The second game for AFL Finals Week 3 is between Fremantle Dockers and Sydney Swans. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7:45pm with the game to be played at Patersons Stadium. The favourite for the match is home team Fremantle Dockers. View our preview and teams for the game between Fremantle Dockers and Sydney Swans.

Round: Preliminary Final 5:45 PM September 21, 2013
Stadium: Patersons Stadium
Weather: 22° Shower or two.

Featured Bookmakers:

Fremantle Dockers $1.31 vs Sydney Swans $3.55 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Fremantle Dockers $1.30 vs Sydney Swans $3.60 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by AFL Odds:

Fremantle Dockers	1.31	1.30	1.30	1.30	1.31	1.30
Sydney Swans	3.55	3.55	3.60	3.55	3.55	3.55

Preview:

The Dockers are delivering on the promise they’ve displayed all year and now find themselves one win away from the Club’s first ever Grand Final appearance.

In the first week of the finals they had the unenviable task of travelling to Simonds Stadium to take on Geelong.

In the first quarter it appeared that the home-side’s significant finals experience over the past decade was going to be too much for the Dockers but the Western Australian side responded well.

The Dockers defence, the best in the league all year, came to the fore and after conceding four majors in the first quarter, they were able to limit Geelong to only five more for the remainder of the match.

At the same time, the decision by Coach Ross Lyons to rest several players for the final round of the home and away season, started to reap rewards as the Dockers run was far greater to that of Geelong’s late in the game and they were able to post a 87 – 72 victory.

Another week off will have the Dockers – and their supporters champing at the bit for this weekend’s clash.

Sydney has faced, Geelong, Hawthorn (twice) and last week, Carlton in what has been a tough test for them over the past month.

The effort and commitment in each of these games, of which their only win was over Carlton, is taking a toll with several big names missing from the line-up this week through injury or suspension.

The Swans need to lift again for this week’s clash. This year, from twelve attempts, the Swans have only been successful on four occasions when taking on teams placed in the top eight and have yet to register a win against a team above them on the ladder.

Sydney hasn’t faced Fremantle in W.A. since their victory in round 20 of 2010. In their three games since then there’s been next to nothing between the two sides. Fremantle have one win by eleven points, Sydney one win by thirteen and in their most recent clash in round 8 of this year, the two sides played out a 70-all draw at the SCG.

The line given to the Swans is -20.5 and given the combination of the Dockers’ good defence and Sydney missing a couple who would normally boot them a few goals, this margin looks reachable.

Fremantle will secure their first ever Grand Final berth and cover the line in the process.

Teams:

Fremantle Dockers:
B: L Spurr, Z Dawson, P Duffield
HB: M Johnson, L McPharlin, T Mzungu
C: D Mundy, M Barlow, S Hill
HF: M de Boer, C Mayne, D Pearce
F: H Ballantyne, M Pavlich, M Walters
Foll: A Sandilands, N Fyfe, R Crowley
I/C: C Sutcliffe, Z Clarke, N Suban, L Neale
Emg: A Silvagni, J Hannath, T Sheridan
In: M Johnson
Out: T Sheridan (omitted)

Sydney Swans:
B: D Rampe T Richards S Biggs
HB: J McVeigh H Grundy N Smith
C: A Everitt K Jack N Malceski
HF: D Hannebery J Bolton C Bird
F: L Parker M Pyke J White
FOLL: S Mumford J Kennedy R O’Keefe
I/C: H Cunningham L Jetta B McGlynn G Rohan
EMG: B Jack J Lamb L Roberts-Thomson
IN: B McGlynn G Rohan
OUT: K Tippett (knee) B Mitchell (ankle)

Dockers brace for AFL ‘war’ with Swans

Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich says his side are preparing for “footy war” ahead of Saturday night’s AFL preliminary final against Sydney at Patersons Stadium.

The Dockers are strong favourites to win the match given their hot recent form and home ground advantage.

In contrast, Sydney have been ravaged by injuries, with key players Adam Goodes, Kurt Tippett, Rhyce Shaw, Tom Mitchell and Sam Reid all out of action.

However, Pavlich said the defending premiers shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially given their reputation for playing a hard-nosed, contested brand of football.

“You admire a lot of teams in the AFL but certainly Sydney – their culture, leaders, the way they go about their business – we very much respect what they’re about,” Pavlich said on Thursday.

“And that’s why we’re preparing ourselves for what we call footy war, because it’s going to go until the end.

“They are contested, big-bodied players.

“What they’re about is exactly what we’d like to be about as well. We understand how hard a game it’s going to be.”