Where and when: ANZ Stadium, Saturday, March 27, 7.10pm
Head to head: Sydney Swans 125 wins, St Kilda 75 wins, three draws
Last time: St Kilda 13.16 (94) d Sydney Swans 13.15 (93), round 18, 2009 at ANZ Stadium

MISSING IN ACTION
Sydney Swans
Craig Bird (foot) - 8 weeks
Daniel Bradshaw (knee) - test
Trent Dennis-Lane (knee) - 1-2 weeks
Lewis Johnston (foot) - 4 weeks
Brett Meredith (quad) - 4 weeks
Jake Orreal (back) - TBA
Kristin Thornton (knee) - 8 weeks

St Kilda
Jarryd Allen (hip) - indefinite
Raphael Clarke (hamstring) - TBA
Robert Eddy (ankle) - TBA
Sam Fisher (ankle) - 4-6 weeks
Lenny Hayes (calf) - TBA
Jesse Smith (ankle) - TBA
Jack Steven (foot) - TBA

SUMMARY
If we've learnt anything over time, it's that the Swans' NAB Cup performances don't indicate what they're capable of. However, this year they actually scored a rare win over Carlton before narrowly losing to St Kilda in round two.

The Saints advanced to the grand final where they put in a solid performance against the Bulldogs despite a slow start and a fading finish.

Plenty of good signs came from both sides over the pre-season. The Swans' new ruck duo of Shane Mumford and Mark Seaby looked impressive while St Kilda onballers David Armitage and Jarryn Geary showed solid efforts in an attempt to consolidate a spot.

But the home and away season is a different story and these two sides traditionally have some close-fought battles.

The Swans should be near full-strength for the season opener, with recruit Daniel Bradshaw the only key player in doubt with a knee injury.

Bradshaw's possible inclusion will be a huge factor against a St Kilda defence left a tad vulnerable by an ankle injury to Sam Fisher in the NAB Cup grand final. Michael Gardiner and Lenny Hayes would also be underdone after limited pre-seasons.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Lewis Jetta has not put a foot wrong since he was drafted by the Swans with pick 14 and was a solid performer over the NAB Cup. Paul Roos generally doesn't throw rookies to the wolves straight away but if Jetta is picked, Swans fans will be closely following a small forward who may play in the midfield.

David Armitage finally has a chance to cement his place in the Saints' midfield. Hard at it, he can win possessions and is the perfect replacement for the departed Luke Ball. He got plenty of the football in the NAB Cup and this could be his year.

QUESTION MARKS
Can the Swans replace Barry Hall?In the nine games after Hall's departure last year, the Swans won just three and scored more than 15 goals on just one occasion. Bradshaw's arrival and the development of Jesse White will go some way to filling the gap but Hall's early form for the Bulldogs has shown how dominant he still is.

Can Kosi come good? Justin Koschitzke wasn't in great form over the NAB Cup. As a tall forward he was overshadowed by Nick Riewoldt and even the untried Rhys Stanley on occasions. But he does still pose a headache in match-ups and with 48 goals last year remains a viable option.

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
The Saints have only played one game at ANZ Stadium, where they lost to the Swans in 2007. They go into this season as one of the flag favourites and rightly so. Paul Roos' men always provide a tough challenge for the 2009 grand finalists but after a heartbreaking loss in September and a turbulent summer, the Saints will be looking to kick the year off strongly.

PREDICTION
St Kilda by 28 points

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.