Punters shop for best Geelong price, by Michael Manley - Herald Sun - 28th July 2008
AS EXPECTED after its brave win against Hawthorn, Geelong has tightened from its already short quote to win the 2008 flag.
TAB Sportsbet has the Cats in from $1.70 to $1.60, while Sportingbet Australia has Geelong at $1.50.
Eskander Betstar will have Geelong at the best odds of $1.65.
TAB Sportsbet's Gary Davies said if Geelong was ever vulnerable, it was on Friday night when it went into the match without four key players and then lost Paul Chapman before halftime.
Lasseters Sports' Gerard Daffy said betting on the premiership had become a two-team race.
"It may well be a one-team race, but after the weekend it's certainly down to two," Daffy said.
He has Sydney, St Kilda and Collingwood at $21 for the flag.
Hawthorn is at $5 and the Western Bulldogs are out to $8.
"This time last year the Dogs fell off their perch and history may be about to repeat itself," Daffy said.
Two punters moved on the Cats for the flag before they played Hawthorn.
A Sportingbet Australia punter put $30,000 on Geelong at $1.70 and Darwin Sportsbet's "Cat Man" had $50,000 on the Geelong flag and Gary Ablett Brownlow double at $3.75.
Punters had a Grand Final-like betting spree on the Geelong-Hawthorn clash. Davies said TAB Sportsbet had a record hold of more than $400,000 on head-to-head betting on the game.
Sportingbet Australia's Stephen Fletcher said the betting on the game rivalled grand finals, with more than $500,000 bet, while Betfair's Hugh Taggart said it had a season-high $450,000 bet on the game.
Punters once again outsmarted themselves after Matthew Pavlich was a late withdrawal yesterday.
Flemington Sportsbet's Norm Short said Port Adelaide firmed from $1.61 into $1.38 and Fremantle drifted from $2.50 to $3.
He said history was repeating itself.
"This has happened several times this season when a big-name player has been a late withdrawal. Punters latch on to the team they are playing against, but as it turns out they rarely win. It tends to muck up the other side's pre-game plans," Short said.
There were some big winners. Darwin Sportsbet's "Cat Man" put $50,000 on Geelong at $1.42, while a Sportingbet Australia punter put $40,000 on the Cats at $1.40.
The luckiest punter was the Darwin Sportsbet client who put $60,000 on North Melbourne at $1.92 at -27 1/2 points - the Roos won by 28 - while a TAB Sportsbet punter had $40,000 on Adelaide at $3.25.
A Sportingbet Australia punter put $30,000 on Port Adelaide at $1.62.
Last year's Brownlow medallist, Jimmy Bartel, continues to firm. He was $81 after Round 13 with TAB Sportsbet but is now into $7.
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