Friday’s AFL 2018 Round 13 match is between Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles. The opening kick is set to commence at 19:50 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 West Coast Eagles.
When: 19:50 | Friday 15/06/2018
Where: SCG
Preview:
It’s 1st v 3rd and this could be a possible preview of the Grand Final.
These two sides have a fantastic rivalry and this is the match of the round.
The Swans may have beaten the Eagles in their last six contests but both teams have a different look about them this year, so the past results will mean little.
Will Hayward and Isaac Heeney are two of the Swans’ stars and they are such exciting young players who are both having a great year.
Eagles are coming off the bye and it has been good for them to rest injured players like Jack Darling and Luke Shuey who are so important to them but sometimes teams can be a little slow out of the blocks after the break.
KEY BATTLE: Tom Barrass and Jeremy McGovern v Buddy Franklin
I’d expect the Eagles to try and double team Buddy with their two key defenders who are the best in the competition at sitting off and then intercepting the ball in the air.
The Verdict
Sydney to strangle the Eagles on their home ground which is unfamiliar to the Eagles because of how small it is.
The Swans have a 7-2 (77.8 percent) record against the Eagles since 2010.
Unibet Odds:
Sydney at $1.55
West Coast at $2.45
Odds:
Tip: Sydney Swans at $1.55
Value Bet: First Goal Scorer: Lance Franklin at $6.00
More Info:
Teams:
Sydney Swans: 
B: Lloyd, Grundy, Smith
HB: Jones, Rampe, Marsh
C: Cunningham, Kennedy, Florent
HF: Hewett, Franklin, Hayward
F: Ronke, Rohan, Parker
FOLL: Sinclair, Heeney, Hannebery
I/C: Allir, Jack, McCartin, Papley
EMG: Cameron, O’Riordan, Robinson, Rose
IN: Allir, Jack
OUT: Robinson, McVeigh
West Coast Eagles: 
B: Hurt, McGovern, Cole
HB: Jetta, Sheppard, Duggan
C: Masten, Redden, Gaff
HF: Rioli, Brander, Cripps
F: LeCras, Kennedy, Waterman
FOLL: Naitanui, Yeo, Shuey
I/C: Ryan, Sheed, Lycett, Nelson
EMG: Hutchings, Darling, Petruccelle, Ainsworth
IN: Masten, Brander, Shuey, Ryan
OUT: Ah Chee, Hutchings, Darling, Barrass
AFL News:
Sydney and West Coast’s AFL rivalry has been reignited, with the top-four teams to square off in their most meaningful clash since the 2006 grand final.
The Swans and Eagles meet at the SCG on Friday night in what has the potential to be one of the highlights of the regular season, with both sides in cracking form and widely expected to progress deep into September.
Ladder leaders West Coast will be refreshed after the bye, seeking to an extend a 10-match winning streak.
Sydney, so far the only side to beat the Eagles this season, have now won five on the trot. They were awesome last Saturday night, blitzing St Kilda with the opening nine goals of a lopsided match.
Swans great Jude Bolton, who tackled the Eagles some 22 times during a storied 325-game career that ended in 2013, believes it’s the biggest clash between the rivals since the 2006 grand final.
“Definitely. It faded out a little bit after that period, there’s been some quality games between the two clubs over the last 10 years but this is one where it just means everything,” Bolton told AAP.
“Particularly for the Swans. It’s on their home deck and a good opportunity to really set the scene. They haven’t had a great run at the SCG this year, so it’s an important game.
“They almost need some validation. They’ve been going well without setting the world on fire.
“To put St Kilda away like they did was super impressive but this is now a huge challenge. The Eagles have had an incredible start to the year, I’ve been really impressed with their mids.”
The stage is set for something special, as it so often was between 2005 and 2007.
The Swans and Eagles faced off in six consecutive matches decided by less than a goal during that stretch. Two of them were grand finals.
Some 43 of the 44 players who took part in the 2006 grand final have retired, with Swans veteran Jarrad McVeigh the outlier.
West Coast’s games record holder and 2006 premiership star Dean Cox will be in Sydney’s coaches box on Friday.
Cox was an assistant coach with the Eagles but opted to join John Longmire’s support staff after the 2017 season.
Cox’s guidance this year has aided the development of Swans ruckman Callum Sinclair, another former Eagle.
Sinclair’s showdown with former teammate Nic Naitanui looms as one of many interesting subplots in what will be Swans defender Heath Grundy’s 250th game.
“Sinclair has been enormous. That was one of Sydney’s grey areas for me, was he going to step up after they lost Sam Naismith for the year? He’s certainly done that,” Bolton said.
