Match day guide and preview for the 2022 round 14 game between the Sydney Swans and Port Adelaide Power.
Match details
Who: Port Adelaide Power vs Sydney Swans
When: Saturday 18 June, 1.45pm AEST
Where: Adelaide Oval
Weather: Min 9 Max 18. Chance of rain 5%
Head-to-head record since 1997: Played 32. Swans 20 wins. Power 12 wins.
Teams
Swans
IN: Lance Franklin, Harry Cunningham
OUT: Robbie Fox (omitted), Joel Amartey (omitted), Ben Ronke (medi-sub)
Buddy comes straight back in after serving a one-week suspension, while Cunningham returns from injury. Amartey and Fox make way while Ronke drops out of the squad after being the medi-sub.
Power
IN: Brynn Teakle, Jackson Mead, Mitch Georgiades
OUT: Travis Boak (COVID protocols), Robbie Gray (injured), Steven Motlop (omitted), Trent Dumont (injured)
Port lose a couple of star veterans in Boak and Gray, while Motlop has been dropped and Dumont is out injured. Georgiades comes into the side and gives an extra option up forward. Mid-season recruit and ruckman Teakle has been named to make his AFL debut, while Mead slots back in.
Click here for complete team line-ups.
Season so far
Sydney Swans 7th – 118.8% | 1116 points for | 939 points against | 8 wins 4 losses | WWLWL
It’s hard to know whether last week’s bye came at a good time for Sydney, with the club full of confidence after two comeback wins over the Tigers and Demons in physical clashes.
Their win over Melbourne at the MCG in round 12 was one of their best in a long time and showed how resilient this team is in the face of a deficit.
While the last two wins have been full of heart, they are falling into a bad habit of starting slow and giving up an early lead to the opposition.
They have given up early leads in six of their last seven matches, so if they can sort that out, they could be a serious contender in this now wide open AFL season.
Port Adelaide Power 12th – 103% | 883 points for | 857 points against | 5 wins 7 losses | LWLWW
After a dismal 0-5 start to the season, Port have shown plenty of improvement to win five from their last seven.
They were right in the game against the Tigers last round and could have easily come away with the win if they had a bit of luck.
Their inability to score has been a slight concern for the club as they sit 15th for points scored and are coming up against a Swans side ranked third for average points scored.
A loss will have them three games outside the top eight, so they just need to find a way to win this one in front of a big home crowd.
Key players
Sydney – Peter Ladhams
The former Port Adelaide man spent his first five seasons at the Power before requesting a trade to Sydney last year and will now come up against his old side for the first time.
With Tom Hickey missing so much footy for Sydney this year, Ladhams has become an important member of the Swans side but his form has been a mixed bag.
His best has been outstanding with his effort against Richmond in round 11 a recent example of just how good he can be. Unfortunately, he couldn’t back that up against Melbourne the following week, with Max Gawn dominating him in the ruck contests and around the ground.
He’s not the first ruckman to get shown up by Gawn though, and now Ladhams gets an easier assignment in the debutant Teakle.
It’s hard to know what Teakle will bring at AFL level in his first outing, but Ladhams has the experience edge and Sydney will be hoping to use that to their advantage.
Power – Todd Marshall
Marshall has been a shining light for Port Adelaide this season, with the 23-year-old having a career-best season up forward for the Power.
While Port have struggled to kick goals consistently this season, Marshall has kicked 23 goals so far, including two bags of five goals.
His accuracy in front of goals has been exceptional having kicked just 5 behinds for the year, with a goal accuracy percentage of 74.2%, which ranks first in the AFL for players that have kicked over 20 goals this year.
While Marshall has been great for the Power in recent weeks, he needs a few of his fellow forwards to step up as well.
Port have picked a rather tall forward line with Marshall joined by Charlie Dixon, Jeremy Finlayson and Georgiades who will be looking to stretch a somewhat undersized Sydney backline.
Last 5 meetings and Adelaide Oval history
- 2021 round 15 – Power 12.9 (81) defeated Swans 10.11 (71) at Adelaide Oval
- 2020 round 14 – Power 11.7 (73) defeated Swans 7.5 (47) at Adelaide Oval
- 2019 round 21 – Power 15.13 (103) defeated Swans 7.14 (56) at Adelaide Oval
- 2018 round 2 – Swans 10.11 (71) lost to Power 14.10 (94) at SCG
- 2017 round 1 – Swans 12.10 (82) lost to Power 17.8 (110) at SCG
Despite trailing 20-12 in all-time head-to-head, Port Adelaide have a terrific recent record over Sydney having won the last five straight.
Last year’s clash was a thriller with Sydney taking the lead late in the game, before the Power surged in the last five minutes to snatch victory.
Prior to Port starting their run of five straight over the Swans in 2017, Sydney had won the previous five encounters against the Power.
They have played each other at Adelaide Oval just the five times with Port holding a 3-2 advantage. Sydney won the first two clashes in 2014 and 2015, while the Power have won the last three.
Pre match predictions
Familiar faces: Peter Ladhams and Alliir Aliir to both play starring roles against their old side. Ladhams to get 20 touches and a goal. Aliir to have five intercept marks.
Tall timber: The key forwards for both sides to kick 10 goals between them (Franklin, McDonald, Dixon and Marshall)
