AFL 2025 Round 9 – Betting Tips, Odds & Predictions

Round 8 was, for the most part, incredibly underwhelming, with a number of horrendous games scattered across the weekend. Fortunately, the Magpies vs Cats game went some way to compensating, with Jack Crisp’s missed shot after the siren in his milestone game an incredible ending to one of the games of the year. Hopefully Round 9 yields a few more games of quality than last weekend, and with seven games boasting lines of under two goals that looks likely. Check out our AFL tips and predictions for all nine games set to take place over the course of the round below.

The Dockers’ start to the season had been decent without being outstanding, but it is difficult to describe how bad they were against the Saints last Friday night. The lack of attacking intent which has at times been an issue for them in recent years was on full show, with Ross Lyon’s Saints putting a stranglehold on the visitors and keeping them to just eight scoring shots and 33 points. They looked like the worst team in the league in that game, and back on home turf this weekend will need to play a hell of a lot better against arguably the best team in the league or they will be in for another beating.

The Magpies are coming off a loss of their own, but in stark contrast to that of Fremantle, they would have lost no fans from that defeat to the Cats. Milestone man Jack Crisp had a chance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat after the siren but pulled his kick, but result aside, it was a fantastic game between two teams that look likely to be there when the whips are cracking this weekend. Based on last weekend alone the Magpies should win this one easily, but the Dockers are capable of playing a whole lot better and will surely bring a lot more intensity to this game than they did their last. But Collingwood is a quality team, and even with a few stars being rested, can bounce back from their heartbreaking defeat last weekend with a tight win.

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Magpies to win	$1.57
	Magpies 1-24	$3.40
	Magpies 1-39	$2.25

Predicted Squads

Fremantle Dockers: B: L. Ryan, A. Pearce, B. Cox HB: K. Worner, J. Draper, J. Clark C: J. Sharp, S. Bolton, M. Johnson HF: M. Frederick, S. Switkowski, P. Voss F: L. Jackson, J. Treacy, J. Amiss FOLL: S. Darcy, C. Serong, A. Brayshaw I/C: M. Reid, B. Banfield, C. Wagner, I. Dudley, W. Brodie EMG: O. McDonald, L. Reidy, N. Erasmus

Collingwood Magpies: B: J. Howe, D. Moore, D. Houston HB: H. Perryman, B. Frampton, J. Daicos C: J. Crisp, S. Sidebottom, P. Lipinski HF: B. Hill, T. Membrey, J. Elliott F: B. McCreery, M. Cox, L. Schultz FOLL: D. Cameron, N. Long, N. Daicos I/C: C. West, E. Allan, W. Hoskin-Elliot, I. Quaynor, O. Markov EMG: E. Allan, T. Mitchell, B. Maynard

Disappointing as the Dockers were in that game last Friday night, the Saints were excellent, executing Ross Lyon’s ideal game as they strangled their opponent for a full four quarters and did enough going the other way to rack up a big win. While they are almost certainly no better than a mid-tier team, the Saints have had a couple of impressive performances this year, with that game joining a win over Port Adelaide in Adelaide, and a defeat of the Cats among their 2025 conquests.

The Blues, meanwhile, fell in a heap after three really good weeks, proving no match for the Crows in Adelaide. That ten-goal loss came after three consecutive wins, including one against the Cats, continuing what has been a pretty erratic start to the season for a team which entered it with Premiership aspirations. They have played some good teams to start the year and have by and large proven unable to beat them, with the Cats the only team of note they have managed a victory against through the first two months of the year. But as long as they have names like Patrick Cripps, Jacob Weitering, Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay and a few others running around, it’s hard to completely write them off. This is not an easy one to pick and both sides are more than capable of winning, but the Blues have a little more talent and can bounce back from a bad game last week with a tight win.

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Blues to win	$1.65
	Blues 1-24	$3.40
	Blues 1-39	$2.25

Predicted Squads

St. Kilda Saints: B: D. Howard, C. Wilkie, J. Webster HB: R. Byrnes, N. Wanganeen-Milera, J. Sinclair C: D. Wilson, L. Stocker, L. Connell HF: H. Garcia, B. Hill, M. Owens F: C. Sharman, A. Caminiti, J. Higgins FOLL: R. Marshall, J. Macrae, J. Steele I/C: L. Collard, M. Hall, M. Windhager, H. Boxshall, M. Phillipou EMG: L. Henry, H. Boyd, T. Travaglia

