Sydney will be keen to put an end to its three-game losing streak when it hosts Fremantle to open Saturday’s AFL fixture.
The Swans (3-5, 99.9%), who were brave against Collingwood last week before falling away in the last quarter, have lost yet another defender to injury with Tom McCartin (concussion) sidelined, but welcome back experienced ruckman Tom Hickey for his first game of 2023.
Kangaroos legend David King challenged John Longmire’s midfield to work harder and play with more intensity, with Sydney ranked 18th in contested possessions in between the arc from Rounds 5-8.
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“They’ve got to get their hands dirty when the ball is in general play,” King said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 this week.
“They’ve got to cover the ground, support and outnumber. They’re not doing any of those things … there’s no foundation to how they’re playing at the moment. Unless they correct that, they’ll be an ‘also ran’ this year, regardless of injuries.”
Meanwhile the Dockers (include 3-5, 95.4%) are coming off a big home win over Hawthorn and go into the clash unchanged.
There were no late changes for either side, with Nat Fyfe (Fremantle) named the sub for a second-straight week along with Marc Sheather (Sydney).
This match gets underway at 1.45 AEST from the SCG.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504) from 1.30pm AEST.
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