Match day guide and preview for the 2022 AFL round 20 game between the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants.
Match details
Who: Sydney Swans vs GWS Giants
When: Saturday 30 July, 2.10pm
Where: SCG, NSW
Weather: Min 6 Max 16. Chance of rain 30%, 0 to 1mm
Head-to-head record: Played 23. Swans 14 wins. Giants 9 wins.
Teams
Swans
IN:
OUT: Sam Wicks (medi-sub)
The Swans are unchanged for the second straight week. Star veteran Josh Kennedy remains an emergency after picking up 37 disposals in the VFL last week.
Giants
UPDATE: GWS co-captain Stephen Coniglio is a late out with soreness, Xavier O’Halloran replaces him in the starting side.
IN: Harry Perryman, Jesse Hogan, Josh Kelly, Lachie Whitfield, Leek Aleer, Tom Green
OUT: Jake Riccardi (omitted), Jake Stein (medi-sub), Kieren Briggs (omitted), Lachlan Keeffe (omitted), Tanner Bruhn (omitted), Xavier O’Halloran (omitted), Zach Sproule (omitted)
It looks like the Giants have really set themselves for the Sydney Derby with a host of key inclusions. Kelly, Green, Hogan, Whitfield and Perryman return and are all best 18 players, while Aleer will make his AFL debut.
Click here for complete team line-ups.
Season so far and the run home
Sydney Swans 6th – 121.9% | 1664 points for | 1365 points against | 12 wins 6 losses | WWWLW
The Swans have had some inconsistent performances this season, but three straight wins has set them up for a top four finish.
Sydney produced a blistering opening quarter against the Crows last week, kicking nine goals to set up a 33-point win.
Their forward line is starting to look more dangerous as the season progresses with Tom Papley starting to hit his straps at the right time of the season.
The Swans are just one win from second spot and play GWS (SCG), North Melbourne (Marvel Stadium), Collingwood (SCG) and St Kilda (Marvel Stadium) on the road home.
The Magpies game in round 22 shapes as the biggest of the lot with both sides in the hunt for the top four, while the Saints may need to win that final round game to finish in the eight.
Four wins will almost certainly see Sydney finish in the top four, while three wins would also give them a chance.
GWS Giants 15th – 85.9% | 1370 points for | 1595 points against | 5 wins 13 losses | LLLWL
The Giants showed some promising signs in the first half against Carlton last week, but then fell away to lose by 36 points.
GWS have managed just 20 goals in their last three matches, with Toby Greene accounting for 8 of those 20.
This is the first time the club has been out of finals contention this early in the season since 2014 and it looks like they are struggling to find any sort of motivation.
However, they do love getting up for a Sydney Derby so if they do need a little extra motivation, harming their cross-town rivals top four chances may do the trick.
They play the Swans (SCG), Bombers (Giants Stadium), Bulldogs (Marvel Stadium) and Dockers (Manuka Oval) on the road home and could help shape the finals if they get some form back.
Last 5 meetings and SCG history
- 2022 round 1: Giants 13.14 (92) lost to Swans 17.10 (112) at Accor Stadium
- Elimination Final 2021: Swans 10.13 (73) lost to Giants 11.8 (74) at UTAS Stadium
- 2021 round 8: Giants 11.6 (72) lost to Swans 15.8 (98) at Metricon Stadium
- 2021 round 5: Swans 10.9 (69) lost to Giants 9.17 (71) at SCG
- 2020 round 12: Swans 10.6 (66) defeat Giants 3.7 (25) at Optus Stadium
The Swans hold a slender 3-2 edge over the last five matches, but the Giants claimed the most important win in last year’s Elimination Final in Tasmania.
The last four encounters have all been relatively tight clashes with GWS winning their two games by under a goal, while Sydney came from behind for their two victories.
Sydney won a high-scoring round one clash at Accor Stadium, with Luke Parker the star of the show booting five goals.
The Swans hold a 5-4 edge in overall matches against GWS at the SCG, but the Giants have won four of the last five and the last three straight at the venue.
Players in form
Swans – Tom Papley
After missing the opening six rounds with a hamstring injury, Papley took a while to find his groove but in now in the form that saw him named All-Australian last year.
The 26-year-old has been brilliant over the Swans’ current three match winning streak, averaging 21 disposals per game, 2 goals, 3 goal assists and 5 inside 50s.
The Swans are using him more frequently in the centre bounce with his explosiveness a real weapon, then he pushes forward and is incredibly dangerous inside 50.
Papley is generating plenty of scoring shots, with 17 over the last three weeks, but would love to improve his accuracy having kicked just 7 goals and 10 behinds. He’s not only generating scoring shots for himself, but Papley actually leads the AFL for goal assists per game at 1.58 with Melbourne’s Christian Petracca second at 1.28.
Giants – Toby Greene
Greene is undeniably one of the most dangerous forwards in the competition, with an elite ability in the air matched by his prowess on the ground.
Despite the Giants struggling to get the ball forward efficiently for much of the year, Greene is still enjoying a terrific season, averaging 2.5 goals per game, 5.2 marks and 14.6 disposals.
The problem for GWS is that Greene has been playing somewhat of a lone hand up forward with Jesse Hogan in and out of the side and Harry Himmelberg moving back into defence.
Greene’s last game against the Swans saw him cop a six match suspension for umpire contact, so he’ll be keen to make amends and help his team get one back over their rivals.
Pre match predictions
Reid all about it : Sam Reid to kick three goals and take eight marks for the Swans.
Giant scare: GWS to recapture their form and give the Swans an almighty fright in another tight Sydney Derby.
Have any pre match predictions of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
