This was the middle pin in the Demons’ horror stretch in mid season before the bye. The Swans were missing Buddy through suspension. Melbourne had Steven May out with injury.

MELBOURNE:

B: J.Bowey 17 A.Tomlinson 20 H.Petty 35
HB: J.Harmes 4 J.Lever 8 J. Hunt 29
C: A.Brayshaw 10 J.Viney 7 E.Langdon 15
HF: L.Jackson 6 M.Brown 38 C.Petracca 5 
F: B.Fritsch 31 B.Brown 50 C.Spargo 9
Foll: M.Gawn 11 C.Oliver 13 K.Pickett 36
I/C: J.Jordon 23 A.Neal-Bullen 30 C.Salem 3 T.Sparrow 32    
Sub: T.Bedford 12 Emerg: J.Melksham 18 T.Rivers 24

In: M.Brown J.Harmes E.Langdon C.Salem A.Tomlinson 

Out: T.Bedford (omitted) L.Dunstan (omitted) S.May (concussion) J.Melksham (omitted) T.Rivers (omitted) S.Weideman (omitted)

SYDNEY SWANS

B: C. O'Riordan 38 D. Rampe 24 T. McCartin 30 
HB: J. Lloyd 44 P.McCartin 39 O. Florent 13
C:  N. Blakey 22 C. Mills 14 E. Gulden 21 
HF: C. Warner 1 I.Heeney 5 J.McInerney 27
F: T. Papley 11  L.McDonald 6 J.Amartey 36
Foll: P.Ladhams 19 L.Parker 26 J.Rowbottom 8
I/C: R.Fox 42 W. Hayward 9 S.Reid 20 S. Wicks 15
Sub: B.Ronke 25. Emerg: B.Campbell 16 H.McLean 2 D. Stephens 3

In: J.Amartey
 N.Blakey B.Ronke

Out: B.Campbell (omitted) L.Franklin (suspension) M.Roberts (omitted)

If my memory serves me well, Melbourne was not at its fittest when it last met Sydney. We had a few players coming back from injury, Steven May was out and Harry Petty was on and off the ground nursing some niggles. We were also supposed to be in the middle of our loading process and didn’t run out the game well at all.

Sam Reid got hold of us with no steven May and Petty injured, that won't happen again. 

very confident we will get this done fairly comfortably 

Compared to back then, a few of those Swans have elevated in performance.. I think this will be a massive challenge to set up the rest of the finals. This won’t be easy…