Match details
Saturday April 16, SCG, 7.10pm (local time)
Get live updates from Swans insiders on Facebook (facebook.com/sydneyswans) and Twitter (twitter.com/sydneyswans) - the Official hash tag for this game is #aflswanscats.
Click here for full Match Day Information - including tickets.
Teams
Sydney Swans
B: Paul Bevan, Ted Richards, Martin Mattner
HB: Rhyce Shaw, Heath Grundy, Alex Johnson
C: Ben McGlynn, Kieren Jack, Nicholas Smith
HF: Jude Bolton, Sam Reid, Adam Goodes
F: Ryan O'Keefe, Jesse White, Josh P. Kennedy
Foll: Shane Mumford, Craig Bird, Jarrad McVeigh
I/C: Daniel Hannebery, Gary Rohan, Lewis Jetta, Andrejs Everitt
Emg: Mike Pyke, Byron Sumner, Luke Parker
No Change
Geelong Cats
B: Corey Enright, Matthew Scarlett, Josh Hunt
HB: James Kelly, Harry Taylor, Andrew Mackie
C: Steve Johnson, Cameron Ling, Jimmy Bartel
HF: Travis Varcoe, Cameron Mooney, Allen Christensen
F: Paul Chapman, James Podsiadly, Daniel Menzel
Foll: Brad Ottens, Joel Corey, Joel Selwood
I/C: Tom Lonergan, Darren Milburn, David Wojcinski, Taylor Hunt
Emg: Trent West, Tom Gillies, Josh Cowan
In: Tom Lonergan, Andrew Mackie, David Wojcinski
Out: Tom Hawkins (Back), Mitch Duncan (Soreness), Mathew Stokes (injured)
Summary
The Sydney Swans return to the SCG for the first time in 2011 this Saturday night to take on Geelong in a marquee match-up, with the 3rd and 2nd placed teams respectively on the AFL ladder playing against each other.
The Swans returned from Western Australia early Sunday morning with all four points in the bag after a relentless, come-from-behind victory over the Eagles. It was the third successive nail-biter the Swans have been involved in to start the season, and there is every chance Saturday’s game could go that way on the confined spaces of the SCG.
Geelong are the only other team alongside Collingwood to have won all three of their 2011 games, and they have the recent advantage over the Swans having won the past eight encounters between the two sides. The Swans have not beaten Geelong since Round 5, 2006, yet have won the past four games against the Cats at the SCG from 2003 to 2005.
Players to watch
Sydney Swans: Kieren Jack
Jack had an outstanding game against the Eagles at Patersons Stadium last Saturday night, collecting a team high 23 disposals and laying 12 tackles. The Swans will rely on Jack to get in-and-under around the contests and drive the team forward at every opportunity, while his tackling pressure around the stoppages will be vital in locking the ball in tight.
Geelong: Jimmy Bartel
The star Geelong midfielder has taken his game to another level at the beginning of 2011 in the absence of Gary Ablett. He was at the fore for the Cats in their demolition of Port Adelaide last weekend, finishing with 27 disposals, 13 marks, five tackles and two goals.
Match-up to watch
Adam Goodes v Cameron Ling
In an interview with SwansTV ahead of this weekend’s game, Geelong skipper Cameron Ling named Adam Goodes as the hardest person in the AFL he has ever played on. After missing the first round of the season, Ling has returned in peak form, averaging 30 possessions, five marks and a goal over the last two weeks. Goodes has also been in stellar touch at the start of the 2011 season, averaging eight marks and two goals in the opening three rounds. The last of his three goals sparked the Swans comeback in the closing stages of last weekend’s game against West Coast. It’ll be captain versus captain in this classic match-up.
Click here to watch Club captains Adam Goodes and Cameron Ling speak exclusively to SwansTV about tomorrow night’s game.
Coaching match-up
John Longmire v Chris Scott
This will be the first meeting between the two first-year coaches - both of whom are yet to taste defeat. Chris Scott has so far replicated the success he achieved in his 215 games as a player at the Brisbane Lions, with his Geelong team committed to highly-skilled, high-intensity football. John Longmire, fresh from his first away victory last weekend, has struck a nice balance between experience and youth in the Swans team. Ferocity at the contest, as well as nerve wracking finishes, have been the trademarks of Longmire’s early coaching days.
Click here to hear John Longmire speak about this week's ins and outs.
Memorable match
Semi Final, 2005: Sydney 7.14 (56) d Geelong 7.11 (53), SCG
When the Cats led by 23 points in the early stages of the last quarter, the result looked a foregone conclusion - especially considering the Swans had only managed three goals to that point of the game. Enter Nick Davis and an individual quarter for the ages. Davis kicked all four of the Swans last quarter goals - including the match winner with just three seconds remaining - in what coach Paul Roos called the best quarter of finals football ever played by anyone. Davis’ effort helped the Swans to a famous three point victory which propelled the team to a preliminary final and ultimately the 2005 premiership.
Click here to hear Nick Davis talk through the 2005 semi final performance.
What John Longmire says …
“Geelong are in great form, they’ve got superstars across every line, their best players are playing really well, and they get a couple back this week.’’
Media coverage
TV: Melbourne - Channel 10, 7.00pm. Perth - Channel 10, 6.30pm. Sydney/New South Wales - Channel 10, 7.30pm. Brisbane/Queensland - Channel 10, 7.30pm.
RADIO: Melbourne - 3AW, ABC774, MMM, K-Rock. Perth - ABC720, 6PR. Sydney - MMM, ABC630.
Check out www.afl.com.au/broadcast for your local listings
Alternatively you can get live updates from Swans insiders on Facebook (facebook.com/sydneyswans) and Twitter (twitter.com/sydneyswans) - the Official hash tag for this game is #aflswanscats.
2011 form
Sydney Swans: DWW (def West Coast Eagles 15.11 (101) to 13.10 (88))
Geelong: WWW (def Port Adelaide 17.20 (122) to 6.7 (43))
2011 Ladder position
Sydney Swans: 3rd
Geelong: 2nd
Head-to-head
Played: 208
Sydney Swans: 93 wins
Geelong: 115 wins
Last time they met
Round 18, 2010: Sydney Swans 9.18 (72) def by Geelong 20.5 (125), ANZ Stadium
Current streak
Geelong (8)
Injury list
Sydney Swans: Daniel Bradshaw (knee) - indefinite, Campbell Heath (knee) - 2-3 weeks, Nick Malceski (knee) - 6-8 weeks, Lewis Roberts-Thomson (hamstring/gluteal) - test, Matt Spangher (quad) - test, Byron Sumner (calf/shin) - test
Geelong: Shannon Byrnes (knee) 1 week, George Horlin-Smith (shoulder) 4 weeks.
