Head to head: Western Bulldogs 75 wins, Sydney Swans 69 wins, one draw
Last time: Western Bulldogs 18.9 (117) d Sydney Swans 12.5 (77), round 10, 2009 at Manuka Oval
MISSING IN ACTION
Western Bulldogs
Tim Callan (knee) - test
Ayce Cordy (shoulder) - TBA
Brad Johnson (groin) - test
Liam Picken (ankle) - 1-2 weeks
Shane Thorne (knee) - 10 weeks
Callan Ward (groin) - 2-3weeks
Sydney Swans
Craig Bird (foot) - 1-2 weeks
Craig Bolton (achilles) - 6-7 weeks
Daniel Hannebery (shoulder) - test
Ben McGlynn (quad) - test
Brett Meredith (knee) - 1 week
Jarred Moore (ankle) - 2-3 weeks
Shane Mumford (suspension) - 2 weeks
Jake Orreal (back) - TBA
Lewis Roberts-Thomson (back/hamstring) - test
Mark Seaby (ankle) - 10-12 weeks
Kristin Thornton (knee) - 1 week
FORM
Western Bulldogs: WLWLW
Sydney Swans: WWWWL
SUMMARY
The Western Bulldogs returned to the winners' list on the weekend but by only the barest of margins with a four-point victory over Melbourne that has left them clinging to eighth position. While their wins outweigh their losses, the Dogs still aren't playing their best football but Rodney Eade is hopeful Friday night's narrow win will be the turning point.
They've been largely without captain Brad Johnson and Jason Akermanis has been down on form, but with Shaun Higgins stepping up, Matthew Boyd slotting in nicely after a two-week layoff and Brian Lake showing his versatility as a sometimes forward, the signs are there.
The Sydney Swans' stunning start to the season hit a road block last week when they were thrashed by Geelong. It interrupted their five-match winning streak and saw them slip one game behind ladder leaders Collingwood and Fremantle.
They were undermanned on the weekend and could now benefit from the return of Ben McGlynn and Lewis Roberts-Thomson, but the loss of ruckman Shane Mumford to suspension - combined with the absence of Mark Seaby - will hurt.
PLAYER TO WATCH
This match has a subplot that almost outweighs the final result. Barry Hall will line up against his former side for the first time in a match up we've been waiting to see. Will any of his former teammates be brave enough to give Baz a bake?
Nine-game Canadian Mike Pyke will be catapulted onto centre stage in the midst of the Swans' sudden big man crisis. The former international rugby player was shot into the side for his first game for 2010 last week as a back up to Mumford, but can expect a much bigger role this week. His athleticism will be important against the Dogs' big men.
QUESTION MARKS
Will Rodney Eade play Will Minson (who has been in the VFL for the past three weeks) in an attempt to stretch the Swans' big men for experience?
The Swans were the surprise package of the opening six rounds having leapt to the top of the ladder after five straight wins. How will they react to the crushing reality check Geelong gave them on the weekend?
Pyke and Jesse Smith aren't the Swans' first choice for a ruck combination. Can they patch together some sort of big man division to challenge the experienced Ben Hudson and Minson/Jordan Roughead?
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
The Dogs are nowhere near their best and are the first to admit it. But gritty wins like Friday night's can be the catalyst for change, and they have the ingredients for it to be a significant one.
Meanwhile, the Swans have really only beaten one side in contention this year - the Brisbane Lions - who slipped out of the eight on the weekend.
PREDICTION
Western Bulldogs by 21 points
Follow Ben Broad's inside view of Western Bulldogs v Sydney Swans at #afldogsswans on Twitter.com from 2.10pm Saturday or @AFL_BenBroad#afldogsswans.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