Carlton Blues: B: J. Silvagni, J. Weitering, A. Saad HB: N. Haynes, M. McGovern, B. Acres C: E. Hollands, P. Cripps, O. Hollands HF: S. Walsh, H. McKay, J. Motlop F: L. Fogarty, C. Curnow, L. Young FOLL: T. De Koning, A. Cerra, G. Hewett I/C: W. White, M. Carrell, J. Binns, S. Docherty, L. Cowan EMG: F. Evans, C. Durdin, M. Pittonet

The Dees are gradually putting their dreadful start to the season behind them, with three consecutive wins coming after losing their first five. That was always a possibility; the win against Freo three weeks ago was solid, but since then they’ve had the Eagles and Tigers to deal with and have done what they needed to do. Still, they’ve won those two games by 20 and 32 points and have not exactly set the world on fire, so while they have got their season back on track to an extent, they’re still yet to really prove they’re capable of getting anywhere near the top eight. A strong performance this week against a Premiership favourite could change that.

Like the Demons, the Hawks have bounced back over the last fortnight with a couple of easy kills after losing a couple of games in a row, pumping first the Eagles and then the Tigers by 50+ points each. They were far too good for Richmond last weekend and the 65-point final margin could easily have been more, and while they won’t have quite as easy a time of things against the Demons they will still be expecting to pick up a relatively comfortable victory. Both these teams enter the game after a fortnight of easy games and will each be pushed more in this game than they have in those, but despite winning three in a row the Dees still look a level below the mass of teams vying for top eight spots. The Hawks, on the other hand, are bonafide contenders, and should be able to pick up another easy win.

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Hawks -24.5	$1.90
	Hawks 16+	$1.55
	Hawks 40+	$2.50

Predicted Squads

Melbourne Demons: B: J. Bowey, S. May, T. Rivers HB: C. Windsor, T. McDonald, J. McVee C: T. Sparrow, J. Viney, X. Lindsay HF: K. Tholstrup, J. Melksham, E. Langdon F: B. Fritsch, K. Chandler, K. Pickett FOLL: M. Gawn, C. Petracca, C. Oliver I/C: C. Spargo, C. Salem, H. Langford, D. Turner, H. Sharp EMG: J. van Rooyen, B. Laurie, B. Howes

Hawthorn Hawks: B: T. Barrass, B. Hardwick, J. Sicily HB: J. Battle, J. Impey, J. Weddle C: C. Macdonald, J. Ward, M. D’Ambrosio HF: H. Morrison, N. Watson, J. Ginnivan F: J. Gunston, M. Chol, D. Moore R: L. Meek, J. Newcombe, H. Hustwaite I/C: J. Worpel, L. Breust, F. Maginness, C. Jiath, K. Amon EMG: M. Ramsden, J. Serong, S. Frost

• The Bulldogs have won their last three games by an average of 64. 3 points, and against decent teams at that.
• The Magpies have had no issues playing Fremantle in Perth of late, with the home team winning just one of the last five between the two out west.
• The Lions have won seven in a row against the Kangaroos, and the last three have been by a ridiculous average of 84. 3 points.

Multi of the Week

The Bombers picked up their fourth win in five games last Thursday night to take their record to 4-3, but they were far from convincing against the Kangaroos. In what was, to be blunt, a pretty bad game, they crept over the line against one of the league’s worst teams by just three points, meaning in their last three games they’ve now beat the Roos by three points, lost by seven goals to the Magpies, and beaten the Eagles by two points – hardly a glittering run of form. They can be fun to watch at times with their high-risk game style, but nobody should be getting too excited about their winning record of late given the quality of their last couple of victories.

The Swans, meanwhile, have not had the start to the season that they wanted, but they recorded a really impressive win in the Battle of the Bridge last weekend, overcoming a significant injury list to beat one of the better teams in the league. At their best the Swans are still a dangerous team and with plenty of best 22 players to come back still have the capacity to be a force this season, but at 3-5 they need to keep winning. This weekend they will still be without up to nine or ten of their best, but nonetheless they should be good enough to knock over the Bombers.

