Round 10 of the 2023 AFL season saw Collingwood and Port Adelaide surge, a young gun reach new heights, while things got decidedly grim at West Coast.
Here’s how it looked for punters:
Pies, Port impress to shorten further
It was billed as the highest-profile match of the round, but by the end we didn’t learn anything we didn’t already know. And that is, that Collingwood are clear flag favourites, and Carlton are yet again also-rans.
The Pies ($1.45) easily accounted for the Blues ($2.70) to simply confirm their trajectories in 2023; Craig McRae’s men continue to go up, while Michael Voss’ side are plateauing at best. Unheralded star Brodie Mihocek (four goals, $5.60 pre-game) again starred as Collingwood easily accounted for the pre-game line of -14.5 to win by 28 points. The win sees them create the biggest gap in the flag market we’ve seen this AFL season to date. Collingwood shortened from $4.25 to $3.75 after the victory to create a buffer between it and the next-best Melbourne and Brisbane (both $5.00).
The Dees lengthened slightly after a last-gasp defeat at the hands of Port Adelaide, whose stunning turnaround this season continues. After going 1-2 to start the year, Ken Hinkley’s side have won SEVEN on the bounce after a four-point win as $2.25 underdogs. Out to $21 AFL Premiership hopes after their shaky start, the Power are into $10. A game clear inside the Top 4, they’re giving themselves every chance in 2023.
"It's one of the biggest calls in the club's history."
After a fantastic first half of 2023, should Port Adelaide re-sign Ken Hinkley?#9AFLSFS | @Channel9 pic.twitter.com/Exx0LZW1mv
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) May 21, 2023
Butters storms into Brownlow contention
It’s not a stretch, especially given the four-point margin, to say that Zak Butters singlehandedly gave Port Adelaide the aforementioned win over Melbourne. The numbers he threw up were simply incredible, as the 22-year-old became the youngest ever players to record a 40+ disposal, 10+ clearance and 2+ goal game. Praise came flooding in post-match. “One of the greatest individual games you’re ever likely to see”, AFL great Matthew Lloyd called it.
The performance begged the question: could Butters be in contention for the Brownlow? The player Hinkley described as a “tough, brave, little prick, who takes big moments and makes them something special” has already thrown up some big performances this year, and is certain to feature in early voting. In fact, the Round 10 effort has seen him shorten into a $12 fifth-favourite. This is all the more impressive given the youngster started the AFL season at $151.
Port young gun Zak Butters has officially arrived as one of the AFL’s best#aflportdees https://t.co/kNiORiXCnO
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) May 19, 2023
Eagles approach rock-bottom
Losing by a three-figure margin usually spells deep trouble for any AFL side. When that loss happens to a fellow young, bottom-two straggler, then you’re approaching rock-bottom territory. Which is exactly where West Coast find themselves in after Round 10. Going in as $3.40 underdogs against the young Hawks side ($1.30) in Launceston, Adam Simpson’s men were at the very least expected to finally be competitive in a match after seven straight AFL defeats of 40+ points. However that hope that swiftly erased. And by the end of a second half in which they failed to register a goal, the Eagles walked off the ground on the wrong side of a 116-point defeat. The result, a whopping 94-point swing on the pre-game line, was one of the biggest this season to date. And it makes West Coast now $1.25 favourites to finish with the least wins in 2023, after starting the year at $6.00.
A new low for the Eagles and the power of the unknown driving Ken and Port Adelaide.@barrettdamian discusses the big stories to come out of round 10.https://t.co/01e5TpHbNE
— AFL (@AFL) May 21, 2023
