Sydney Swans vs North Melbourne Preview
Sydney will defy what has been a tumultuous week with a win over North Melbourne in AFL Round 24.
The Swans will be without a number of star players after the recent events off the field and cannot move from second position regardless of the result.
Despite the absence of the likes of Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey for the Round 24 clash, the Swans have a number of players that can step up to continue their strong record at the SCG this season that has seen them win nine of 10. Their average winning margin against sides outside the top 10 at the venue this year has been 63.5.
Their opponents, North Melbourne, are officially out of wildcard contention, making this a dead rubber in terms of the ladder but an important opportunity for Sydney to go some way to regrouping and build momentum before finals.
North Melbourne can certainly serve it up and kicked seven goals in the opening quarter against Geelong last weekend, finishing with 110 points, but also conceded 125. The Roos have allowed an average of 117 points across their eight matches against top-six opposition this season, while the total points in Sydney's past four SCG matches has averaged more than 190.
Charlie Curnow is primed for another big afternoon, given that the Kangaroos have a history of struggling to contain tall forwards. Curnwo kicked four goals against Essendon last weekend to move to 66 for the season and has 16 across his past four matches.
He has kicked 20 goals across his past four games against bottom-six opposition, putting another four-goal haul firmly in play.
Errol Gulden is entering September in extraordinary form. He piled up 47 disposals against Essendon last weekend and is averaging 41 across his past four matches. North Melbourne struggled to halt Geelong once the Cats regained control through possession and front-half pressure last weekend, and Gulden should again have every opportunity to dictate play.
- Sydney have won nine of 10 matches at the SCG this season.
- The total points in the Swans' past four matches at the SCG have averaged over 190.
- Charlie Curnow has kicked 20 goals in his past four matches against bottom-six sides.
- Errol Gulden has averaged 41 disposals in his past four matches.
Head to Head
Sydney have won their past 11 between the two sides and were eight-point victors at Marvel Stadium against the Roos back in Round 9 this season. Seven of those matches have been decided by less than 15 points.
Standout player performances in the recent head to heads have come from:
- Harry Sheezel (Roos)- 25+ disposals in each of his five career matches against the Swans for an average of 29 in those.
- Luke Parker (Roos)- 25+ disposals in two of three matches against his former side.
- Logan McDonald (Swans)- nine goals in his past three matches against the Roos
- Isaac Heeney (Swans)- will no doubt be missed and has kicked eight goals in his past two matches against North Melbourne.
Sydney Swans Form Analysis
Sydney enter Round 24 with a 17-5 record and their second-place finish already secured. They defeated Essendon by 36 points last weekend and continue to build strongly towards September, with the SCG proving one of the strongest home-ground advantages in the competition.
The Swans have won nine of their 10 matches at the SCG this season. Their average winning margin across four matches at the venue against sides outside the top 10 is 63.5 points, while their recent home matches have also produced plenty of scoring.
Errol Gulden comes off an enormous 47-disposal performance against Essendon and is averaging 41 possessions across his past four matches. Charlie Curnow kicked another four goals and now has 66 for the season, including 16 in his past four appearances.
Sydney Swans Team News
Sydney lose Isaac Heeney, James Jordan, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner and Riley Bice for the season, while the Swans copped another blow with Justin McInerney suffering a setback in his bid to return from a hamstring and will be out for another few weeks. Haydn McLean has entered concussion protocols. James Rowbottom is a chance to return, while Caiden Cleary, Angus Sheldrick, Corey Warner, Malcolm Rosas, Tom Hanily and Harry Cunningham are among those most likely to come in for the suspended group of players.
North Melbourne Form Analysis
North Melbourne have lost five of their past six matches, although they have shown encouraging signs over the past fortnight. They defeated the Western Bulldogs by 23 points before producing a blistering seven-goal opening quarter against Geelong last weekend, eventually falling by 15 points.
The Kangaroos produced one of their best attacking performances of the season against the Cats, finishing with 17.8 and 110 points. Nick Larkey kicked five goals, Jack Darling added four and Cooper Trembath booted three, giving North several dangerous marking options inside 50.
Defence remains the concern heading to the SCG. North conceded 125 points against Geelong and have allowed an average of 117 points in eight matches against top-six opponents this season. They had made significant improvements beforehand, conceding an average of just 79.5 across their previous eight games, but Sydney represent a major step up.
North Melbourne Team News
Harry Sheezel is unlikely to feature in the final round after suffering a cheekbone injury against Geelong. The star midfielder was forced from the match during the second quarter and his season is expected to have ended one week early.