Marty’s Adelaide insight
Marty Mattner speaks to SwansTV about heading back to Adelaide to face his former club in Saturday's Qualifying Final
Defender Marty Mattner said the Sydney Swans are not daunted about playing their first final at Adelaide’s AAMI Stadium this Saturday.
The former Crow, who made the move to Sydney in 2008, said the Swans form this season was proof the team could succeed on any ground in the country.
“(AAMI Stadium) is an interesting ground, it’s quite long but it’s also quite wide as well,” Mattner told SwansTV.
“Our game plan has stood up in every ground all over Australia, we’ve beaten West Coast in West Coast and we’ve beaten teams in Melbourne, Tassie and even up here on the smaller SCG as well.
“I think it doesn’t matter where we play, our game plan has shown that it can sort of stand up anywhere.”
Mattner’s time at the Crows has also given the defender an insight into what the Swans should expect when they line up in front of a hostile South Australian crowd.
The 30-year-old said the Swans needed to use the Adelaide fans’ hostility as motivation this weekend.
“When I was playing at Adelaide, the crowd was really loud and really vocal … if you were playing for them,” he said.
“This weekend it’s going to be on the flipside and they’re going to be against us.
“We’re going to have to get a good start in the game and try and get the crowd out of the contest.
“If we can get a good start and stick together as a team and a group, we can try to negate the crowd’s influence.”
The last time the Swans faced the Crows in round six this season, it was Adelaide who claimed a five-point victory at the SCG.
Mattner said the Swans would go into this weekend’s match with an improved defensive focus, after Crows forwards Taylor Walker, Jared Petrenko and Ian Callinan combined for 11 goals in the round six clash.
“I’m expecting a very similar (game) to (round six),” he said.
“Their midfielders played really well and they got the ball into their forwards and to one-on-one contests.
“Their forward line kicked a few goals, so we’re really going to have to be one our game.”
Mattner said a full team effort would be required to overcome the Crows, who have won four of their last five matches leading into the finals.
“We are going to have to be on our game against the Crows and we just need to stick to our game,” he said.
“I think it starts in every group. If the midfield can get on top in their area and get it down to our forwards and create lots of one-on-one contests, it makes the job a lot easier.
“In the defensive group, if we can get the pressure from the midfield and the forwards, it makes our job in defence a lot easier.
“I think it’s going to have to be a whole team effort, but each group is going to have their own little battle as well.”