Match day guide and preview for the 2022 round 9 game between the Sydney Swans and Essendon Bombers.
Match details
Who: Sydney Swans vs Essendon Bombers
When: Saturday 14 May, 7.25pm
Where: SCG, NSW
Weather: min 17 max 26 chance of rain 40% 0 to 1mm
Head-to-head record since 1980: Played 68. Swans 35 wins. Bombers 33 wins.
Teams
Swans
IN: James Bell, Sam Wicks, Tom Hickey
OUT: Ben Ronke (omitted), Braeden Campbell (managed), Hayden McLean (omitted), Ryan Clarke (medi-sub)
The Swans get Hickey back who is so important to the side, while Wicks and Bell also come back in. Youngster Campbell has been rested , with McLean and Ronke dropped after a couple of quiet games.
Bombers
IN: Jake Kelly, Jordan Ridley, Matt Guelfi, Sam Durham
OUT: Alastair Lord (medi-sub), Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (injured), Brayden Ham (omitted), Devon Smith (illness), Kaine Baldwin (omitted)
MILESTONE: Dyson Heppell – 200 AFL matches
The Bombers have made several changes with Ridley and Kelly returning to bolster their backline.
Click here for complete team line-ups.
Season so far
Sydney Swans 6th – 118.4% | 745 points for | 629 points against | 5 wins 3 losses | LLWWW
After a strong 5-1 start to the season, the Swans have dropped two straight matches at home to the Queensland sides.
Last week’s loss to the Suns was their worst performance of the year, with Sydney found lacking in intensity from the opening bounce.
Their poor work around the contest was particularly concerning, losing contested possessions (139-124) and clearances (36-29) with no midfielder able to get more than 20 possessions.
They were looking like a genuine top four chance to start the year, but they can’t afford to drop three straight at home if they want to stay in the hunt.
Essendon Bombers 16th – 78.3% | 640 points for | 817 points against | 2 wins 6 losses | WLLLW
A dreadful start to the season saw the Bombers under the pump heading into the last week’s game against Hawthorn, but they produced a classic backs against the wall type victory that could spark their season.
Essendon were forced into five late changes before the game and found themselves trailing by 15 points at three quarter time before storming home to claim a crucial 27-point win.
The Bombers have proven themselves to be quite an inconsistent side over recent years, but if they bring their best, they could absolutely cause an upset at the SCG.
Last 5 meetings and SCG history
- 2021 round 20 – Bombers 16.6 (102) lost to Swans 17.7 (109) at MCG
- 2021 round 4 – Swans 11.17 (83) defeat Bombers 12.8 (80) at SCG
- 2020 round 2 – Swans 11.7 (73) lost to Bombers 12.7 (79) at SCG
- 2019 round 16 – Bombers 11.10 (76) defeat Swans 9.12 (66)at MCG
- 2019 round 8 – Swans 11.11 (77) defeat Bombers 10.12 (72) at SCG
These two sides love to play in a thriller, with three of the last five games decided by a goal or less, while the biggest margin is just ten points.
The two games last year were of high quality with the Swans just getting the job done in both encounters.
Since 2010, they have met at the SCG nine times with the Swans leading the count 8-1. Despite the lopsided count, there have been several close matchups with margins of 3, 6, 5, 1 and 9.
Pre match predictions
Swans secure another SCG thriller: The Swans to get the chocolates in another classic between these sides.
Wright on the mark: Peter Wright to kick 4 goals straight.
Have any pre match predictions of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
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