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2014 AFL finals preview: Sydney Swans vs Fremantle Dockers

3rd September, 2014
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3rd September, 2014
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The 2014 minor premiers host last year’s runner-up when the Sydney Swans meet the Fremantle Dockers at ANZ Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

It was a tense final few minutes for Dockers fans last week as Port Adelaide made a last-gasp charge at fourth spot. With the second chance secured, their focus turns to upsetting the premiership favourites.

The Swans dropped their last game of the home-and-away season to a barnstorming Tigers outfit. With Richmond’s season on the line and little at stake for the Swans, who fielded an understrength side, not too much should be read into the match as a measure of form for Sydney.

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The last time these sides met was in Round 5, a match that saw Lance Franklin boot four as the Swans got home by 17 points at the SCG.

Interestingly it was Fremantle that entered the match as favourites, thanks to the Swans’ extremely flat start to the year, sitting on just one win from four games at the time. Their form slump would take a dramatic turn with that match, the win sparking a club record equalling 12-match winning streak.

Josh Kennedy was immense for the Swans in that match, picking up 38 touches and kicking a goal. Fremantle’s number one gun in the middle, Nathan Fyfe, also found the Sherrin 32 times. Both should feature heavily on Saturday, and their influence will go along way to deciding who gets to sit back with their feet up next week.

However, the undeniable X-factor in this match is Lance Franklin. Buddy kicked 67 goals in 19 games on his way to the 2014 Coleman Medal, picking up bags of four (or more) on ten occasions – one of which was Round 5 against the Dockers.

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The Sydney forward line is arguably the strongest in the league and will be at full strength for this match. With so much firepower throughout, it is a task of mitigation more so than elimination for the Fremantle defenders.

Lance Franklin of the Swans celebrates

Around this time last year, these sides met at Patersons Stadium in a preliminary final that would see the Dockers reach their first grand final and the Swans miss out on a crack at going back-to-back.

Fyfe was best on ground that day, picking up 27 possessions and kicking two goals. David Mundy (29) and Michael Barlow (24) also played their part, and live-wire small forward Michael Walters was instrumental picking up a game-high three goals.

But the Dockers’ trump card for this match may prove to be their lumbering big man, Aaron Sandilands. In the prelim final he out-muscled the Swans’ combo of Mike Pyke and Shane Mumford, who combined for three less hit-outs than their big purple opponent.

With Mumford moving on, Pyke will need to play out of his skin to reduce the impact of the 10cm advantage Sandilands brings to their contest.

LAST FIVE MEETINGS

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Match Venue Home vs Away Result Disposals Goals
Round 5, 2014 SCG Sydney defeats Fremantle 92-75 Kennedy 38 Pavlich 4, Franklin 4
PF, 2013 Patersons Stadium Fremantle defeats Sydney 99-74 McVeigh 30 Walters 3
Round 8, 2013 SCG Sydney drew with Fremantle 70-70 Jack 33 Hannebery 4
Round 2, 2012 SCG Sydney defeats Fremantle 94-81 Kennedy 36 Mayne 4
Round 17, 2011 SCG Sydney defeated by Fremantle 87-98 Fyfe 31 Ballantyne 3, Roberts-Thomson 3

The Dockers enter this match with a depleted backline following the loss of Michael Johnson who suffered a back injury in his sides win against the Power.

But they receive a huge boost with Nathan Fyfe returning to the midfield following a two week stint on the sidelines serving a suspension for striking Hawthorn’s Jordan Lewis.

Nat Fyfe of the Fremantle Dockers celebrates a goal

The Swans have a couple of key men awaiting fitness tests: Josh Kennedy with a hamstring, and Ben McGlynn with a calf. However, both are expected to be fit and raring to go come Saturday.

With a preliminary final loss still relatively fresh in their minds, this clash is destined to surface some extra motivation from the Swans. While the Dockers will need to draw inspiration from the knowledge that they defeated Sydney in a crucial finals clash just last year – albeit at their home ground.

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Can Ross Lyon produce a master stroke and stifle the Swans at home? Or will the loss of Johnson be too big of a hole to fill coming up against such a potent Sydney forward line?

Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of the Swans vs Dockers clash from 2:45pm (AEST) on Saturday afternoon.

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