Friday’s only AFL Round 14 match is between Sydney Swans and Carlton Blues. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7:50pm local time with the game to be played at SCG. The home team Sydney Swans are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Sydney Swans and Carlton Blues.

Round: Round 14 7:50 PM June 28, 2013
Stadium: SCG
Weather: 18° A few showers

Featured Bookmakers:

Sydney Swans $1.33 vs Carlton Blues $3.30 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Sydney Swans $1.33 vs Carlton Blues $3.30 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by AFL Odds:

Sydney Swans	1.33	1.33	1.33	1.33	1.33	1.34
Carlton Blues	3.30	3.30	3.30	3.30	3.30	3.35

Preview:

Friday night’s game should be – as they are more often than not – a beauty despite Sydney coming off a shock loss to Port last week.

After three strong and successive wins over Collingwood, Essendon and Adelaide, the Swans will be keen to put their season back on track.

The Swans are 3-1-1 when playing at the SCG this year with the loss coming to Geelong and the draw with Fremantle, both placed inside the top four.

Carlton, who have lost their last two games to Essendon and Hawthorn, sit precariously in ninth spot with a 6-6 record this year and a win here, may see them sneak inside the eight if Port, who face Collinwood this weekend, lose.

Sydney won comfortably the last time this two sides met (93 – 71) back in Round 19 last year, that was the only time last year they met with both clashes in the 2011 season going to Carlton.

Sydney are 3-3 when at the minus this year and their betting record when playing at home at the line is also average at best.

Whilst they will be looking to address last week’s poor showing, Carlton has a lot to play for too and at the line attract plenty of interest.

Teams:

Sydney Swans:
B: Nick Malceski, Ted Richards, Dane Rampe
HB: Andrejs Everitt, Heath Grundy, Nick Smith
C: Daniel Hannebery, Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh
HF: Jude Bolton, Kurt Tippett, Tom Mitchell
F: Luke Parker, Mitch Morton, Ben McGlynn
Foll: Mike Pyke, Ryan O’Keefe, Kieren Jack
Int: Craig Bird, Jed Lamb, Brandon Jack, Jesse White
Emerg: Tim Membrey, Tony Armstrong, Xavier Richards

In: A.Everitt, B.Jack
Out: T.Armstrong, A.Goodes (knee)

Carlton Blues:
B: Mitch Robinson, Michael Jamison, Lachie Henderson
HB: Zach Tuohy, Dennis Armfield, Josh Bootsma
C: Chris Yarran, Chris Judd, Kade Simpson
HF: Ed Curnow, Andrew Walker, Jeff Garlett
F: Brock McLean, Jarrad Waite, Matthew Kreuzer
Foll: Levi Casboult, Eddie Betts, Heath Scotland
Int: Bryce Gibbs, Kane Lucas, Jaryd Cachia, Simon White
Emerg: Matthew Watson, Marcus Davies, Tom Bell

In: S.White, C.Yarran
Out: M.Murphy (cheekbone), S.Rowe

AFL quiet on the Watson front: Malthouse

Carlton coach Mick Malthouse remains disturbed and disappointed following Jobe Watson’s confession on Monday.

But the subject of his angst is not the reigning Brownlow Medallist, who revealed he believes he was injected last year with the substance AOD-9604, a banned substance under the World Anti-Doping Agency code.

Instead, Malthouse on Thursday called on the AFL to show more leadership and respond to Watson’s television interview on Monday night.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou, usually a pragmatic and omnipresent operator, has yet to comment publicly on the matter.

His subordinates have been similarly tight-lipped, with the most verbose being league operations manager Mark Evans.

“It was an interesting decision for Jobe to do that but I don’t think that he has said anything there last night that he hasn’t already told the ASADA (Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority) and the AFL investigators,” Evans said on radio station 6PR.

“The small amount of information that comes out I don’t think it is helpful and I still think it is far better to wait until that investigation has concluded and we’ve got all the details.”

Players, coaches, pundits and officials have all opined whether Watson should be, or will be, stood down or stripped of the league’s highest individual honour.

The AFL did not want to comment when contacted by AAP on Thursday.

The league has long said it would not provide a running commentary on ASADA’s investigation of Essendon’s suspicious supplement program, which it hopes will be over in early August.

Malthouse said the football community needed clarity about the “what ifs” wafting around the league.

“We’ve heard from Essendon, we’ve heard from a lot of football clubs. But interestingly enough, the one massive surprise in my book, is we haven’t heard from the AFL. At all,” Malthouse said in Sydney.

“I find that disappointing, disturbing, and this is a time when people from the AFL have to stand up and show real leadership. Not let the back pages hang out there and murder a player at Essendon, or Essendon themselves.

“…It’s left the football world thinking ‘what is going to happen?’.

“…I think it’s certainly opened up a Pandora’s box. Well that was probably already opened, maybe this is another one inside there.”

Watson’s motivation for opening up this week, before ASADA finalises its findings, has also been debated.

“It was a little surprising hearing Jobe speak so clearly,” former teammate Mark McVeigh told Sky News.

“But I got the impression, and as I thought all the way along, that we knew what we were taking and we were told that it was perfectly legal.

“Things are coming out that may suggest differently and I hope that’s not the case.”

Meanwhile, Fairfax Media reported on Thursday that Essendon would not allow their players to suffer financial penalties if individuals are suspended in the wake of the ASADA investigation.

The Bombers reportedly decided that if players were banned, they would pay them fully – including match payments lost.