Sportsbet Blog

Barry Hall has always said that he would consider a boxing career after football. Now that he has retired from the AFL he may be getting in the ring sooner rather than later.

Big dollars have been waved into Barry’s face to don on the gloves in what would be a boxing promoters dream.

He has had talks with champion boxer and promoter Danny Green which could see him moving to Perth to join the Green team in a boxing career. Green has said that he wants to be Hall’s promoter and that Barry could earn $1 million just for signing with him as a professional boxer.

Green has had numerous sparing sessions with Hall in the past and said that he can take a punch and has great movement around the ring.

Australia’s leading boxing agent Angelo Hyder has been quoted saying that Hall has the potential to fight all over the world and could make up to $10 million per fight. A fair pay rise from the $600,000 per season he was getting at the Swans. Angelo believes that Hall would get a shot at a world title.

There is speculation that a ex NRL footballer now pro boxer John Hopoate could be Barry’s first fight in what would be a massive event for Australian boxing. The AFL v NRL rivalry would draw a massive crowd and millions of people to watch the fight on Pay Per View where the big money is. It would be one of the most anticipated fights in Australian boxing history. Hopoate has made the transition into boxing very well with 11 wins from just 14 fights.

Barry Hall was a amateur boxing state champion as a schoolboy and started boxing when he was 14 before quitting to pursue his AFL career.

IASbet is the place to go for boxing bets. They have markets on all the Australian and International fights including both Danny Green and John Hopoate upcoming fights.

IASbet gives you a $100 free bet when you use the promotional code BFF100 on the joining page and make $50 worth of bets on any sport or horse race. Check IASbet out here.

Below is Barry’s well known punch on Eagles Brent Staker.

With the $10 million upgrades finishing on schedule the Toowoomba Turf Club will be presenting their amazing new cushion track with an action packed program under lights this Saturday.

IASbet’s bookmaker Mark Read identifies the inaugural $150,000 2009 Weetwood Handicap as the pick of the card, stating that the field is arguably one of the best assembled in Queensland this year.
“The pace will be strong from the outset as Wasted Emotions ($3.80) will be pressured at the front by Danzylum ($16.00) and Vocalic ($34.00),” said Read.

“My tip, and I feel strongly about this one, is Voice Commander ($4.80) ridden by the inform Tye Angland. The gelding has been racing very well lately without race patterns and conditions suiting him. He trains on a similar surface in Canberra, and, all factors considered, this event looks to be the ideal race for him.”

Although he has a poor draw at 13 he has the speed to overcome the gate and will be up there come the end of the race.

Voice Commander had a troubled race at a recent run at the Sunshine Coast but he still passed about seven horses and ran home so you can trust that the horse has returned to some former glory if he gets a good run at it.

It could possibly be Voice Commander’s final run in Queensland this year with trainer Nick Olive undecided about his future past the Weetwood Handicap. “He might have one or two starts in the early spring, probably in Melbourne, and then we’ll turn him out and bring him back for the Magic Millions in January.”

Olive also isn’t worried about Voice Commander handling the newly made cushion track under lights and said “I don’t think it will be a problem. I know it’s a bit of a different surface but he’s worked on the Acton track at Canberra his whole career so I don’t think the track will worry him at all.”

IASbet is the place to go for this weekends big race. They currently have an offer where if you make $50 worth of bets you will recieve a $100 free bet. Simply use the promo code BFF100 on the joining page.

This weeks game of the round is Friday nights Bulldogs V Collingwood game which should be a great game to watch even for the neutral supporter. Another interesting game will be the Geelong against the Lions at the Gabba. Can Geelong keep their heads up even without some of their big names?

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Sports Bet of the Round

This weeks bet of the round is in a Carlton, Hawthorn and the Bulldogs in a multi bet. It will pay around $3.10 at Sportsbet who will also give you a $50 free bet on this weeks tip just for signing up with them.

Western Bulldogs V Collingwood Friday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Western Bulldogs

Another Friday night football blockbuster that should see Etihad stadium full again. Surprisingly the Bulldogs have only beaten one top eight side this year so they will be out to prove that they are a genuine contender for the premiership. Collingwood will be out to do the same after only beating two teams in the top 8. Brad Johnson and Adam Cooney are in fine form for the Doggies and will be the key to winning the match.

