The game on Thursday for AFL NAB Challenge  is between Greater Western Sydney Giants and Sydney Swans. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7:10 PM with the game to be played at StarTrack Oval. The favourite for the match is away team Sydney Swans. View our preview and teams for the game between Greater Western Sydney Giants and Sydney Swans.

When: 7:10 PM Thursday, February 20, 2014
Stadium: StarTrack Oval, Canberra
Weather: 24° Sunny.

Featured Bookmakers:

Greater Western Sydney Giants $3.50 vs Sydney Swans $1.30 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Greater Western Sydney Giants $3.70 vs Sydney Swans $1.28 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison:

Greater Western Sydney Giants	3.50	3.50	3.70	3.50	3.50	3.65
Sydney Swans	1.30	1.30	1.28	1.30	1.30	1.27

All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.

Tips: Sydney Swans to win.

Preview:

JONATHON Patton will line up for the Giants in the NAB Challenge match against the Sydney Swans on Thursday night in Canberra.

However Lance Franklin will be missing from the Swans’ line-up and the Giants have not selected Tom Boyd, their number one pick in last year’s  draft.

Kurt Tippett remains sidelined for the Swans as he works his way back from a knee injury.

20-year-old Patton played in an intra-club practice match last week but he has not played against AFL opposition since round three last season.

The number one pick from the 2011 draft required a knee reconstruction after injuring his knee against St Kilda.

He has played 10 games and his return is much anticipated.

The two teams have picked strong line-ups for their opening hit-out with the Giants including recruits Heath Shaw, Josh Hunt, Shane Mumford, Dylan Addison and Jed Lamb to support its exciting young midfield.

Young sensation Jeremy Cameron will also play.

The Swans will welcome back premiership defender Rhyce Shaw who missed the finals last season with a knee injury.

They have also named Jeremy Laidler who was recruited from Carlton as a delisted free agent and Tom Derickx who came from Richmond.

Aliir Aliir has been named for his first game for the club, while Sam Reid also gets a guernsey after missing most of 2013 with injury.

The two clubs also play each other in the season opener on Saturday March 15

Teams:

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS
1. Phil Davis, 2. Curtly Hampton, 3. Stephen Coniglio, 4, Toby Greene, 5. Dylan Shiel, 6. Lachie Whitfield, 7. Rhys Palmer, 8. Callan Ward, 9. Tom Scully, 10. Devon Smith, 11. Jed Lamb, 12. Jon Patton, 14. Tom Bugg, 17. Adam Treloar, 18. Jeremy Cameron, 19. Nick Haynes, 20. Adam Tomlinson, 21. Matt Buntine, 23. Heath Shaw, 26. Jon Giles, 30. Lachie Plowman, 31. Jacob Townsend, 32. Josh Hunt, 33. Will Hoskin-Elliott, 40. Adam Kennedy, 41. Shane Mumford, 44. Tom Downie, 46. Dylan Addison, 48. Sam Frost

SYDNEY SWANS
2. Rhyce Shaw, 3. Jarrad McVeigh, 4. Daniel Hannebery, 5. Ryan O’Keefe, 6. Tom Mitchell, 7. Harry Cunningham, 9. Nick Malceski, 11. Jeremy Laidler, 12. Josh Kennedy, 13. Toby Nankervis, 14. Craig Bird, 15. Kieren Jack, 16. Gary Rohan, 18. Jordan Lockyer, 19. Tom Derickx, 20. Sam Reid, 21. Ben McGlynn, 22. Dean Towers, 24. Dane Rampe, 25. Ted Richards, 26. Luke Parker, 27. Daniel Robinson, 31. Harrison Marsh, 33. Brandon Jack, 35. Sam Naismith, 36. Aliir Aliir, 39. Heath Grundy, 40. Nick Smith, 44. Jake Lloyd.

News:

Greater Western Sydney head coach Leon Cameron says Jonathon Patton will have a few demons to overcome when he returns to Manuka Oval, the ground where he ended his 2013 AFL season with a crippling knee injury.

Patton, a former number-one draft pick for the Giants, went down with a torn ACL in his right knee at Canberra’s Manuka Oval in round three against St Kilda in 2013.

In what is his first game against another AFL club since the injury, the 20-year-old forward will return to Manuka Oval on Thursday night when the Giants play city rivals the Sydney Swans in their first NAB Cup fixture.

The significance of the location hasn’t been lost on Patton, according to Cameron.

“No doubt there will be a few demons here and there because this is where he hurt his knee,” Cameron said.

“But we spoke about that during the week and he just wants to get out there and have a crack.”

Cameron says he’s been impressed by Patton bounce-back from the injury, which followed a persistent patella tendon injury and surgery on his left knee.

“It’s always tough, especially for a big key player … to come back from a big injury,” he said.

“But in terms of how he’s gone about it, it has just been phenomenal.”

The match will also hold significance for new GWS recruit Shane Mumford, because it will be the first time the premiership-winning ruckman will bash against his old teammates.

“It’s always a little bit awkward that first time,” the 27-year-old said.

“Obviously, you want to get it done as quick as possible, and it being in the NAB Cup is not a bad format to do it.

He said that after a few intra-club games in the pre-season, he was just excited to be finally going up against an opposition side.

“You don’t want to go flat out when you’re playing against your own teammates,” he said.

“Whereas now you’re actually running into a few other bodies where it doesn’t matter if you hurt them – so you’ll probably see me flying around a little bit.”

Sydney Swans star recruit Lance Franklin will be rested from the match.