WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Saturday May 26, 4.40pm
LAST TIME: Sydney Swans 12.10 (82) d St Kilda 8.9 (56), Elimination Final, 2011 at Etihad Stadium
TV AND RADIO: Click here for broadcast guide
MATCH DAY INFORMATION: Click here for all the match day information for Saturday evening

The Swans returned to form with a bang in last week's 101-point win over Melbourne with solid contributions from all their usual suspects.
St Kilda, on the other hand, almost sneaked an unlikely win after an indifferent first half against ladder leader West Coast. The Swans are quietly going under the radar, sitting in fourth position despite losing some key players in recent weeks. This is their second game in Melbourne this season and they will be looking for a win to prove their credentials as a top-four candidate.

THE FOUR POINTS

SYDNEY SWANS

1. How will the Swans approach their second trip to Melbourne this year? Their first trip was a very poor performance against Richmond, albeit at the MCG. They do have a better record at Etihad, where they have won four of their past six, including an elimination final win over the Saints last year.

2. Can the Swans' midfield maintain the high level it showed against Melbourne? The likes of Kieren Jack, Lewis Jetta, Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker had a day out against the outclassed Demons, with all picking up a swag of possessions and kicking multiple goals. But they are sure to face a much sterner test against Lenny Hayes and the St Kilda midfielders.

3. This will be a battle of two of the top tackling teams in the AFL. The Swans are ranked No. 1 in the AFL for tackles, swamping Melbourne 82-51 in that area, despite owning possession of the football. But the Saints are ranked fifth and will be steeling themselves to match the Swans in that area.

4. Tommy Walsh was injected into the forward line and played his role against the Demons, kicking two goals and providing a strong contest. It also helped young centre half-forward Sam Reid, who has been struggling for form over the past month. Walsh will be hoping for another strong performance when he faces his old side.

ST KILDA

1. Losing Ben McEvoy and now Rhys Stanley to injury has exposed the Saints' lack of ruck depth and they are now forced to use forward Justin Koschitzke and defender Jason Blake in the middle. Fortunately for St Kilda, they don't have to come up against man-mountain Shane Mumford who is also out injured.

2. St Kilda faces an interesting selection decision, if not this week, then soon. The Saints are blessed with small forwards, not only Stephen Milne who is regarded as one of the best at his craft but also first-year players Terry Milera and Ahmed Saad, who have not put a foot wrong since making their debuts. They must now decide how to fit in Adam Schneider who played his first game of the year in the VFL last week.

3. The Saints have performed particularly well for a team with a supposedly undersized defence this year - and could receive welcome news with both James Gwilt and Sam Fisher very close to returning from injury. Their presence would bring some balance to the team and make the workload a bit easier on players such as Blake.

4. St Kilda goes into this game with their second six-day break and have another one before next week's clash with Richmond. Every team has shortened breaks at some stage in the year, but this will test the Saints' new wave of young players.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL