Melbourne Demons v Sydney Swans: Full preview, teams, odds and how to watch Sunday's AFL action

Mick Stirling

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Melbourne Demons v Sydney Swans: Full preview, teams, odds and how to watch Sunday's AFL action image

PREVIEW OF MELBOURNE DEMONS V SYDNEY SWANS

Melbourne has won four of it’s last five games but dropped three in a row before that.

Sydney is back in winning form after losing four of the previous five.

And things are so tight on the ladder that the Swans (8th) will leapfrog the Demons (4th) if they win this one.

There may also be just a tad of emotion from the last time these two teams met, although neither Thomas Bugg or Callum Mills will be out there on Sunday afternoon.

No matter how you look at it, this one's set up to be a ripper at the MCG on Sunday.


 

WHAT TIME IS THE GAME ON?

The ball is bounced at 3.20pm AEST.

HOW TO WATCH SUNDAY’S AFL ACTION

The AFL got it right this time and managed to slot the Dees v Swannies into a free-to-air slot, if not exactly prime-time viewing.

Channel Seven starts its coverage from 3pm, while Fox have it on Fox Sports (channel 503), also from 3pm.

CAN I WATCH IT OVERSEAS?

Can’t get a flight out of Bali due to the earthquake? Not a problem – put the feet up, order another cocktail with an umbrella in it, and pull out the device.

Full coverage of the game is available live on your four-inch screen through the Foxtel app or AFL Live Pass.

And you can watch while getting a massage in your room, so even if your team doesn’t win you can still enjoy a happy ending.

AND THE RADIO?

Yep, even the radio has apps. If you haven’t got one of the many available, such as SimpleRadio, then download it now.


 

MELBOURNE DEMONS’ LIKELY LINEUP

B: 39 Neville Jetta, 28 Oscar McDonald, 6 Jordan Lewis

HB: 3 Christian Salem, 17 Sam Frost, 4 James Harmes

C: 10 Angus Brayshaw, 13 Clayton Oliver, 12 Dom Tyson

HF: 9 Charlie Spargo, 1 Jesse Hogan, 22 Aaron vandenBerg

F: 36 Jeff Garlett, 25 Tom McDonald, 31 Bayley Fritsch

R: 11 Max Gawn, 2 Nathan Jones, 5 Christian Petracca 

Int: 16 Dean Kent, 19 Mitch Hannan, 21 Cameron Pederson, 23 Bernie Vince, 24 Jay Kennedy Harris, 26 Sam Weideman, 29 Jayden Hunt, 30 Alex Neal-Bullen

Cam Pederson is the most likely replacement for the injured Joel Smith, although the Demons could go with Jayden Hunt.

WHAT’S IN THIS GAME FOR THE DEMONS?

It’s a tough run home for Melbourne (Sydney, West Coast and GWS) and if they want to guarantee the double chance they’ll need to win all three. Drop this clash and they’ll be out of the top four immediately, relying on other results to get back in. Lose two of their final three and the Dees could well miss the finals altogether.

KEY MELBOURNE PLAYERS

Jesse Hogan is starting to take his game to another level at just the right time, but the Swans’ defence is a little more miserly than Gold Coast’s so he won’t want to take another bag for granted. The Demons’ midfield is borderline great and driven primarily by the new guard of Clayton Oliver and Angus Brayshaw. They may sound like they belong at a Buckingham Palace garden party, but they don’t mind getting their hands dirty and will go a long way to deciding whether Melbourne is ‘on’ or not. And then there's Petracca - but who knows when he'll start living up to the hype.


 

SYDNEY SWANS’ LIKELY LINEUP

B: 40 Nick Smith, 36 Aliir Aliir, 44 Jake Lloyd

HB: 3 Jarred McVeigh, 2 Alex Johnson, 24 Dane Rampe

C: 5 Isaac Heeney, 12 Josh P. Kennedy, 7 Harry Cunningham

HF: 29 George Hewett, 23 Lance Franklin, 13 Oliver Florent

F: 9 Will Hayward, 30 Tom McCartin, 25 Ben Ronke

R: 18 Callum Sinclair, 15 Kieren Jack, 26 Luke Parker

Int: 17 Darcy Cameron, 34 Jordan Dawson, 4 Dan Hannebery, 16 Gary Rohan, 22 Dean Towers, 27 Daniel Robinson, 28 Nic Newman, 11 Tom Papley

Expect Dan Hannebery to return and be given a chance to show he's still got the goods.

WHAT’S IN THIS GAME FOR THE SWANS?

Every game is a final for Sydney now and they got through the first week against Collingwood. The fact they’re currently sitting in the top eight guarantees nothing and they need to keep winning to stay alive in 2018.

KEY SYDNEY PLAYERS

We said Buddy was the man last week and, guess what, he is again. As many quality players that there are running around in red and white, if they want to win big games it takes something special from Franklin. Veteran midfielders Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh and possibly Kieren Jack and Dan Hannebery, are going to need to dig deep to keep up with the pups in Melbourne jumpers.


 

LAST FOUR MEETINGS

Rd15, 2017, Sydney Swans 11.19 (85) d Melbourne Demons 7.8 (50) at the MCG
Rd13, 2016, Sydney Swans 12.14 (86) d Melbourne Demons 4.7 (31) at the SCG
Rd20, 2015, Sydney Swans 12.16 (88) d Melbourne Demons 7.8 (50) at the MCG
Rd2, 2014, Sydney Swans 9.15 (69) d Melbourne Demons 5.8 (38)  at the MCG

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

A lot of people have high expectations of Melbourne this year and their recent return to form has them starting as quite short favourites, paying $1.37 to Sydney’s $3.10.

However, the Demons haven’t beaten the Swans since 2010, have saluted just once in their past 13 encounters, and in the last four games between the sides Melbourne has been kept to 50 points or less.

That’s not the head-to-head record of a red-hot favourite.

WHO WILL WIN?

While Sydney’s form hasn’t been sparkling lately, the win last round over Collingwood, and Buddy’s spectacular return to his best, suggest they are still the Swans we know – a club that can never be written off.

And that’s just the kind of team the classy but occasionally fragile Melbourne don’t like coming up against.

Sydney by 17 points.

 

Mick Stirling