The Sydney Swans’ clash with Richmond at Etihad Stadium on Thursday night is bursting with Hot Topics.
A battle between first versus second on the ladder, a star Swan’s milestone, Sydney’s strong Etihad Stadium record and plenty more surround the Round 15 blockbuster.
Top-of-the-table clash
Sydney and Richmond will square off in the first top-of-the-table clash between the two clubs since Round 6, 1934. The Swans and Tigers would go on to meet in the 1934 grand final and the Round 6 showdown is the only time in history the sides have met in a one-versus-two battle. The Tigers sit in first after 10 wins and three losses and accounted for the Cats in an 18-point win at the MCG when they last played, while the second-placed Swans will front the Tigers with a 10-3 record of their own and last clinched a 15-point victory over the Eagles at the SCG. Both sides enjoyed a bye in Round 14 and are sure to be raring to go.
Buddy’s 100th
Star forward Lance Franklin has achieved a lot since signing with the Swans ahead of season 2014 and will reach another milestone when he runs out for his 100th game in red and white. The former Hawk has played games 200 and 250 since jumping ship to the Swans, kicked goals 600, 700 and 800 and last year booted a 10-goal haul against Carlton. He collected his biggest opening-round return of his career in a bag of eight against the Eagles in Perth in Round 1 this year and against the Dockers in Round 9 kicked his 300th Swans goal. It put him alongside St Kilda and Sydney great Tony Lockett as one of just two Swans to have kicked 300 goals for two clubs. Franklin kicked 580 goals across nine seasons in Hawthorn colours and is sitting on 311 for Sydney. He has won two Coleman Medals (2014, 2017) since his move to the Swans and earned All-Australian honours (2014, 2016, 2017) on three occasions in that time. Keep an eye on his duel with key Richmond defender Alex Rance on Thursday – it promises to bare all the hallmarks of a classic one-on-one showdown between a star forward and defender at the peak of their powers.
Midfield battle
Two star-studded midfields will butt heads when the likes of Sydney’s Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker and Dan Hannebery meet Richmond’s Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin and Kane Lambert. Kennedy and Martin lead the way for their respective sides but bring different packages to the table. Kennedy is a bull on the inside of the contest and a clearance king, while Martin boasts a trademark fend and explosive run that treats the crowd to a spectacle. The Swans skipper is a three-time Bob Skilton Medallist and has ranked in the top three in most contested possessions per game every completed season since 2011, and Martin last year won the Brownlow Medal, claimed the Norm Smith Medal and tasted premiership success within the space of a week.
Young guns collide
Some of the most exciting up-and-coming stars in the competition will descend on Etihad Stadium for the Round 15 opener. As young Swans forwards Ben Ronke, Will Hayward and Tom McCartin tackle, crumb and launch for marks at one end, blossoming Tigers Daniel Rioli, Jason Castagna and Dan Butler will be lighting up the stage at the other. Sydney midfielders Isaac Heeney, Oliver Florent and Harry Cunningham will be going stride for stride with the likes of Richmond young gun Jack Graham, the youngest player on ground in last year’s grand final against Adelaide. Rising backmen Zak Jones, Jake Lloyd and Aliir Aliir form part of a rock-solid Sydney defence, while the battle-hardened Rance will have the up-and-coming Jayden Short and Nathan Broad tucked firmly under his wing. The Swans have this season met a long list of youngsters set for big heights, from Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron to Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey, and the likes of Ronke and Florent are set for another thrilling duel.
Etihad Stadium form
The Swans have lost just one game from their last 15 at Etihad Stadium. They lay claim to an average winning margin of 47 points per game across that period and collected a 71-point win over St Kilda when they last visited the Docklands venue. Overall, the Swans have played 49 games at Etihad Stadium and have won 29, lost 18 and drawn two. But despite Sydney’s strong record at Etihad Stadium, Thursday’s clash with Richmond promises to go right down to the wire. It shapes as a must-see contest.
