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Port Adelaide have pulled off a major upset in round one, they’ve ousted the fancied Swans on their home turf and they’re good value for it.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Sydney Swans 12.10.82
Port Adelaide Power 17.8.110
The AFL is back! Round one sees last season’s grand finalists the Sydney Swans take on Port Adelaide at the SCG on Saturday afternoon. Join The Roar from 4:35pm (AEDT) for live scores and participation in our live blog.
Footy is back on our screens and it’s not a moment too soon! The Swans take on the Power in an interesting encounter in Sydney as the home side look to get their campaign to go one better than last season off to a flying start.
Pre-season proved interesting with big clubs often opting to rest their big guns, nevertheless a youthful Swans outfit emerged with two victories in three outings. On the other hand, Port picked up where they left off last season, going down twice in three games.
It’s tough to see Port coming even close to causing a round one upset here. The Swans’ midfield, led capably by new captain Josh Kennedy and 2016 All Australian selections Dan Hannebery and Luke Parker, is close to the best in the AFL and will be looking to stamp their dominance early in the season.
Add to that the power of Buddy Franklin down forward and the solidity of the Swans’ back six which boasts names such as Heath Grundy and Dane Rampe, it’s tough to see Port putting up much of a challenge.
Having said that, the Power lineup does feature a bit of star power in its own right. The likes of Travis Boak, Chad Wingard, Ollie Wines and Robbie Gray have all proven their standings as top quality footy players in the past few seasons.
In player news, the Swans will be without Isaac Heeney who is absent thanks to a bout of glandular fever, while Sam Reid returns to the side after missing the entire 2016 season with an extended injury layoff.
Youngster Oliver Florent will make his debut for the Bloods this week after being picked up at pick 13 in last year’s draft.
The last time these sides met at the SCG, it wasn’t pleasant viewing for Power fans – with the Swans running out 67-point winners and keeping the visitors to just four goals for the afternoon. In fact, historically the Swans hold a serious advantage over their interstate opponents for this clash.
Sydney have beaten Port Adelaide each and every single time in the last five meetings between the two clubs, regardless of location.
Prediction
It really is difficult to see the Power causing an upset here. The Swans midfield is just too strong and I back Heath Grundy to keep danger man Charlie Dixon relatively quiet on a hot SCG afternoon. Sydney to win at a cantor.
Sydney by 44 points.
Make sure to join The Roar from 4:35pm (AEDT) for live scores and to participate in our live blog!
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