If the Bulldogs play with their usual flare they will be too hard to stop and should win comfortably by around 30 points.

Sydney V Essendon Saturday at the SCG

Tip: Essendon

Jobe Watson and Mark McVeigh are expected to return for the big game in Sydney this weekend. They will be needed inclusions in what was a disappointing performance last week against the pies. The Swans are locking down the hatches to weather the storm after two of the teams greats Barry Hall and Micheal O’Loughlin left the team which will effect how they play the game. Sydney will try put up a fight but will run out of legs come the end of the game. The Dons by 24 points.

Carlton V Richmond Saturday at the MCG

Tip: Carlton

Carlton will get the points here over a unorganised Tigers side. The Blues showed they can play under pressure with a good come back performance last week against Freo getting their season back on track. Expect to see some good form from Fev as we start to get closer to the finals, he will need to step up and return to last years form if they want a chance of a top 4 position and a decent chance at a grand final birth.

Brisbane V Geelong Saturday Night at the Gabba

Tip: Geelong

The Cats have had a horrible seven days with their first loss to the season and a number of injuries that if not managed properly could shape the rest of the season. Darren Milburn, Harry Taylor, David Wojcinski, Cameron Ling and Steve Johnson will all be tested before the teams list is finalised. Brad Ottens injury is taking longer than first thought and will miss another 3 weeks or so. But that being said they still have the depth to be a near unstoppable team. Even though they are playing at the Gabba which Brisbane play well at, the Cats should have a easy win.

Gary Abletts looks to be on track to winning the Brownlow Medal this year with the odds getting shorter and shorter as the rounds go by. Its may be the right time to get a bet on with his price to win at $2.10 with IASbet.

Adelaide V Fremantle Saturday Night at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Adelaide

The Crows are likely to continue their five game winning streak against Freo this weekend. They are playing great footy at the moment and look to be peaking at the right time of the season. Brett Burton will be a massive inclusion and has put his hand up for selection with the Crows after nearly 12 months out of the game due to a knee reconstruction.

Matthew Pavlich is a 50/50 to make the Freo side which would be very costly if he cant recover from a calf injury in time for the game.

My prediction is the Crows by around 28 points.

Hawthorn V North Melbourne Sunday at Aurora Stadium

Tip: Hawthorn

I’m giving the Hawks one more chance to show what they are capable of. If they loose this one they might as well pack up shop and start playing the kids because they have a hellish run home with games against the Saints and Geelong to play in coming weeks. If Sam Mitchell doesn’t want another beer tipped over him again they better put on a better performance than last week for their record number of members. I think the loss may spark them into gear knowing now that there are alot of people looking at their results with interest. IASbet also think the Hawks will win and have set them at $1.51 to win.

You get a $100 free bet when betting only $50 at IASbet when using the promo code BFF100 on the signup page, this might be a good game to get a few dollars on Buddy Franklin to kick the first goal. Check out the latest odds here.

Melbourne V Port Adelaide Sunday at the MCG

Tip: Port Adelaide

Port will be desperate to keep in contention with the top 8 this weekend against a reinvigorated Demons side. Chad Cornes is a massive inclusion for the Power and will be sure to make his mark on the game.

The Melbourne forward line will need to be reshuffled after Colin Sylvia accepted a 3 week ban for striking West Coast’s Scott Selwood last weekend. This will be very costly for them and they will struggle to string 2 wins together on Sunday.

Port Adelaide by 30 points.

West Coast V St Kilda Sunday at Subiaco

Tip: St Kilda

Last week I dared to tip against my team the Saints and they come up with the good with what’s been called the greatest game of all time. It will be the last time I do that. St Kilda has still got the pressure that they showed early on in the season which has started to drop off a little until last week. They looked unstoppable and West Coast’s coach John Worsfold will find it very hard to find match ups all around the ground, especialy now that Dean Cox and Daniel Kerr look doutful for the game due to injury.

You might think that the Saints will blow the game out early but the Eagles caused one of the upsets of the year when they played last year in Perth easily accounting for the Saints. So if your looking to bet on this one I think Saints by under 39 would be a safe bet.

It was billed as a clash of the titans. A game between two giants of football that had gone unbeaten until round 14, a game more hyped than most of the Grand Finals to date. So the question was, could St Kilda and Geelong live up the expectation? The answer was a resounding YES.

