Sydney Swans v Brisbane Lions
Saturday, August 29 2009, 7.10pm, SCG
Season to date
The Lions looked a chance for a top-four spot after round 17 but they have managed just one win and a draw since. They are, however, assured of September action and a win on Saturday night will ensure a home final in the first week.
Home wins against Adelaide and Geelong, and a sterling performance against Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium in Tasmania have been season highlights.
Michael Voss’s men have also given their fans a thrilling ride with a number of come-from-behind wins. A 15-point win in round 21 against Port Adelaide after conceding 10 first-quarter goals was a prime example.
Recent form
Round 17 – Brisbane Lions 17.14 (116) d North Melbourne 11.9 (75), Gabba
Round 18 – Brisbane Lions 8.7 (55) lost to Collingwood 12.23 (95), MCG
Round 19 – Brisbane Lions 12.15 (87) drew Essendon 13.9 (87), Etihad Stadium
Round 20 – Brisbane Lions 12.12 (84) lost to Western Bulldogs 15.12 (102), Gabba
Round 21 – Brisbane Lions 16.11 (107) d Port Adelaide 14.8 (92), Gabba
Last time they met
Brisbane Lions 15.10 (100) d Sydney Swans 9.13 (67), round three 2009, Gabba
The Lions controlled this game from the outset on a miserable night in Brisbane, leading by 37 points at half time and holding that margin through the second half.
Key forwards Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw booted four goals each for the home side while Josh Drummond was outstanding with 25 possessions and a goal.
For the Swans, Jude Bolton toiled manfully for 29 touches and Barry Hall finished with three goals from limited opportunities.
The venue: SCG
The SCG hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Lions in recent years, with the Swans winning their past four clashes there.
In fact, the Lions have won just one of their past seven games in Sydney. Their sole triumph during that time came in the 2003 preliminary final at ANZ Stadium.
The coach: Michael Voss
The three-time premiership captain and 1996 Brownlow Medallist has made an immediate impact in his first year as a senior coach, lifting the Lions to their first finals series since 2004.
Voss has made a mockery of critics who suggested that all senior coaches needed to undertake a thorough apprenticeship as an assistant. While it is unlikely he will taste the ultimate success as a coach in 2009, his Lions look to be on the right track.
Strengths
It’s usually all about key forwards Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw but with the latter set to miss Saturday night’s game, the Lions’ midfield will be a concern to Swans coach Paul Roos.
Luke Power and Simon Black remain among the game’s premier onballers, with talented support from Daniel Rich, Travis Johnstone and Michael Rischitelli.
Justin Sherman has also enjoyed his best year under Voss’s tutelage as a goalkicking midfielder and he will need attention, while first-year player Jack Redden has impressed in the past seven games.
Missing in action
Bradshaw (quad) and defender Daniel Merrett (hamstring) are absentees from the side that overran Port Adelaide in round 21. Ruckman Jamie Charman (ankle) and midfielder Albert Proud (foot) are the only other regular senior players ruled out through injury.
The key: Shut down Brown
Lions skipper Jonathan Brown has 75 goals for the season and together with Daniel Bradshaw (50 goals), the pair has been responsible for 44 per cent of the side’s majors in 2009.
With Bradshaw absent, the Swans will go a long way towards winning the game if they can prevent Brown from having an impact. Craig Bolton and Lewis Roberts-Thomson will have roles to play on the Lion King, but the rest of the Swans defence need to work to block up space in the forward line.
If the Swans can combine a solid defensive effort with their trademark midfield grit to stop the Lions feeding their forwards, it should be a happy night for departing stars Michael O’Loughlin, Leo Barry and Jared Crouch.
The young gun: Daniel Rich
The raging favourite for this year’s NAB Rising Star award has proven that it’s more about quality than quantity when it comes to possessions.
The young West Australian has only twice cracked the 30-possession mark and more often racks up numbers in the high teens, but it’s what he does with the Sherrin that counts.
Long, raking passes to leading forwards – or shooting straight over their heads to split the middle – have become trademarks of the 19-year-old in a remarkable debut season.
The big questions
Can the Swans lift one more time to give their retiring heroes a fitting farewell? Can Micky O produce a few more magic tricks for his home crowd? How will Brown cope without his mate Bradshaw to distract the Swans defenders? Have the Swans youngsters run out of legs at the end of a long season?
What they’re saying
“[The Swans] have just probably bullied us all over the ground in the last few years. They’ve been a pretty experienced, strong side over the last five or six years and they’ve just been able to dominate us.” - Brisbane Lions vice-captain Luke Power
