We'll endeavour to run through the form, incorporate appropriate stats and also supply a betting prediction which won't always just be who will win.

SYDNEY v GWS

Saturday 29 April @ SCG

Sometimes the world doesn't make much sense. The polar magnetic forces have been said to be close to flipping – reckon that was occurring last Saturday night as weird matters happened.

The Grand Final was an aberration. Or so it was said. Well the Swans wandered into a full bore mass attack last Saturday. And nothing had changed from last September.

Sure there were some very logical explanations. The main one being all the best defenders of Sydney were sitting around the Sleepy Hollow grandstands taking in all the ground works.

Add on the fact Lance Franklin was still recovering from his knee and their most influential ruckman Tom Hickey has not begun 2023 and you see the dramas.

But the game totally began and ended in the midfield and they got slaughtered by Geelong again. It didn't matter who got it, where they got it and how they got it – they got it in truckloads.

And the Cats could not miss either, set shots or those on the run. The perfect storm was levelling anything red and while in its way.

At least no one danced around the subject. They were not good (or use any crude epithet you desire). Unlike the Grand Final, they get the opportunity a week later to respond.

GWS will either benefit from any mental anguish or fall to the retort. They played in what was a bit of a free flowing match in Canberra where plenty got hold of the ball but didn't take full advantage of it.

Kelly and Coniglio racked them up. But the forward line couldn't do enough. Brisbane is a good side and maybe had they played weaker, they could have won.

They just need Hogan, Cadman, Himmelberg and of course Greene to kick 15+ goals a game to win. Depending on the strength of the Swans backline it could be this weekend.

While the Giants have a tremendous history against Sydney in finals (3 blot), the Swans have won 4 of the last 5 around that. Both the 2022 events were dominant.

But this is a different Sydney side right now. Injuries and potentially confidence are harming them. What price do you put on wanting to show last week was regrettable and not the truth?

With absolutely no surety, Sydney may have enough with the sad injuries to the GWS backline as Taylor and Kennedy are now out and also the suspension of Callan Ward. But they need the midfield to hit more heights. Maybe at home will help.

Match Selection: Sydney by 14 points

Suggested Bets: Sydney 1-39 @ $1.85