St Kilda’s 6 point victory over Geelong is going to go down in history as one of the greatest games of all time and rightly so. Each side traded blows and produced some of the best goals, marks and all round football ever seen on the oval pitch. St Kilda were at their devastating best and can now say they can match it with the bog boys. They led for most of the match and streamed out to a 23 point lead in the final quarter. But Geelong can never be counted out and levelled the scores late on only for Michael Gardiner to score the fourth of his goals and seal the 91-85 victory.

Despite the Saints win, the bookmakers still have Geelong as favourites to take the flag and rightly so in the eyes of Tigers star Matthew Richardson, “Geelong have been the best team in the competition for the last three years, I think they have earn’t the right to lose a game and still be favourites” he said on Channel Ten’s ‘One Week At A Time’. And I agree, I thought that the Saints would be up for that one, but when Grand Final day comes along (Which I am sure will be between these two teams) Geelong are not only going to be out for revenge in a big way, but they will also be looking forward to wiping away the painful memory of last years defeat to Hawthorn. Get on Geelong to bounce back from this defeat and win the flag at sportsbet.

Brownlow Betting

Nicky “Dangerbolt” Riewoldt took one of the marks of the season early on against Geelong and put in another outstanding performance cementing his reputation as the best big forward in the competition, and it finally looks like he his getting some Brownlow recognition from the bookies. Sportsbet have brought his odds in to $8.00 and he is now third favourite behind Ablett and Judd. While I still feel that Ablett will come away with this one Riewoldt could be a great outside bet. Go to sportsbet now to get your free $50 bet on the Brownlow winner.

The St Kilda win has also brought up another question will they go undefeated for the whole season. If you think that they can, and why not? Sportsbet are paying out $5.50 on this market.

The worlds most grueling bicycle race the  Tour De France is under way for the 96th time with Cadel Evans looking to improve on his second place finishes in 2007 and 2008 to become the first Australian to win the coveted title. Evans led for much of the 3,500km last year and to fall back in the last few stages. It was a great disappointment for the man who had started the race as favourite but many people are predicting that Cadel at 32 years old is at the peak of physical fitness and endurance and could just win at his fifth attempt.

Of course Evans has a lot of other competition to consider. Last years winner Carlos Sastre is bound to be up at the front, but there is also the Lance Armstrong factor to be aware of.

There will be something of a circus surrounding the seven times winner that will knock a lot of riders concentration. You would have to think that Armstrong who has been out of the sport for sometime and who has spent much of his comeback recovering from a broken collar bone will have little chance of just rocking up and winning this one. In fact Armstrong himself doesn’t expect to challenge and is just hoping to do a respectable job and bring some good publicity to his Livestrong cancer campaign. Despite this Sportsbet are paying out $5.50 and Lance Armstrong is second favourite to win his eighth Tour De France. Put you money elsewhere in my opinion.

The one thing that Armstrong will be able to do is guide team mate, 26 year old Spaniard and hot $2.00 favourite, Alberto Contador through every stage, giving him advice that only a seven time winner could give.

Contador is considered the best rider of his generation, he already has the Spanish time trial championships title under his belt and with Lance Armstrong as the Contador right hand man you can see why he is the favourite. Maybe I am being a little bias, but I think that Cadel Evans has the skill, the drive and the heart to take this one. Go to Sportsbet now and sign up to recieve a $50 free bet on Evans making history, at $7.00 it could be a nice little earner.

The battle for the 2009 Brownlow medal is starting to hot up with a number of players coming in to contention with some fantastic performances in recent weeks. Geelong superstar Gary Ablett is still the hot favourite to finally take out his first medal, but there is a group of players that includes former winner Chris Judd and St Kilda pair Nick Dal Santo and Leigh Montagna that could cause another upset for Ablett. Here at Sportbetblog we will give you a quick run down of who is really in contention.

Gary Ablett $2.00

At $2.00 Ablett is the hottest favourite to win the Brownlow medal since betting on the medal was allowed and rightly so. He is the all round footballer and is considered the best that there has ever been by many people. He tackles hard, scores his fair share of goals and regularly wracks up 30 + disposals. It would take a brave man to bet against him but stranger things have happened. Go to sportsbet now and register for your free bet.

