Head to head: Fremantle 10 wins, Sydney Swans 12 wins, no draws
Last time: Sydney Swans 9.9 (63) lost to Fremantle 14.16 (100), round 9, 2010 at the SCG
MISSING IN ACTION
Fremantle
Hayden Ballantyne (foot) - 1-2 weeks
Michael Barlow (leg) - season
Ryan Crowley (knee) - 3-4 weeks
Chris Mayne (ankle) - test
Aaron Sandilands (foot) - test
Alex Silvagni (groin) - 1 week
Chris Tarrant (knee) - 3-4 weeks
Sydney Swans
Craig Bird (foot) - test
Craig Bolton (achilles) - 2-3 weeks
Daniel Bradshaw (knee) - 1 week
Jake Orreal (back) - season
Lewis Roberts-Thomson (hamstring) - 1 week
Mark Seaby (ankle) - season
Nick Smith (hamstring) - test
Kristin Thornton (hamstring) - 2-3 weeks
FORM
Fremantle: LWLWL
Sydney Swans: WWLLW
SUMMARY
The final make-up of the top eight will become clearer on Saturday night with both of these sides looking to lock in a top-six finish and the benefit of a crucial home final in the first week of September.
Fremantle can virtually seal fifth spot with a win, while the seventh-placed Swans can close the gap on their higher-placed opponents, with games against the Western Bulldogs (SCG) and Brisbane Lions (Gabba) to round out their season. They enter this clash after a steadying 44-point win over Hawthorn.
Fremantle has been a different side on the road in recent weeks, with losses to North Melbourne (54 points), the Bulldogs (82) and Richmond (19) split by home victories over West Coast and Melbourne. Fortunately for Mark Harvey’s side, they are at Subiaco Oval this week.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Young star Stephen Hill had the critical spotlight cast on him for one of the few times in his 41-game career this week when AFL legend Leigh Matthews questioned his competitiveness after being well beaten by Brady Rawlings. How the midfielder responds against yet another tagger will be closely watched.
Kieran Jack is the player likely to run with the damaging Hill on Saturday, though after the impressive Swan’s performance last week it may well be Fremantle that needs to look at its defensive options. Jack had 27 possessions against Hawthorn, including 15 contested, nine clearances, seven inside-50s and a goal.
QUESTION MARKS
Will Aaron Sandilands return from a foot injury in time to face the stoppage-savvy Swans? Freo’s support ruckmen performed admirably last week, but may not be able to back that effort up.
What can Adam Goodes produce without Chris Tarrant by his side? Goodes has kicked 16 goals in his last six games.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
Fremantle has won 11 of its last 13 games at Subiaco Oval and is clearly a different proposition on the wide expanses of its home ground. That said, it will need to overcome key personnel issues to prevail this week. Matthew Pavlich and David Mundy are players capable of turning the tide in Fremantle’s favour and need to perform on Saturday.
PREDICTION
Fremantle by 11 points
Chat with host Chris Pike and other fans in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au from 1.10pm AWST Saturday or join the conversation on Twitter: #aflfreoswans
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
