This weekend, the pursuit of value takes us to the other side of the world as the Gold Coast Suns host the Adelaide Crows in round one of the 2024 AFL (Australian Football League) campaign.
However, the name “Round 1” is a bit of a misnomer.
This season, the AFL decided to emulate college football's “Week Zero” initiative and hand-picked eight teams to open the season with a game dubbed “Round Zero” last weekend.
The idea was to draw on the best storylines from previous years (rematches from the playoffs, coaches/players playing against their old teams, etc.) to ensure enough buzz to start the campaign.
The idea looked like it would work, with stadiums packed to capacity across Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but the problem was that the league and its 18 member teams decided that the idea would lead to a competitive imbalance in the first round. It is an admission that it produces. Clubs that did participate in Round Zero will have a distinct advantage when playing against clubs that did not participate in Round Zero.
One of those games will take place early on Saturday morning when the Gold Coast Suns host the Adelaide Crows following last week's impressive win over the Richmond Tigers.
At the time of writing, Gold Coast are 7.5 point favorites to win, but this seems a little short given they have home field advantage and, importantly, have already played a competitive game.
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But it's not just the scheduling that makes it worth playing.
Gold Coast also has one of the most dynamic rosters in the competition, with Matt Rowell in particular looking like a serious Brownlow Medal (MVP) candidate right away.
It may take some time for the betting market to catch up to the Suns under new head coach Damien Hardwick, so get in on the Suns before their secrets are revealed.
play: Gold Coast Suns -7.5 (-110, DraftKings)
