Saturday’s third AFL Round 22 match is between Geelong Cats and Sydney Swans. The opening bounce is set to commence at 4:40pm local time with the game to be played at Skilled Stadium. The home team Geelong Cats are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Geelong Cats and Sydney Swans.

Round: Round 22 4:40 PM August 24, 2013
Stadium: Simonds Stadium
Weather: 16° Possible shower. Windy.

Featured Bookmakers:

Geelong Cats $1.48 vs Sydney Swans $2.65 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Geelong Cats $1.45 vs Sydney Swans $2.75 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by AFL Odds:

Geelong Cats	1.48	1.50	1.45	1.50	1.48	1.48
Sydney Swans	2.65	2.55	2.75	2.55	2.65	2.67

Preview:

The highlight of round 22 will be Geelong hosting Sydney – 2nd v 3rd.

After two unexpected losses in three weeks to Adelaide and North, Geelong appear to be back to near their best with comfortable wins over both Western Australian teams in the past fortnight.

They recorded a 25 point win over Fremantle and last week, won by 11 goals over the Eagles.

These wins have the Geelong ship back on course and this should be a test they meet with great enthusiasm as they prepare for the finals.

There have been some great struggles between these two clubs in recent times with Geelong gaining the upper-hand slightly in recent times, winning the past two clashes by 34 and in round 4 this year at the SCG, 21 points.

After a cushy run in terms of the draw, Sydney suffered their first lost in seven weeks when losing to Collingwood in round 20 before bouncing back immediately with a good win over St. Kilda last week, scoring by 59 points.

The Collingwood loss was Sydney’s fourth to a team in the top eight and they are yet to register a win over the other top four teams – Hawthorn, Geelong or Fremantle.

They’ve been caught slightly short when having to take on the top tier teams thus far this year and need to step up to the plate here to verify their finals chances.

Geelong are giving the Swans 18.5 here in early markets. Given the past two results and that Geelong are at home, this is well within the Cats’ reach.

Teams:

Geelong Cats:
B: Andrew Mackie, Tom Lonergan, Corey Enright
HB: Jimmy Bartel, Jared Rivers, Cameron Guthrie
C: Steve Johnson, Joel Selwood, Allen Christensen
HF: Mathew Stokes, Harry Taylor, Paul Chapman
F: James Podsiadly, Tom Hawkins, Travis Varcoe
Foll: Nathan Vardy, James Kelly, Mitch Duncan
I/C: Joel Corey, Mark Blicavs, Josh Caddy, Steven Motlop
Emg: Jordan Murdoch, Josh Walker, George Horlin-Smith

In: P.Chapman, T.Hawkins
Out: J.Walker, J.Murdoch

Sydney Swans:
B: Dane Rampe, Heath Grundy, Nick Smith
HB: Andrejs Everitt, Ted Richards, Nick Malceski
C: Jarrad McVeigh, Ryan O’Keefe, Gary Rohan
HF: Daniel Hannebery, Jesse White, Luke Parker
F: Rhyce Shaw, Kurt Tippett, Craig Bird
Foll: Shane Mumford, Josh Kennedy, Kieren Jack
I/C: Ben McGlynn, Tom Mitchell, Jed Lamb, Mike Pyke
Emg: Shane Biggs, Xavier Richards, Harry Cunningham

In: T.Mitchell
Out: J.Bolton (illness)

Tippett now Swans’ AFL ace

The continued absence of stars Adam Goodes and Lewis Jetta is proving just how important Sydney’s off-season pursuit of Kurt Tippett was.

On Thursday, Longmire gave the strongest indication yet dual Brownlow medallist Goodes might not return for the reigning AFL premiers this season.

Goodes has been sidelined since damaging his cartilage in the Swans’ round 13 clash with Port Adelaide on June 13, and Longmire suggested the 33-year-old would need to show some major progress in the coming week if he were to play in September.

“He’s not confident, he’s hopeful,” Longmire said of Goodes’ assessment of his own chances of returning.

“He’s wanting to play but his knee’s a little bit sore … he hasn’t had too many wins in his rehab, to use his own words this morning.”

Key forward Sam Reid (quad), utility Lewis Roberts-Thomson (knee) and the Swans’ leading 2012 goal-kicker Jetta (shin) are also in doubt for the finals.

“That’s three who can play key-forward roles for us, as well as our No.1 goal-kicker from last year (all sidelined for a long period) … it’s provided some challenges,” Longmire said.

Tippett has become the most important and most irreplaceable member of Longmire’s team.

In the nine games since serving his 11-match ban resulting from Adelaide’s salary cap saga, Tippett is the league’s top goal-kicker (32) and ranks equal second in contested marks (19).

“He (Tippett) has provided us with a real marking target in our front half, it’s been so important in the back half of the year,” said Longmire.

“He’s such a big bloke that marks the ball so strongly … he works so hard at his game and he gets rewarded when he works hard at his game.

“I’m sure he’ll be tested out against a Geelong defence.”

Geelong host Sydney in a top-four blockbuster at Simonds Stadium on Saturday.

There’s every chance the two teams will battle again in September, but Longmire said he would hold nothing in the bank on the weekend.

“Tactically … there’s nothing that we think we need to hold up our sleeve, because it’s just too hard a job to do anyway,” Longmire said.

“The No.1 thing is they’re a really, really good team.”