Greetings, footy fans. Week 19 brings us a classic wooden spoon standoff as 18th-placed host 17th-placed at Optus Stadium in Perth, Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:10 GMT. Call it what you want, dead rubber, rebuild clash, battle of the battlers, but for punters, West Coast Eagles vs Richmond Tigers can offer sneaky value.
West Coast: Staring Down Rock Bottom
West Coast’s freefall continues. After finishing 16th last year, they’ve hit absolute rock bottom in 2025, last place with just one win from 16 and a troubling -595 differential. You could argue they’ve regressed, and that’s saying something for a club that’s been rebuilding since 2022.
Their last five games? All losses. Not competitive ones either:
- Lost by 59 to the Giants last round.
- Coughed up 116 points to Geelong before that.
- Barely cracked 60 points in three of the last five.
They’ve been marginally better at home, highlighted by a surprise 108-80 win over St Kilda in May, but since then it’s been three straight at Optus without a win.
Season Averages:
- Disposals: 315.9
- Marks: 72.9
- Goals: 9.3.
- Hit-outs: 33.1
The numbers tell the same story: low impact, low pressure, and very little scoreboard influence. For all their proud history (four flags, most recently in 2018), the Eagles are currently running on fumes.
Richmond: Climbing Out of the Basement, Barely
If West Coast are the AFL’s basement, Richmond are the floor above with the broken light. But hey, progress is progress. After claiming the wooden spoon in 2024, the Tigers have managed three wins this season, hardly cause for a parade, but a step up from last year’s disaster.
Their last five games? Also, all losses. And ugly ones:
- Conceded 135 to the Bulldogs.
- Blown out by 72 points against Geelong.
- Scored just 36 at home to Sydney.
They haven’t won away from home all season. Let’s repeat that: zero away wins. Their best effort on the road? A 3-point loss to the Giants. Otherwise, it’s been hammering after hammering.
Season Averages:
- Disposals: 334
- Marks: 85.3
- Goals: 8.9
- Hit-outs: 37.5
What stands out is their higher disposal and marking rates compared to West Coast, suggesting they control tempo slightly better. Yet, it rarely translates into scoreboard pressure. This is still a team learning how to win again, and in danger of another bottom-two finish.
Head-to-Head: Slight Edge to the Tigers
Since 2009, these two have met 20 times, with Richmond holding a 12-8 lead. That said, the recent record is a mixed bag:
- May 10, 2025: Richmond won by 2 (81-79)
- April 14, 2024: West Coast smashed them by 39
- July 16, 2023: Richmond won by 38
At Optus Stadium, the numbers tilt back to the Eagles:
- 10 meetings, West Coast have won 6
- Most recently: a 109-70 win in April 2024, showing that despite their form, they can get up at home… at least when Richmond visits.
So while the Tigers have had the edge overall, West Coast are no pushover on their home turf in this matchup.
What’s Next Before West Coast Eagles vs Richmond Tigers?
Both sides have tough assignments before they lock horns:
- West Coast face Port Adelaide (3rd) which, let’s be honest, probably means another heavy defeat and morale damage.
- Richmond will take on Essendon (13th), a slightly more winnable matchup but still far from a guaranteed result, especially on current form.
These lead-in games could shift momentum, team selection, and even public sentiment before July 19.
Update
The wooden spoon standoff is nearly upon us, and after a wild week, not much has changed in the pecking order. West Coast Eagles remain anchored in 18th and Richmond Tigers still hover in 17th. Their contrasting fortunes last weekend did little to shuffle the deck: West Coast looked lively early but faded to a 26-point defeat at Port Adelaide, while Richmond finally snapped their losing streak with a hard-fought 46-37 win over Essendon at the MCG.
After their game against Adelaide it’s clear that West Coast’s problems run deep. They find short runs of hot form, but fade badly, especially as opponents crank up pressure. Home advantage hasn’t counted for much since May either, with three straight losses at Optus.
For Richmond, last week marked an overdue dose of optimism. It wasn’t pretty, but the positives were real. The Tigers outscored Essendon 19–3 in the final quarter and showed renewed resilience in defence. The caveat: their scoring punch is still weak, and they haven’t won away from the MCG all season.
Summing up, this shapes as a low-scoring, attritional battle between two rebuilding sides. Thus, our best bet is Under 154.5. Both teams struggled to score last week (West Coast 61, Richmond 46), and their season averages in goals remain among the league’s lowest. With both sides prioritizing defensive intensity and lacking star firepower up forward, backing the under makes solid sense for anyone who wants to sign up at the best betting platform
Expect a dour, hard-fought struggle, but in games like these, that’s where value for punters can emerge.