_Mike_
Super Moderator
- Aug 10, 2009
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Two changes to the Geelong squad see youngsters Zach Guthrie and Sam Simpson return in place of Patrick Dangerfield (suspended) and Nakia Cockatoo (hamstring). The Sydney Swans will be without skipper Josh Kennedy but regain the services of twin towers Sam Reid and Kurt Tippett as part of a host of changes made to the side.
The Cats are second on the ladder with 12 wins; one full game behind top-placed Adelaide after the Crows' draw with Collingwood on Sunday. They comfortably accounted for a tired Carlton outfit on Saturday night by 65 points, which was their fourth win in six games. The victory was spearheaded by Tom Hawkins' six goals, but came at a cost with Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield suspended for a week for his tackle on Matthew Kreuzer. Meanwhile, the Swans are sixth and atop the logjam of teams on eight wins that extends down to the Western Bulldogs in ninth. Their charge to September that included seven straight wins and 10 since round seven hit a bump on Friday night when they lost a thriller to Hawthorn at the MCG. Josh Kennedy was subdued in the loss and is in doubt with a hamstring problem, but Lance Franklin is available after he escaped suspension for his run-in with ex-teammate Luke Hodge.
The Cats won't want to revisit their last meeting with the Swans. They were smashed in last year's preliminary final with a seven-goal-to-none first-quarter blitz that blew the game apart. The Swans went on to win the prelim by 37 points, with their midfield pressure and ferocious attack proving too much. Isaac Heeney was immense, while Dan Hannebery, Kieren Jack and Kennedy were also significant.
While the Swans have a decent recent record against the Cats, they'll have to be on their toes given the venue. The Cats have won seven straight at their home ground, although their last loss there was incidentally to the Swans in round 16 last year. The Cats are one of the highest scoring teams in 2017. They're ranked second for points per game with 101 while the Swans are averaging 90.
The Swans easily won the tackle count in the prelim but the Cats have taken over as the best tackling side this year. They're ranked first with an average of 74.2 per game, while the Swans are 12th with 67.3. Tom Hawkins' big night out on Saturday saw him ranked third overall for the round in the Schick AFL Player Ratings. The game saw him leap from 83rd overall to 74th in just one week.
The Swans' recent record against the Cats is also impressive, having won four of their last five, including both times last year, in round 16 and in the preliminary final. While the Cats will be without their superstar talisman in Patrick Dangerfield, they remain hard to beat at Simmonds Stadium and haven’t been beaten at home since the Swans visit in July last year.
Kiss of Death : Swans by 7
Max 14
Late shower or two.
Chance of any rain: 50%
Geelong and Surf Coast area
Partly cloudy. Patchy fog early this morning. Medium (50%) chance of showers this evening. The chance of a thunderstorm on the surf coast later tonight. Winds northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h turning northerly in the late afternoon.
This is a rare game for me, I'm officially a Swans fan. Been studying the list all day and believe I need to be looking for some guy called Buddy to mark or pick up the ball in the fringes of the 50 and score?
