The first game on Friday for AFL Finals Week 1 is between Hawthorn Hawks and Sydney Swans. The match is to be played at MCG with the opening bounce set to commence at 7:50pm local time with home team Hawthorn Hawks currently holding favouritism in the market. View our AFL live scores, odds and results for the game between Hawthorn Hawks and Sydney Swans.

WHERE AND WHEN: MCG, 7:50pm AEST Friday, September 6, 2013

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Opening odds comparison:

Hawthorn Hawks	1.50	1.50	1.52	1.50	1.50	1.50
Sydney Swans	2.60	2.60	2.60	2.60	2.60	2.60

Preview:

After a full season of footy, only eight teams remain in contention for the 2013 premiership. Week one of the finals will be highly anticipated by many, with four great matches to look forward to and every team capable of winning.

The first game takes place on Friday night at 7.50pm, when the Hawthorn Hawks battle it out against the Sydney Swans at the MCG. Hawthorn will be favourites to win here, after a great year that saw them finish the season with four consecutive victories. Momentum can never be underplayed at this time of year, especially when you consider one of those wins was against the Swans themselves last round.

Teams:

Hawthorn Hawks: B: Stratton Lake Guerra
HB: Burgoyne Gibson Birchall
C: Smith Hodge Hill
HF: Breust Gunston Lewis
F: Puopolo Roughead Rioli
FOLL: Hale, Mitchell, Sewell
INT: Spangher, Whitecross, Bailey, Anderson
EMG: Shiels, Savage, Duryea

In: B.Guerra, M.Bailey, C.Rioli
Out: L.Franklin (suspension), S.Savage, T.Duryea

Sydney Swans: B: Rampe, Grundy, Malceski
HB: McVeigh, Richards, Smith
C: Everitt, K.Jack, Rohan
HF: Hannebery, White, McGlynn
F: Bolton, Tippett, Mumford
FOLL: Pyke, Kennedy, O’Keefe
INT: Parker, Jetta, Mitchell, Bird
EMG: Biggs, Cunningham, Morton

In: N.Smith, K.Tippett, L.Jetta, D.Hannebery
Out: M.Morton, H.Cunningham, S.Biggs, B.Jack

Swans rate Hawks even without AFL stars

Sydney are taking no added confidence from the absence of Hawthorn matchwinners Lance Franklin and possibly Cyril Rioli for Friday night’s AFL qualifying final.

The top-placed Hawks beat the Swans by 12 points in their last home-and-away game at ANZ Stadium last Friday night.

But things could be tipping Sydney’s way at selection for their MCG rematch, with the Swans expecting to regain Kurt Tippett, Dan Hannebery and Nick Smith.

The Hawks should get back Brent Guerra, but will wait until Friday to decide whether Rioli, who missed last week’s clash with an ankle injury, can join him, after he failed to train with teammates on Thursday.

Franklin will miss the game through suspension.

But Sydney’s Ryan O’Keefe, who won the Norm Smith Medal when the Swans upset the Hawks in last year’s grand final, said regardless of which players take the field for Hawthorn they would be tough opposition.

“Both teams don’t really rely on one or two players,” O’Keefe told reporters on arrival in Melbourne on Thursday.

“It’s a collective and you use the full depth of the squad.

“I don’t think it favours anyone really, it’s going to be a pretty tough battle.

“We know whatever team Hawthorn put on the field it’s going to be tough.”

O’Keefe said last year’s premiership win meant nothing in terms of Friday night’s clash.

He said last weekend was a good dress rehearsal but expects the intensity to go up a notch with a fortnight’s rest and a home preliminary final on the line.

But O’Keefe said the loser would still be firmly in the premiership hunt.

“You do get another chance, that’s the benefit of working hard and performing through the year to get that top-four spot,” he said.