Basketball
AFL
Cricket
Horse Racing
NRL
Soccer
Tennis
All Sports
American Football
Boxing
Betting Masterclass
eSports
Golf
Greyhounds
Motor Sport
Rugby Union
UFC / MMA
Eight games, clear trends and a couple of real tests. Our AFL Round 6 predictions and tips cover every matchup with stats, H2H and players to watch.
Round 7 is the ANZAC Day round, and it delivers exactly the slate you want after six rounds of the ladder settling: a Thursday-night blockbuster that kicked the round off at Docklands, a huge ANZAC Day MCG centrepiece, and a Showdown-for-percentage in Adelaide. If you missed last weekend and you’re trying to re-orient, here’s the catch-up: Round 6 results and expert analysis.
The storyline this week is simple: Sydney are refusing to come back to the pack, a couple of contenders have finals-level fixtures, and the bottom of the ladder has a pair of sides (Richmond 0-5, Essendon 1-4) trying to convince us they’re not cooked yet. These are AFL Round 7 predictions that lean into the numbers where the numbers are screaming, and into the matchup history where the matchup history is even louder.
Let’s get into the Round 7 slate and the AFL tips that matter.
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Exclusive 365AUCODE referral code: bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers.18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Thursday Night: Western Bulldogs vs Sydney ā Completed
RESULT: Sydney defeated Western Bulldogs on Thursday night at Docklands. The Swans extended their unbeaten start against a contender and reinforced their position on top of the ladder. For the full match report, see AFL.com.au. Our full Round 7 review will land Monday after the ANZAC Day slate.
Richmond vs Melbourne
Demons to win by 40+ points
Richmond (18th, 0-5) host Melbourne (10th, 3-2) on Friday night at the MCG in the sort of fixture that has “percentage builder” written all over it. The Tigers are the only side in the competition without a win, and the numbers are ugly: 297 points scored, 527 conceded, a percentage of 56.36 that’s by far the worst in the comp. Every loss has been double-digit.
Melbourne aren’t world-beaters right now (92.66 percentage, six points off top four), but they’ve got too much class across their spine for a rebuilding Richmond group. Max Gawn is still winning ruck battles against anyone, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver are elite midfielders, and the Demons’ forward press is a different weight-class to what the Tigers have stopped so far this season.
The Dees have a real motive too: they’re scrapping for a finals spot and a 40-point win here matters for percentage in a tight middle bracket. We’re backing Melbourne to win by 40+ because Richmond’s scoring profile is the worst in the league and Friday-night MCG is where the Dees typically put their cleanest performances.
ANZAC Day: Hawthorn vs Gold Coast (York Park)
Hawks to win by 1-39 points
Hawthorn (3rd, 4-1) take their Tasmanian roadshow to York Park to face Gold Coast (5th, 3-2) in the ANZAC Day morning opener. This is a legitimate form-line fixture: both sides have top-5 percentages and both have won four of their last five overall.
The lean is Hawthorn at home. Launceston has been a fortress for the Hawks; their Tasmanian record has been one of the most consistent venue edges in the comp for years. The Suns travel well but they’ve never quite cracked the puzzle in cooler southern venues, and Hawthorn’s midfield mix of Will Day, Jai Newcombe and James Worpel is the sort of engine that wins the contested stoppage battle you need in a 12:15 start.
The flip side: Gold Coast have the strike weapons (Ben King, Nick Holman, Jy Farrar) to punish any Hawthorn lapse, and the Hawks have been living on tight margins. We’re backing Hawthorn to win by 1-39 because the venue edge is real, but I’m not taking a line ā Gold Coast can hang in these games.
ANZAC Day MCG: Essendon vs Collingwood
Magpies to win by 1-39 points
The biggest non-Grand-Final fixture on the Australian sporting calendar. Collingwood (9th, 3-3) against Essendon (17th, 1-4) at the MCG on ANZAC Day, 3:15pm. A 90,000-plus crowd and a game where form lines get thrown out the window because the occasion always wins.