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Swans to win	$1.60
	Swans -8.5	$1.91
	Swans 16+	$2.10

Predicted Squads

Essendon Bombers: B: A. McGrath, B. McKay, J. Prior HB: M. Redman, Z. Reid, S. El-Hawli C: X. Duursma, Z. Merrett, B. Hobbs HF: L. Hayes, N. Caddy, N. Martin F: K. Langford, P. Wright, I. Kako FOLL: T. Goldstein, J. Caldwell, S. Durham INT: E. Tsatas, W. Setterfield, A. Perkins, A. Roberts, J. Menzie EMG: T. Edwards, D. Parish, A. Day-Wicks

Sydney Swans: B: J. Hamling, T. McCartin, M. Roberts HB: D. Rampe, N. Blakey, S. Wicks C: J. Lloyd, I. Heeney, O. Florent HF: B. Campbell, A. Francis, J. Jordon F: W. Hayward, H. McLean, Co. Warner FOLL: B. Grundy, Ch. Warner, J. Rowbottom I/C: P. Ladhams, R. Bice, C. Cleary, J. McInerney, A. Sheldrick EMG: T. Hanily, N. Bowman, T. Adams

There are a couple of enthralling games on Saturday night, kicking off with the Suns hosting the Dogs in a game in which betting sites cannot pick a winner. Maybe given the game is on the Gold Coast that’s understandable, but to me the Dogs look like big overs here. The Suns have certainly had a good start to the season, but they have benefited massively from a super easy draw, beating the Eagles, Demons and Kangaroos in the first month before losing to the Tigers. Their win over the Swans a fortnight ago was impressive, but they were no match for the Lions last Sunday night in a game which highlighted the gap between them and the top teams.

The Bulldogs are one of those. They might still be viewed as a tier below the likes of the Lions, Magpies and Cats, but Luke Beveridge’s chargers have hardly put a foot wrong this season, and with talent to burn and a much more well-rounded distribution of key position players than they have had in the past, this team should be right in the conversation as a Premiership favourite. They were terrific once again last weekend, picking up their third big win in a row as they absolutely dismantled the Power by 90 points. These two teams might be sitting on five wins apiece, but the Dogs are a really, really good side, while the Suns are probably closer to the mid-tier Power team that the Doggies just beat by 15 goals. Don’t expect as big a win in this one, but the visitors should be favourites and look like great value at close to even money.

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Bulldogs to win	$1.90
	Bulldogs 16+	$2.80
	Bulldogs 25+	$3.60

Predicted Squads

Gold Coast Suns: B: M. Andrew, B. Uwland, S. Collins HB: J. Noble, W. Powell, D. Rioli C: N. Holman, M. Rowell, T. Miller HF: B. Ainsworth, J. Walter, S. Flanders F: W. Graham, E. Read, B. King FOLL: J. Witts, B. Humphrey, N. Anderson I/C: J. Jeffrey, B. Long, C. Budarick, D. Swallow, B. Fiorini EMG: J. Rogers, N. Moyle, S. Clohesy

Western Bulldogs: B: L. Cleary, J. O’Donnell, L. Bramble HB: J. Johannisen, R. Lobb, B. Dale C: B. Williams, E. Richards, J. Freijah HF: J. Harmes, B. Khamis, M. Kennedy F: R. Sanders, A. Naughton, R. West FOLL: T. English, M. Bontempelli, T. Liberatore I/C: S. Davidson, L. McNeil, A. Treloar, L. Vandermeer, J. Busslinger EMG: J. Dolan, T. Duryea, C. Hynes

The Showdown has delivered plenty of times in the past even when there has been a big gap between these two teams, so with each of them playing at a similar level this season we could be in for a cracking edition of one of the biggest rivalries in footy. Perhaps that’s a bit of a disservice to the Crows – they have clearly taken a massive step forward this season, and while they haven’t been able to bring the same level every single week, their best has been excellent and they showed it last weekend with a thumping ten-goal win over a Blues team coming off three consecutive wins.

The Power, meanwhile, did not have such a good weekend. After three wins on the trot – two impressive ones against the Hawks and Swans, one not so impressive against the Kangaroos – they were absolutely mauled by an on-song Bulldogs unit, kicking just five goals down in Ballarat in a 15-goal demolition. While the Dogs were great in that game, the Power were the exact opposite and if they play like that against the Crows will be in for another big loss. But motivation is not typically difficult to find for these teams in the Showdown. Expect the Power to bounce back with a much better performance, but the Crows have looked like the better Adelaide side so far this year. This rivalry is locked at 28 wins apiece heading into this game, but the Crows can snatch the ascendency with a win in a tightly contested game on Saturday night.