Chris Judd $5.50

It was 2004 when Judd picked up his Brownlow medal in what was an outstanding season with The West Coast Eagles. In 2009 he looks like he has fully settled down with his new club Carlton and is again putting in some outstanding performances. Judd is averaging 27 disposals a game and 5 tackles. While these are some pretty impressive figures it is his presence and composure under pressure that set him apart from the majority of AFL players.

Dane Swan $12.00

Once you get past Ablett and Judd the odds start to lengthen significantly. But we should all know by now that bookmakers odds mean nothing when it comes to the Brownlow medal. Collinwoods Dane Swan has come from nowhere and is actually topping the overall stats list ahead of medal favourite Gary Ablett. Averaging 33 disposals, 19 kicks and 8 marks a game he has to be in with a shot, making $12.00 a great price.

Nick Dal Santo and Leigh Montagna $14.00 Nick ‘Dangerbolt’ Riewoldt $16.00

The performances of these three players in 2009 have been one of the main reasons that the Saints have performed so well this year. And you have to think that if they can keep it up and finish above Geelong that the 2009 Brownlow medallist will be one of these three. If I had to pick one of them it would definitely be Nick Riewoldt. To me he is one of the best players in the competition, but if the umpires tend to ignore forwards Nick might just miss out.

But when it comes down to it there is really only one winner and that is Gary Ablett. He is easily the best AFL player around if not of all time. Many people think he was unlucky not to win the medal in 2007 and 2008 and I feel that this will finally be his year. Go to sportsbet now to get your $50 free bet just for signing up.

It is nearly upon us. The game that everyone in the football world is dying to see. Both teams unbeaten, both teams looking almost unbeatable. So who will win the most anticipated game of football in years.

Despite St Kilda’s unbelievable form so far  it seems as though no one can see past the glitz and glamour of Geelong. Ablett, Bartel, Chapman and Corey, there is no doubt that Geelong is a team packed with superstars and it is because of those stars that sportsalive and every other bookmaker have them as hot favourites against St Kilda. But the saints have been on fire so far this year and shouldn’t be written off so easily. In Nick “Dangerbolt” Reiwoldt they have one of the best players in the competition. For the last few years Nick has promised so much, but has never really delivered on a regular basis, but this year is a totally different story. With 42 goals so far there is no doubt he is in fine form and has caused problems in everyone of St Kilda’s 13 victories. The Geelong defence are going to have a hard job keeping him under wraps. On top of having probably the best big forward in the competition they also have a revitalised Leigh Montanga in Brownlow Medal winning form. But it is their pressure on the ball that has impressed most people this year, and it is this that I feel will strangle the life out of Geelong and that will see The Saints cause something of an upset.

Sportsalive are paying $2.45 for the Saints to win this game and I feel that these are great odds. St Kilda will be out to prove a point and while I feel Geelong will go on to win the flag this will be the Saints night.

Sportsalive are also offering lots of different ways to get your money on this game with some fantastic little bets if you can’t pick a winner. They are paying out $3.70 that the first points of the game will be a St Kilda goal. Again I see this as a great bet as The Saints are going to come out all guns blazing. The only thing you would have to worry about would be that some of the St Kilda players can be a little wayward with their kicking early on and it might just slip past the post for a behind. But sportsalive are even paying $3.90 for that outcome so just take your pick.

Or how about a draw sportsalive are paying $61.00 for this very rare event, but it has been hard to pick between them so far this year so you just never know.

The time has finally come to witness history with two teams going head to head that are both on a unbeaten thirteen wins a feat which has never been seen before. Both St Kilda and Geelong look ready to what should be a cracker of a match. Round fourteen also has another great game in Essendon and Collingwood on Friday night. This weekend has the look of a finals series in July and by Sunday night we will know alot about how the rest of the season might be shaped.

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Sports Bet of the Round

Sportsbet are celebrating a massive round of footy with a “Blockbuster Double” market covering both the St Kilda v Geelong game and Essendon v Collingwood match. The sports bet of the round is Geelong and Collingwood to win in this market and will pay around $2.40 at Sportsbet who will also give you a $50 free bet on this weeks tip just for signing up with them here.