On form, the Magpies are clearly the stronger side: a positive percentage ambush, a settled midfield and a forward set-up that can score in waves. Essendon have looked shaky defensively (400 points for, 526 against through five games) and their midfield hasn’t consistently beaten top-10 opposition.
The caveat is always the same in this game: ANZAC Day footy doesn’t look like regular footy. Essendon traditionally bring an emotional edge and the game tightens, which is why a 40+ margin feels greedy. We’re backing Collingwood to win by 1-39 because they’re the better team on every form read this season, but ANZAC Day is rarely a blowout.
ANZAC Day: Port Adelaide vs Geelong (Adelaide Oval)
Cats to win by 1-39 points
Port Adelaide (11th, 2-3) host Geelong (8th, 3-2) in the Saturday-night marquee at Adelaide Oval. This is a genuine “who are you really?” game for both sides. Port have the percentage of a top-8 team (110.64) despite the record, Geelong are 8th but no side wants to draw them over four quarters.
The edge for the Cats is how they’ve been travelling. They’re banking wins against the sides they should beat and Chris Scott’s defensive structure has been pretty watertight ā they’re sitting on a healthy intercept-mark count and their midfield is sharing possession around enough that opponents can’t tag one player out of the game. Port’s defensive half has looked occasionally porous under pressure.
Adelaide Oval is a coin flip these days ā neither side has a dominant recent run ā so the call is on form and system. We’re backing Geelong to win by 1-39 because their system is more consistent and Port’s inconsistency in 2026 has been the real story.
ANZAC Day: Fremantle vs Carlton (Perth)
Dockers to win by 40+ points
Fremantle (2nd, 4-1) host Carlton (16th, 1-5) at Perth Stadium on Saturday night. This has one of the biggest spreads of the round and it’s hard to argue against it. The Dockers are a genuine top-two side this season. Carlton have been a serial disappointment: five losses in six games, percentage of 79.20, and a spine that isn’t firing.
Fremantle’s home record at Perth Stadium has been outstanding under Justin Longmuir, and the travel factor bites Carlton especially hard ā six-hour cross-country trips late on ANZAC Day for a 20:15 WST bounce is a tough ask. The Dockers have multiple ways to win a game; Carlton need almost every chip to fall their way. The stars are Patrick Cripps and Charlie Curnow for the Blues, but you need supports around them, and the supports haven’t been there.
We’re backing Fremantle to win by 40+ because the talent gap, the venue and the travel all stack in the same direction.
Sunday: St Kilda vs West Coast
Saints to win by 1-39 points
St Kilda (14th, 2-3) host West Coast (15th, 2-3) at Docklands on Sunday afternoon. Both sides are flirting with “actually decent” for stretches and then undoing it with quarters that drop them back to the pack. That said, at Docklands against a travelling Eagles side with a conceded-points issue (600 against in five, clear worst in the league defensively), the Saints have the setup to control tempo.
Ross Lyon’s system is built for exactly this: winning the scrappy arm-wrestle, crushing opposition’s scoring efficiency, and taking the game deep into each quarter. West Coast have the talent (Harley Reid, Oscar Allen, Elliot Yeo) but haven’t been able to slow teams down. The Saints’ ability to clamp should be the difference.
We’re backing St Kilda to win by 1-39 because the Eagles’ defensive profile is the worst in the comp and Docklands is a neutral-enough venue that the Saints’ system carries the game.
Sunday: Brisbane Lions vs Adelaide (Gabba)
Lions to win by 1-39 points
Brisbane (6th, 3-2) host Adelaide (12th, 2-3) at the Gabba on Sunday. This is one of the tighter lines of the round on paper ā both sides are in the same cluster of the ladder ā but the Gabba matters. Brisbane’s home record under Chris Fagan has been one of the best in the competition across multiple seasons, and Adelaide travel average at best.
On profile, the Lions are the stronger midfield side (Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage, Dayne Zorko), and Harris Andrews continues to be the best intercept defender in the game. Adelaide have weapons in Izak Rankine and Taylor Walker, but they’ve struggled to impose themselves on quality midfields on the road.
