SYDNEY will have to overcome recent history to win Saturday’s Grand Final rematch against Brisbane, and there’s one glaring area that needs improvement.

Since 2000, nine Grand Finals have been won by 50 points or more, with the victor holding a 6-2 win-loss record when the teams met for the first time the following season.

The only two teams to buck the trend were Greater Western Sydney in the COVID-affected 2020 season when the Giants edged Richmond by 12 points, and Sydney kicked the final three goals in a 2015 win over Hawthorn.

Like Saturday’s match at the SCG, the beaten Grand Finalist on those two occasions hosted a team that travelled interstate.

But as statistics from Champion Data show, the Swans need to address contested possessions if they’re to pull off a win against the Lions.

Following Friday night’s loss to Hawthorn, where they lost that count by 12, the Swans have now been beaten in 10 of their past 11 matches in that statistic.

Brisbane won the count by just two in its 60-point demolition last September, but it was enough to set up its outside game to run amok with uncontested marks and possessions.

"We've got to make sure we're around the contest,” Sydney coach Dean Cox said earlier in the week following the Swans' disappointing Opening Round performance against Hawthorn.

“(Brisbane) is the number one contested side. 

“Our work in the centre, forward is an area we need to work on, but also our intensity around the ball. It dropped around the second quarter (on Friday)."

While the Swans are missing many players through injury, led by two-time All-Australian Errol Gulden (ankle) from the team that lost the 2024 decider, Brisbane will be very similar.

Aside from the inclusion of Oscar McInerney, who missed the Grand Final with a dislocated shoulder, the Lions have just two selection decisions to make – who fills the vacancy left by retired Joe Daniher, and has Levi Ashcroft done enough to debut in the 23?

GRAND FINAL REMATCH RESULTS

2000 GF - Essendon def. Melbourne by 60 points
2001 - Essendon won by 6 points in round eight

2003 GF - Brisbane def. Collingwood by 50 points
2004 – Brisbane won by 60 points in round three

2007 GF - Geelong def. Port Adelaide by 119 points
2008 – Geelong won by 9 points in round one

2010 GF replay - Collingwood def. St Kilda by 56 points
2011 – Collingwood won by 57 points in round 11

2014 GF - Hawthorn def. Sydney by 63 points
2015 – Sydney won by 4 points in round eight

2019 GF - Richmond def. GWS by 89 points
2020 – GWS won by 12 points in round eight

2021 GF - Melbourne def. Western Bulldogs by 74 points
2022 – Melbourne won by 26 points in round one

2022 GF - Geelong def. Sydney by 81 points
2023 – Geelong won by 93 points in round six

2024 GF – Brisbane def. Sydney by 60 points
2024 - ?