NEAFL ROUND 2
Sydney Swans v Southport Sharks
Saturday, April 7 at BISP, 1.30pm

*This match will be streamed live on NEAFL TV (youtube.com/northeastafl)
*Live Champion Data statistics available on the NEAFL App.

SUMMARY
Both Sydney and Southport look to secure their first wins of the season after disappointing Round 1 losses. The Swans fell to a strong Lions outfit while the Sharks had the better of Sydney University before fading in the second half. While the Sharks have lost their only two encounters to the Swans, they showed promising signs they can match it with the best when they went toe-to-toe with the Students for three quarters last week. Both teams struggled in giving away too many free kicks in their first games, so smart play and good judgement will be key factors for both teams.

RECENT ENCOUNTERS

Round 4, 2016: Sydney 12.13 (85) d Southport 6.9 (45) at Drummoyne Oval.
Round 6, 2015: Sydney 14.13 (97) d Southport 6.9 (45) at BISP.

TEAMS

Sydney
B: 32. Michael Talia 21. Jack Maibaum 58. Hamish MacDonald
HB: 11. Jeremy Laidler 43. Lewis Melican 38. Colin O’Riordan
C: 57. Luke Robertson 33. Brandon Jack 56. Cooper Lee
HF: 1. James Rose 47. Toby Pink 53. Sam Barkley
F: 30. Tyrone Leonardis 46. Sam Murray 54. Max Lower
Foll: 59. Joe Stapleton 45. Sam Fisher 49. Will Gowers
Inter: 7. Harry Cunningham 19. Shaun Edwards 17. Darcy Cameron 22. Dean Towers
Emer: N/A.
In: 57. Luke Roberston 58. Hamish MacDonald 11. Jeremy Laidler 7. Harry Cunningham
Out: 52. Jack Mapleson 6. Jordan Foote 34. Jordan Dawson 18. Callum Sinclair

Southport
B: 24. Dylan Mutu 12. Jon Croad 27. Tom Thynne*
HB: 7. James Holland 15. Nick Crowley 28. Rob Clements
C: 4. Blake Erickson 3. Haydn Kiel 8. Seb Tape
HF: 5. Andrew Boston 45. Hamish Shepheard 26. Cody Filewood
F: 34. Isaac Franks 14. Matt Fowler 33. Matt Doran
Foll: 25. Fraser Thurlow 1. Jordan Keras 17. Mitch Johnson
Inter: 30. Adam McKenzie 18. Seb Rogers 31. Brandon Chadwick 23. Jed Turner 38. Brady Egan
Emer: 19. Josh Baxter 40. Jack O’Shea
In: Nil
Out: Nil

*Denotes 23rd player.

TALKING POINTS

  1. It was a disappointing end to last week’s match for Southport when they had Sydney University on the ropes, only to give away several un-disciplined free kicks which quickly turned the momentum in the Students’ favour. It will be crucial for the Sharks to remain composed and focused if they are a chance of upsetting the NEAFL’s traditional powerhouse on their home deck.
  2. Sydney’s defence will have a big role to play in the outcome of this game when they come up against the Sharks’ twin towers of former Subiaco forward Hamish Shepheard and West Perth premiership player Matt Fowler. Throw in the class of Andrew Boston at half-forward and emerging youngster Cody Filewood, and the Swans will need to remain accountable in the back half.
  3. Southport midfielder Jordan Keras is fast-becoming a clearance powerhouse in the NEAFL. In his last four matches, stemming back to Round 19 last year, he’s averaged 11.2 clearances a game. A true barometer of the Sharks’ engine room, Keras will need another big performance this weekend to set up play for Southport.

ROOKIE WATCH
Former Gold Coast Suns Academy member Cody Filewood is growing in stature with every NEAFL game. He played only four NEAFL games last year but has started 2017 with a bang. The 19-year-old has been Southport’s highest goalkicker in all practice matches, plus Round 1 last week, with a total 13 goals from four games so far. 

STATS THAT MATTER
Southport has never won a NEAFL match at Blacktown in three attempts stemming back to 2015, with an average losing margin of 40 points.