We’re backing Brisbane to win by 1-39 because the Gabba advantage is real and the Lions have the midfield depth to control the tempo, but Adelaide are too good to be blown out.
Sunday: GWS vs North Melbourne (Manuka Oval)
Giants to win by 1-39 points
GWS (13th, 2-3) take on North Melbourne (7th, 3-2) at Manuka Oval to close out the ANZAC weekend. An interesting one: North are in the top eight, the Giants aren’t, but the percentages and the underlying numbers tell a different story. GWS are a better team than 2-3 suggests (92.54 percentage, close losses), and Canberra has historically been a happy hunting ground.
North Melbourne are the surprise packet of the early season and have earned their spot ā Jy Simpkin, Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw are a genuine midfield unit, and Nick Larkey is a proven goalkicker. But this is the test: can they beat a desperate GWS side at a venue that suits the home team?
We’re backing GWS to win by 1-39 because the Giants desperately need a win to stay in finals contention and Manuka is a venue where their marking intercept game travels well.
Looking for the best bookmakers to bet on the AFL?
If you’re playing the Round 7 card, don’t just take the first price you see. Shopping around for promos, best odds and same-game multi options can be the difference between a good weekend and a “how did that happen?” weekend. Our top-rated AFL bookmakers are listed above ā each one has been reviewed for AFL market depth, odds quality, SGM builder and live betting.
More AFL content for Round 7 and the rest of the season:
- AFL Same Game Multi Tips ā our tipsters’ SGM picks for the round
- AFL Ladder Predictor ā lock in results and see the live top 8
- AFL Premiership Odds ā current Flag market odds from Australian bookmakers
- Brownlow Medal ā live odds on the AFL’s best-and-fairest
- Coleman Medal ā leading goalkicker market
- AFL Tips & Predictions Hub ā every match, every round
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Exclusive 365AUCODE referral code: bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers.18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit LimitĀ For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
FAQ
What’s the biggest game of AFL Round 7?
The ANZAC Day MCG blockbuster between Essendon and Collingwood on Saturday 25 April at 3:15pm. The other standouts are the Thursday-night opener (Bulldogs v Sydney, already played) and the Showdown-adjacent Saturday-night Port Adelaide v Geelong.
Which Round 7 match looks most one-sided?
Fremantle v Carlton at Perth Stadium. The Dockers are a top-two side, Carlton are 16th, and the travel factor stacks everything in Fremantle’s favour.
Which match is the toughest to tip?
Hawthorn v Gold Coast at York Park. Both sides are in form and have top-5 percentages ā a real form-line matchup that can go either way, even though the Tasmanian venue favours the Hawks slightly.
Where does Sydney sit on the ladder after Round 7?
Sydney were on top of the ladder heading into Round 7, and their Thursday-night win over the Western Bulldogs at Docklands only reinforces that position. Fremantle, Hawthorn and the Bulldogs are the closest pursuers.
How do I build an AFL Round 7 same game multi?
Start with your strongest single-match read (a team winning, a margin band, or a player stat line), then stack correlating legs from the same match. See our AFL SGM tips for the round’s recommended builds.
Responsible gambling: Gambling Help 1800 858 858. Online support at gamblinghelponline.org.au. 18+ only. BettingPro may receive affiliate commissions from bookmakers listed on this page.
Melbourne vs Essendon AFL | Head to Head, Tips, Odds & Predictions
Gold Coast vs Geelong AFL | Head to Head, Tips, Odds & Predictions
Brisbane vs Richmond AFL | Head to Head, Tips, Odds & Predictions
Adelaide vs Bulldogs AFL | Head to Head, Tips, Odds & Predictions
Sydney vs Port Adelaide AFL | Head to Head, Tips, Odds & Predictions
Kangaroos vs West Coast AFL | Head to Head, Tips, Odds & Predictions
GWS vs St Kilda AFL | Head to Head, Tips, Odds & Predictions
AFL Round-by-Round Predictions 2026 | Best Bets & Tips Every Round
