The changes
IN: Will Hayward
OUT: Dan Robinson (omitted)
What to expect
Sydney’s year has been a tale of two completely different seasons.
Rounds 1 to 6 portrayed a club that was in ruins, winless and lacking any form of the grunt and potency that they have become so renowned for.
But over the 12 weeks since that disastrous opening month and a half the Swans have enjoyed one of the most dramatic form turnarounds the game has ever seen, winning 10 of their last 11 matches.
The Swans have gone back to what they know best.
Their formidable inside grunt work is back, with star trio Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker and Dan Hannebery recovering from poor individual starts to the season to help rocket the Swans back into premiership contention.
The 2016 Grand Finalists were number two in contested football differential last year, highlighting their struggles when they fell to 17th in the category over the first six rounds, but from round seven on they have returned to the top of the competition.
They have also lifted dramatically in clearance differential, scores from turnovers and points conceded.
There are no secrets to the Swans’ game, on the season they rank 13th in disposals and uncontested possessions and 10th in marks.
They’re game is not about owning the ball by foot or getting the ball on the outside to runners.
The Swans pride themselves on winning the ball at the contest coalface and grinding the ball forward to their star-studded attack.
If the Hawks are going to repeat their earlier season victory over the Swans, they must again match them inside the contest.
Players to watch
Josh Kennedy continues to rank amongst the competition’s elite midfielders.
Only Patrick Dangerfield leads Kennedy in average contested possessions this season, with the Swans skipper picking up 15.3 contested touches a game from his 29.3 disposals.
The 29-year old also ranks fifth in the league in clearances, illustrating why he is considered a personification of the Swans’ brand.
Despite averaging more disposals this season than club captains and superstars Joel Selwood, Nat Fyfe and Callan Ward, Swans defender Jake Lloyd remains somewhat underrated league-wide.
The 23-year old is averaging 27.1 disposals this season, the 25th highest rate of any player in the competition, and sixth in the game for uncontested possessions with his 20.2 per game.
Lloyd is the Swans’ primary ball-user off the half-back flank and one that opposition sides have yet to work out how to quell.
Lloyd was forced to make an early exit the last time these sides met in Round 10, after suffering a concussion, and will be determined to have a big impact on the game this Friday night.
Read: Who does Howe match up against?
