It’s a Round One Sydney Derby as the Giants and Swans do battle at Accor Stadium on Saturday evening! The Swans will be looking to avenge last year’s Elimination Final loss, and Lance Franklin will be looking to reach an incredible 1000 goals. Jack Tobin has got you covered with his best picks for a huge clash.
Be sure to check out our AFL Tips page for previews on every game this season!
GWS vs Sydney Betting Tips
Accor Stadium, Saturday 19th March, 5:10pm AEDT
GWS Giants
Injuries: Jesse Hogan, Daniel Lloyd (test), Connor Stone, Zac Sproule, Brent Daniels, Jack Buckley (Out)
Overall the Giants would have to be very happy on the injury front, with only Brent Daniels (foot) a definite out from their best 22. Jesse Hogan and Daniel Lloyd will have to get through training this week, but look likely to available for selection. Hogan produced a huge performance in the Elimination Final against the Swans last year, and will be looking to reproduce that form again.
GWS had an excellent pre season, with comfortable wins over Sydney (31 points) and Collingwood (41 points). In a major positive for the Giants, skipper Stephen Coniglio has had a red hot pre season and looks set to return to his elite form that saw him earn a seven year contract back in 2019.
The Giants midfield will once again hold the key to how far they can go this season. Tim Taranto, Josh Kelly, Jacob Hopper, Tom Green, Callan Ward and Stephen Coniglio form one of the deepest midfield’s in the competition. It’s an area of the game they will have an advantage over the Swans.
Sydney
Injuries: Callum Mills (Test), Tom Papley, Lachlan Rankin, Joel Amartey, Marc Shether (Out), Jake Lloyd, Chad Warner (Health & safety protocols)
The big news out of the Swans camp on Wednesday is that Jake Lloyd and Chad Warner will miss this weekend’s clash due to health and safety protocols. Warner’s absence creates a bit of a hole in the Swans small forwards stocks, with Tom Papley set to miss the first month of the season with a hamstring injury. Callum Mills was under an injury cloud during pre season with an Achilles complaint, but looks set to play.
Sydney had a mixed pre season, with a 31 point loss against the Giants and a 31 point win over North Melbourne. After being one of the biggest surprises in 2021, the Swans will have to handle some pretty big expectations of their young side. Experienced campaigners of Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker, Jake Lloyd and Lance Franklin were in outstanding form last season, but the Swans need to get sustained production out of their younger players.
Match Prediction
The Giants and Swans split their encounters during the home & away season, but the Giants claimed a famous one point win over the Swans in the Elimination Final. The obvious point of interest in this game will be whether Lance Franklin can kick the five goals he needs to reach the 1000 goal mark. However, this injury-free Giants outfit will be looking to send a statement to the rest of the competition on Saturday evening.
Both sides are evenly matched at both ends of the ground, so the midfield battle will be where this game is won and lost. The depth in the Giants midfield, particularly from a physical standpoint will be too strong for the young Swans. Jake Lloyd’s distribution off half back will be sorely missed for Sydney, who may struggle to transition the ball without him.
GWS have won five of the last seven meetings between the two Sydney sides, and with a near full strength side, they will be confident they can continue their good form against their crosstown rivals. This is set to be a cracking contest,
GWS +1.5 (1.5 Units)
$1.96
Prop Bets
Lance Franklin kicked 3, 4 and 5 in his three meetings against GWS last season. In his last twelve games against the Giants he has recorded goal tallies of 3, 4, 5, 0, 5, 2, 4, 3, 0, 2, 4 and 5. That’s 37 goals at an average of 3 goals a game, hitting the 2+ mark in 10 of his last 12 games against GWS.
Lance Franklin 3+ Goals ($1.83 at Sportsbet)
Jacob Hopper had a career best year in 2021, averaging 26 disposals per game. Hopper hit the 25 disposal mark in 14 of his 23 games, and in his last seven games with 20 minute quarters against the Swans he’s produced disposal returns of 23, 23, 26, 26, 33 and 26. With a few of the Giants mids set to push forward to cover Toby Greene’s absence, Hopper should see plenty of CBA’s in this clash.
Jacob Hopper 25+ Disposals ($1.72 at Sportsbet)
A value selection here in the final prop. Dylan Stephens has had a strong pre season on the wing for the Swans, with the former number 5 draft pick set to step into the role vacated by Jordan Dawson. Stephens recorded 20 disposals against the Kangaroos in their AAMI Series game, and looks to have a strong role to win easy possessions.
Dylan Stephens 20+ Disposals ($2.20 at Sportsbet)
