SUMMARY
The Cats are second on the ladder with 12 wins; one full game behind top-placed Adelaide after the Crows' draw with Collingwood on Sunday. They comfortably accounted for a tired Carlton outfit on Saturday night by 65 points, which was their fourth win in six games. The victory was spearheaded by Tom Hawkins' six goals, but came at a cost with Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield suspended for a week for his tackle on Matthew Kreuzer. Meanwhile, the Swans are sixth and atop the logjam of teams on eight wins that extends down to the Western Bulldogs in ninth. Their charge to September that included seven straight wins and 10 since round seven hit a bump on Friday night when they lost a thriller to Hawthorn at the MCG. Josh Kennedy was subdued in the loss and is in doubt with a hamstring problem, but Lance Franklin is available after he escaped suspension for his run-in with ex-teammate Luke Hodge.
WHERE AND WHEN: Simonds Stadium, Friday, August 4, 7.50pm AEST
TV AND RADIO: Click here for broadcast guide
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
2PF, 2016, Sydney 15.7 (97) d Geelong 8.12 (60) at the MCG
R16, 2016, Sydney 15.8 (98) d Geelong 9.6 (60) at Simonds Stadium
R19, 2015, Geelong 14.11 (95) d Sydney 9.9 (63) at Simonds Stadium
R7, 2015, Sydney 18.12 (120) d Geelong 11.11 (77) at ANZ Stadium
R11, 2014, Sydney 22.16 (148) d Geelong 5.8 (38) at the SCG
THE SIX POINTS
1. The Cats won't want to revisit their last meeting with the Swans. They were smashed in last year's preliminary final with a seven-goal-to-none first-quarter blitz that blew the game apart.
2. The Swans went on to win the prelim by 37 points, with their midfield pressure and ferocious attack proving too much. Isaac Heeney was immense, while Dan Hannebery, Kieren Jack and Kennedy were also significant.
3. While the Swans have a decent recent record against the Cats, they'll have to be on their toes given the venue. The Cats have won seven straight at their home ground, although their last loss there was incidentally to the Swans in round 16 last year.
4. The Cats are one of the highest scoring teams in 2017. They're ranked second for points per game with 101 while the Swans are averaging 90.
5. The Swans easily won the tackle count in the prelim but the Cats have taken over as the best tackling side this year. They're ranked first with an average of 74.2 per game, while the Swans are 12th with 67.3.
6. Hawkins' big night out on Saturday saw him ranked third overall for the round in the Schick AFL Player Ratings. The game saw him leap from 83rd overall to 74th in just one week.
IT’S A BIG WEEK FOR … the entire Geelong midfield brigade
It will be the first game Dangerfield has missed since becoming a Cat and the responsibility of filling the breach will fall to Joel Selwood, Mitch Duncan, Cam Guthrie, Sam Menegola and co.
PREDICTION: Sydney by 12 points
