The first game on Friday for AFL Round 23 is between Sydney Swans and Hawthorn Hawks. The match is to be played at ANZ Stadium with the opening bounce set to commence at 7:50pm local time with away team Hawthorn Hawks currently holding favouritism in the market. View our AFL live scores, odds and results for the game between Sydney Swans and Hawthorn Hawks.
WHERE AND WHEN: ANZ Stadium, 7:50pm AEST, Friday 30 August
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Opening odds comparison:
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| Sydney Swans | 2.40 | 2.40 | 2.45 | 2.40 | 2.40 | 2.42 |
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Hawthorn Hawks
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1.57 | 1.57 | 1.55 | 1.57 | 1.57 | 1.57 |
Preview:
Round 23 of the AFL takes place this weekend, with a lot to play for as a number of teams sort out their finals positions.
The first game on Friday night is between Sydney and Hawthorn, 7.50pm at ANZ Stadium. The Swans need to come back hard after a big 44-point loss to the Cats last round.
Considering the Hawks beat Sydney by 37 points the last time these two teams met earlier in the season, the Swans will have to be on top of their game.
While top-placed Hawthorn are favourites to win this one, the Swans are not far behind in 4th and will be keen to prove themselves with September just around the corner.
Teams:
Sydney Swans:
HB: McVeigh T Richards Malceski
C: O’Keefe K Jack Rohan
HF: Bolton White McGlynn
F: Parker Tippett Mumford
FOLL: Pyke Kennedy Bird
I/C: Biggs Cunningham B Jack Mitchell
EMG: Lamb Morton X Richards
IN: Shane Biggs, Brandon Jack, Jude Bolton, Harry Cunningham
OUT: Jed Lamb (omitted), Daniel Hannebery (hand), Rhyce Shaw (knee), Nick Smith (calf)
New: Shane Biggs, 22, Bendigo Bombers
Hawthorn Hawks: 
B: Stratton Lake Whitecross
HB: Burgoyne Gibson Birchall
C: Smith Hodge Hill
HF: Breust Franklin Lewis
F: Hale Roughead Gunston
FOLL: Bailey Mitchell Sewell
I/C: Savage Duryea Anderson Puopolo
EMG: Spangher Cheney Simpkin
In: Taylor Duryea, Jordan Lewis, Paul Puopolo
Out: Cyril Rioli (ankle), Liam Shiels (ankle), Brent Guerra (back soreness)
Hawks rule out pair for Swans match
Hawthorn pair Cyril Rioli and Liam Shiels will miss Friday night’s AFL clash with Sydney because of ankle injuries.
Hawthorn have secured a top-two finish ahead of the ANZ Stadium match, meaning they are guaranteed to host their qualifying final next weekend.
“We’ve been really cautious with our players this year making sure they’re fit and energised for our finals campaign so we won’t take any risks,” said coach Alastair Clarkson.
Rioli and Shiels suffered their injuries in last Saturday’s win over North Melbourne.
“If we wanted to push the envelope, Cyril would have played,” Clarkson said.
“But he’s played six games since his hamstring injury so it is probably the perfect time to get his body right and launch into the finals next week.”
Jordan Lewis and Paul Puopolo, who missed the North win because of injury, travelled with the team to Sydney on Thursday morning.
The Hawks could play Sydney again in next week’s qualifying final and Clarkson said it was important for his team to take good form into September.
“Winning form is good form and we don’t want to muck around with that and we’ll be going into the game with strategies that will help us defeat the Sydney Swans and I dare say they’ll be trying to do the same thing,” he said.
“We don’t want to flirt with anything and the result is a little inconsequential, but we still have a bit to play for, which is top spot.
“We still want to prepare ourselves for our finals campaign.”