where the $$$$$$ went

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from adelaidenow


Geelong all the rage with punters
Michael Manley | July 21, 2008 02:30pm
Email Article Share Add to Digg Add to del.icio.us Post to NewsVine Post to Facebook What are these? Printer friendly Text size+- GEELONG has firmed into the shortest-priced premiership favourite ever during a home-and-away season after beating the Western Bulldogs. As Hawthorn and Collingwood lost, the Cats firmed from $1.95 into $1.70 with TAB Sportsbet.

TAB Sportsbet's Gary Davies said Essendon in 2000 was a short-priced favourite in the finals lead-up, but never as short as the 2008 Cats.

"The Cats two biggest threats have just lost and we know they have already won a flag easily," Davies said.

"Essendon in 2000 had more competition and also hadn't won a flag the previous year. They didn't get as short as $1.70."

But Davies said the Cats could not get much shorter than $1.70. "You've got to remember they've still got to win two finals to get to the Grand Final before they can win it," he said.

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Lasseters Sport's Gerard Daffy said Geelong could tighten into as short as $1.50 if it defeated Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night.

Hawthorn and the Bulldogs have drifted from $5 to $6.50 to win the flag, while Collingwood has eased from $8.50 to $12.

The biggest firmer from the weekend was St Kilda, which firmed from $21 into $12 with TAB Sportsbet.

A month ago the Saints were $101 to win the flag and $5 to make the eight with TAB Sportsbet. Now they are $1.08 to make the eight with Lasseters Sports.

Flemington Sportsbet's Norm Short said the Saints could make the top four. One of Short's clients had $100 on them at $151 to make the top four before Round 13.

Short said the lesson from the round was to never forget two important rules: "When Collingwood's favourite, they nearly always lose; when North are outsiders, they nearly always win."

Although he is still sidelined, Gary Ablett retains Brownlow Medal favouritism with TAB Sportsbet at $2.20. Adam Cooney is still second favourite at $3.50.

The biggest firmer is North's Brent Harvey, who is into $5.50.

TAB Sportsbet, which suspended Brownlow betting at the weekend, will re-open it this morning.

A Lasseters Sport's customer would not be pleased with Richmond's Joel Bowden twice walking the ball through for points in the closing stages of the game against Essendon as he had $8000 on them at minus six points at $1.93. A six-point loss would have meant he got his money back.

The biggest bet of the weekend was Darwin Sportsbet's "Cat Man", who put $50,000 on Geelong to defeat the Bulldogs at $1.56. Earlier in the week he also put $50,000 on Geelong at $1.54.

Another frustrated punter would be the Darwin Sportsbet client who put $50,000 on Carlton at three-quarter time at $2.02 to defeat Sydney yesterday.