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Crows to win	$1.62
	Crows 1-24	$3.50
	Crows 1-39	$2.30

Predicted Squads

Port Adelaide Power: B: La. Jones, A. Aliir, M. Bergman HB: C. Rozee, E. Ratugolea, K. Farrell C: W. Drew, O. Wines, J. Burgoyne HF: J. Mead, M. Georgiades, W. Rioli F: S. Powell-Pepper, O. Lord, H. Jackson FOLL: J. Sweet, J. Horne-Francis, Z. Butters I/C: L. Evans, D. Byrne-Jones, D. Visentini, T. Boak, J. Finlayson EMG: C. Moraes, R. Atkins, R. Burton

Adelaide Crows: B: J. Worrell, J. Butts, R. Laird HB: W. Milera, M. Keane, M. Michalanney C: I. Cumming, J. Dawson, D. Curtin HF: B. Keays, R. Thilthorpe, S. Berry F: D. Fogarty, T. Walker, A. Neal-Bullen FOLL: R. O’Brien, J. Soligo, I. Rankine I/C: Z. Taylor, J. Rachele, M. Hinge, J. Peatling, L. Nankervis EMG: S. Draper, C. Burgess, B. Smith

Wins for the Tigers and Eagles will be tough to find for the Tigers and the Eagles this year, but this represents a good chance for both of them to pick up four points. The Tiges have been better than most expected, with two really impressive wins in their first seven games against the Blues and the Suns in a season in which many didn’t even expect them to win two at all, though last week they put in probably their worst performance in 2025 to date against the Hawks. They were completely smothered by a really good team and the youth which is splattered across the park was well and truly exposed, but by and large they have still outperformed expectations in 2025 and now have a great chance to secure a third win at home against the Eagles.

West Coast remains the only winless team in the league, with Andrew McQualter’s first year as an official head coach – after he served as an interim coach for the Tigers a couple of years ago – proving, as expected, pretty difficult. They’ve at least avoided being completely pumped in recent weeks, losing by 32 points to the Demons, 50 points to the Hawks and two points to the Bombers in their last three games, and they have as good a chance as they’ve had all year to pick up their first four points this weekend. Don’t expect this game to reach any particularly lofty heights, or any sort of heights at all, but on their home turf the young Tigers might just be able to do enough to keep the Eagles winless.

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Tigers to win	$1.57
	Tigers 1-39	$2.30
	Tigers 1-24	$3.30

Predicted Squads

Richmond Tigers: B: B. Miller, N. Balta, N. Vlastuin HB: J. Short, N. Broad, L. Trainor C: H. Ralphsmith, T. Dow, S. Banks HF: S. Campbell, J. Ross, S. Green F: J. Faull, T. Lynch, R. Mansell FOLL: T. Nankervis, T. Taranto, J. Hopper I/C: K, McAuliffe, T. Brown, K. McIntosh, S. Lalor, T. Sonsie EMG: C. Gray, J. Bauer, J. Trezise

West Coast Eagles: B: R. Maric, R. Bazzo, L. Baker HB: L. Duggan, O. Allen, J. Hunt C: B. Hough, T. Kelly, R. Ginbey HF: J. Graham, J. Waterman, M. Owies F: L. Ryan, A. Reid, J. Cripps, FOLL: M. Flynn, J. Hutchinson, H. Reid I/C: E. Hewett, T. Brockman, J. Williams, T. Cole, T. Dewar EMG: T. Gross, B. Williams, H. Davis

There are a couple of games on Sunday that won’t exactly see neutrals rushing to the TV sets, but this is the exception. Clearly the game of the day and one of the best of the weekends, this one will see two genuine contenders go head-to-head at the Cattery, though the two enter the game coming off a vastly different few weeks. The Cats are fresh off a thrilling win over the Magpies in one of the games of the season, meaning in the last three weeks they have now beaten both the Pies and the Hawks – though a loss to the Blues in the middle was a disappointing result. All three of those games have been hotly contested and gone down to the wire, so they are primed for what should be another finals-like game on Sunday.

But the Giants, in contrast, have lost three on the trot and are another loss or two away from sounding the panic alarm. Their loss to the Swans last weekend followed defeats to the Crows and Bulldogs, and given the raft of injuries their cross-town rivals had, they will be fuming to have failed to get back on the winners’ list in that game. They really need to arrest this losing skid as soon as possible, but this is not an easy game in which to do it. Bizarrely, the Giants have a great record at GMHBA Stadium – a place where very few teams win – having won the last four games there, and that will give them a much-needed injection of confidence entering this one. Confidence, however, might not be enough. The Cats are playing much better footy at the minute, and on their home turf can continue their winning ways and send the Giants to a fourth consecutive loss.

