Home and away review

The Swans finished seventh on the ladder this season, managing 12 wins and a draw, and are now on their way to yet another finals campaign.

The team has had an up and down season, but never looked horribly out of form. However, it is only recently that the Swans have proven that they are a serious premiership contender.

The Swans’ form against the seven finalists hasn’t been particularly convincing, with four wins and six losses. Though it must be noted that Sydney only lost to Collingwood by six points, are the only team to have beaten West Coast in Perth, and had an opportunity to beat Essendon with a kick after the siren.

Over the past three weeks the Swans have rallied together and are in the best form they’ve been in all season. After being in danger of missing out on the finals, the Swans defeated the likes of St.Kilda and Geelong and now loom as a threat in September.

Key finals player

Without a doubt, the most important player for Sydney is Adam Goodes.

Goodes is able to turn a games result by himself, often inspiring his teammates to follow his lead.  If Goodes plays well, there is no reason as to why Sydney cannot beat any team in the competition.

Gary Rohan is another player that poses a serious threat to opposition teams in September. Whilst much of the focus will be on Goodes, Rohan’s ability to run and carry the football cannot be overlooked.

Since his return to football three weeks ago, after missing 15 rounds with knee and hamstring injuries, Rohan’s blistering pace has made a number of opponents look slow. More impressively is Rohan’s ability to break open the opposition’s defence.

If Sydney is to go far during this finals campaign expect Rohan to play a major role and make his mark on the AFL.

Why Sydney can win the flag

Momentum is a big factor in football, and on the eve of the finals Sydney are arguably the most in-form team in the league. Teams tend to play better when a dramatic event brings the playing group closer and the unfortunate loss of Jarrad McVeigh’s daughter may be what has spurred the Swans in the last few weeks.

Sydney also have a number of key players returning for the finals.  Sam Reid, Lewis Roberts-Thomson and Heath Grundy are all coming back into the team for this weeks clash against St.Kilda.

Sydney is entering its eighth finals series in nine years, and as a result, boast a team with big game experience, with six premiership players from its 2005 premiership side on its list.

As well as this, Sydney’s game style suits finals football.  Sydney’s gameday strategy allows it to keep in the contest longer than most teams in the competition. Out of the Swans’ 10 games against top-eight teams, six were decided by three goals or less.

Sydney is an incredibly competitive football club, if an opposing finals side becomes complacent at any stage of a game, the team will undoubtedly pay the price.

Why Sydney can’t win the flag

Sydney might be in terrific form, but it has struggled to keep momentum, unable to win more than three consecutive games during the season.

Even though Goodes is one of the games greatest players, one gets the feeling that his club may be relying on him too heavily. The Swans’ playing list is not as strong as those of the top four and therefore are less likely to have players regularly impacting a match.

Also, Sydney do not have a particularly potent forward line, and has not been able to produce big scores throughout the season. This is a concern for the Swans as they may struggle to find scoring avenues against the likes of Collingwood or Geelong.

Best possible result

Preliminary final, but you never know in finals football.

Sydney will face St Kilda this Saturday from 7.20pm at Etihad Stadium.

Check out the rest of upstart‘s AFL team previews here.

Jake D’Amato is a second-year Bachelor of Journalism student at La Trobe University.