Essendon V Collingwood Friday Night at the MCG

Tip: Collingwood

This should be one to be remembered in be a very fast paced game with plenty of highlights with both teams coming off big wins. Collingwood look to be the stronger side on paper with Leon Davis and Scott Pendlebury both chances to come back to the inform Pies team but Essendons recent upsets made this game a tough one to pick. If Collingwood can slow the Dons down in the midfield they should be able to scratch out a hard fort win

Melbourne V West Coast Saturday at the MCG

Tip: West Coast

Home ground advantage won’t help Melbourne here as they continue their nightmare season. West Coast showed signs of what’s to come with a upset win against the Hawks last week and should easily over come Melbourne. Dean Cox will be a massive inclusion in the middle for the Eagles after recovering from injury. Keep an eye on Matthew Priddis, his first efforts on the ball are match winning and should do well this weekend.

Port Adelaide V Brisbane Sunday at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Brisbane

A win for the Lions here could see them in the top four and the form their usual goal kickers in Brown and Bradshaw are in should see them get a win over in Adelaide this weekend. Luke Power has also been instrumental in the middle helping the ball forward on numerous occasions in past weeks. Port Power are going through a rough patch at the moment only winning one of their last 5 games after what started a promising start to the season. They are struggling in defense with many crucial turn overs resulting in opposition goals. Brisbane by 29 points.

Western Bulldogs V Hawthorn Saturday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Western Bulldogs

A big football game for both clubs which will make for a great spectacle. The Bulldogs are looking for a win here to keep a very important one game lead of the positions 4 to 6 on the ladder. The Hawks who look down and out are just keeping in touch with the top 8 and a loss here would definitely spell end for a chance to go back to back premiers this year. Daniel Giansiracusa is a big loss for the Doggies and will miss 6 weeks after surgery to remove loose material in his knee.

The Bulldogs should win here but don’t put your house on it, I still feel the Hawks will make a decent run in the second half of the season and wouldn’t surprised if they get up at Etihad this weekend .

Richmond V Adelaide Saturday Night at the Gold Coast

Tip: Adelaide

Richmond continue to disappoint in what could have been a great year for them and will struggle to kick a winning score against the Crows this weekend. The Tigers forward line lacks the experience and the attack needed to be a top eight side. Adelaide on the other hand is looking to claim their sixth win in a row. Jason Porplyzia is the Crows key to winning after a great couple of weeks including four goals last weekend against the Swans. I’m tipping Adelaide to win by 28 points.

Sydney V North Melbourne Sunday at the SCG

Tip: Sydney

Even without big Barry Hall this weekend Sydney have the depth to get a win at the SCG. North’s forward line has failed so far this year and a long injury list including the lively Daniel Wells has hampered any attempts of a recovery. Marty Mattner and Rhyce Shaw have been the shining light for the Swans the the last few weeks, look out for them to have another high possession game here.

Fremantle V Carlton Sunday at Subiaco

Tip: Carlton

The Blues desperately need a win here to hit back after a disappointing loss last weekend against Essendon. Chris Judd and Bryce Gibbs with be the telling signs if the Blues are to get up, if these players get a few early possessions it seems to spur the whole team to step up.

Although I’ve tipped Carlton there could be a upset in the waiting with plenty of value for Freo who win a lot of games where they are underdogs. Sportsbet have them at $2.35 to win at Subiaco which I think is pretty good for a home ground advantage and worth a bet. Sportsbet will give you a $50 free bet on this game just for joining. Checkout the site here for the latest odds and to claim your $50 free bet.

St Kilda V Geelong Sunday at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Geelong

Have your video recorders set because you will want to see this one again. It was a very hard thing to do but I’m tipping against my Saints for the first time this year. I’ve seen a lot of Geelong’s games in the last few months and they look a more mature and solid team that usually play on their terms. That’s not saying St Kilda will get beaten heavily in what promises to be one of the games of the year. There will be key match ups all over the ground with the midfield match ups the most crucial. Gary Ablett will once again be the key to the match. I think the Saints will let him do his own thing and won’t assign a full time tagger on him and concentrate their efforts on other Geelong stars Jimmy Bartel and Joel Corey.

A draw would be a ideal result to both of these unbeaten clubs. I hope I’m wrong but my prediction is around a 12 point win to the Cats.