\u00a0<\/span>Port has\u00a0<\/span>opened\u00a0<\/span>favourites<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>away from home, which comes as a surprise\u00a0<\/span>given,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>they\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0struggled to move the ball through the middle over the last fortnight, not to mentio<\/span>n\u00a0<\/span>ranking 14<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in points across the year.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Eagles vs Power<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n \n
\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n
\n
Sydney Swans<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
St Kilda<\/div>\n
Sunday 7th June 3:15 PM (SCG)<\/div>\n
Tip: Swans to Cover (-29.5 Points) @ $1.90 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n

It’s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>not quite hot<\/span>\u00a0seat time, but the<\/span>\u00a0pitchforks are starting to\u00a0<\/span>emerge<\/span>\u00a0around Saints coach Ross Lyon. A goalless first half last week in a blowout loss to the Hawks has left 12<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0placed St Kilda searching for answers,\u00a0<\/span>a far cry from the position many envisioned after they signed Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera to big money this time last year before a lavish offseason of signings. A game against Sydney\u00a0<\/span>couldn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0have come at a worse time, especially after Hawthorn had their way moving the<\/span>\u00a0ball forward last week to find wide open targets. Sloppy turnovers and injuries to key players like Jack Higgins make this a grim time to be a Saints fan, and it might be about to get worse before it gets better.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Swans vs Saints<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
\n
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\n \n
\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n
\n
Essendon <\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Carlton<\/div>\n
Sunday 7th June 7:20 PM (MCG)<\/div>\n
Tip: Carlton 1-39 @ $2.20 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n

So<\/span>\u00a0fitting that these two sides should meet after what has\u00a0<\/span>transpired<\/span>\u00a0off the field over the last few weeks. After sacking Michael Voss, suddenly, the Blues are back in the Wild Card conversation after rattling off a stunning third straight win last week against Geelong, while Bombers fans failed to receive the same sh<\/span>ot in the arm with their side going down by a big margin to West Coast following the midweek firing of Brad Scott.\u00a0<\/span>Essendon\u2019s injury list\u00a0<\/span>remains<\/span>\u00a0a mile long, and with plenty of distractions around James Hird happening on the sideline, the Blues should be stretching their winning streak to four on the trot so long as they take the Bombers seriously.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Bombers vs Blues<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n \n
\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n
\n
Collingwood<\/div>\n
vs<\/div>\n
Melbourne<\/div>\n
Monday 8th June 3:15 PM (MCG)<\/div>\n
Tip: Either Team to Win By Less Than 24.5 Points @ $1.82 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/use><\/svg><\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n

The traditional King\u2019s Birthday game should be a doozy with Collingwood<\/span>\u00a0back outside the finals\u00a0<\/span>picture<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and the Dees looking to snap a two-game skid.\u00a0<\/span>Wayward kicking has been front and\u00a0<\/span>centre<\/span>\u00a0of Melbourne\u2019s recent struggles, which ironically has been the case when these two sides have last met. Collingwood has won five in a row over the Dees dating right back to 2023, their last two battles being tight, hard-fought classics.\u00a0<\/span>Collingwood has a knack of bringing its opponents down to their level by playing a slow, methodical brand of footy, but with the bookies struggling to separate the two, a\u00a0<\/span>Tribet<\/span>\u00a0might be the easiest way to go.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\n Pies vs Dees<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The King\u2019s Birthday long weekend delivers a four-day footy feast, kicking off with a pair of must-see Top 8 clashes between the Crows and Cats on Thursday night, followed by the Hawks and Dogs on Friday.  Saturday is headlined by a finals rematch and the first Q-Clash of the year between the Suns and the Lions, while the Pies and Dees have the MCG stage all to themselves on Monday with close to even money on offer.  Adelaide Crows vs Geelong Cats Thursday 4th June 7:30 PM (Adelaide Oval) Tip: Over 165.5 Total Points @ $1.88 Could be a good…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":86483,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,10157],"tags":[33],"hub_post_cat":[],"class_list":["post-86482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australian-rules","category-afl-tips","tag-afl-tips"],"acf":{"md_tip_date":"","md_tip_date_end":"","md_market_url":"","tip_date":"02\/06\/2026","event_country":"Australia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86482","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=86482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86482"},{"taxonomy":"hub_post_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub_post_cat?post=86482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}