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Cats to win	$1.48
	Cats 1-24	$3.40
	Cats 1-39	$2.20

Predicted Squads

Geelong Cats: B: C. O’Sullivan, S. De Koning, J. Henry HB: J. Kolodjashnij, M. O’Connor, Z. Guthrie C: M. Duncan, M. Holmes, O. Dempsey HF: B. Close, S. Mannagh, T. Stengle F: J. Cameron, P. Dangerfield, S. Neale FOLL: M, Blicavs, B. Smith, T. Atkins I/C: J. Bowes, O. Mullin, O. Henry, J. Clark, O. Wiltshire EMG: T. Clohesy, G. Stevens, M. Knevitt

Greater Western Sydney Giants: B: C. Idun, S. Taylor, H. Himmelberg HB: L. Whitfield, J. Buckley, L. Ash C: J. Wehr, F. Callaghan, C. Ward HF: D. Jones, A. Cadman, X. O’Halloran F: T. Greene, J. Hogan, H. Thomas FOLL: K. Briggs, J. Kelly, T. Green I/C: T. McMullin, C. Brown, J. Fonti, S. Coniglio, J. Stringer EMG: M. Gruzewski, C. Angove, L. Aleer

It has not been a particularly good start to the season for the Kangaroos, but after being on the receiving end of plenty of justified criticism they have at least been substantially more competitive over the past fortnight. After losing by just nine points to the Power two weeks ago, they very nearly fought back against the Bombers in a rare Thursday night game last weekend, ultimately falling three points short to fall to 1-7. Obviously, a win would be nice, but given how bad they had been over the previous month, competitive losses are a dramatic improvement. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see them even managing that this Sunday.

The Lions are now sitting clear on top of the ladder after grinding out an ugly but relatively comfortable defeat in the QClash against the Suns last Sunday, a result which took their record to 7-1. Concerningly for the rest of the competition, the reigning Premiers probably haven’t played at their absolute best, but have still done enough to lose just a solitary game – though a percentage of 114. 4% with that record shows they have had plenty of close wins. Not that they’ll care. Four points is four points and they are well-placed to lock up a top four and potentially top two spot, and if they’re worried about percentage, this game offers a good opportunity for them to give theirs a pretty significant boost.

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Lions 25+	$1.48
	Lions 40+	$2.01
	Lions -35.5	$1.90

Predicted Squads

North Melbourne Kangaroos: B: C. Comben, K. Dawson, A. Corr HB: L. McDonald, C. Daniel, T. Powell C: F. O’Sullivan, L. Davies-Uniacke, C. McKercher HF: D. Stephens, N. Larkey, H. Sheezel F: C. Zurhaar, J. Darling, J. Konstanty FOLL: T. Xerri, L. Parker, J. Simpkin INT: Z. Duursma, G. Wardlaw, W. Phillips, F. Maley, B. Scott EMG: A. Corr, D. Tucker, R. Hansen Jr

Brisbane Lions: B: D. Zorko, J. Payne, R. Lester HB: N. Answerth, H. Andrews, D. Wilmot C: J. Fletcher, H. McCluggage, J. Berry HF: C. Cameron, E. Hipwood, Z. Bailey F: C. Rayner, S. Day, C. Ah Chee FOLL: O. McInerney, J. Dunkley, L. Neale I/C: W. Ashcroft, L. Ashcroft, C. McKenna, D. Gardiner, W. McLachlan EMG: T. Doedee, J. Tunstill, D. Fort

Find those AFL betting tips and predictions useful? Then good news – that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what we offer at BettingTop10. We cover all angles when it comes to betting on sports in Australia, with our detailed bookmaker reviews helping you to find the best betting sites with bonuses, the best betting apps, which new betting sites you should check out and a whole lot more.

And if you’re after some more tips and predictions, then we’ve got plenty to offer in that regard too. Not only do we cover every week of the AFL season, but we do the same for the NRL and the AFLW, while we also provide three weekly NBA pieces throughout the course of the season over in the USA. So whether you’re after some general bookmaker advice or specific sports tips and predictions, we’ve got you covered.

More AFL Tips

• Top 8 Betting Odds and Predictions
• Premiership Winner Betting Preview
• Coleman Medal  Odds and Predictions
• Wooden Spoon Betting Least Wins
• Brownlow Medal Odds and Predictions
• AFL Grand Final Betting Sites