THE BRISBANE Lions have lost two key position players ahead of a match against the Sydney Swans that defender Josh Drummond says is perfect ahead of the finals.

Daniel Merrett will miss with a hamstring injury and Daniel Bradshaw is out with a quadriceps problem.

Jason Roe and Lachlan Henderson come in after impressing earlier in the season.
A win against the Swans will guarantee the Lions a home semi-final the following week, while a loss will have them travelling to play either Adelaide or Carlton.

With Michael O’Loughlin, Jared Crouch and Leo Barry saying farewell to their home SCG crowd after distinguished careers, the Swans also have plenty to play for.

“The way Sydney play, they are a great contested footy side and on a small ground like the SCG it’s really important to win that contested ball,” Drummond said.

“It’s great to play a team like Sydney, they’ve had the wood on us and even though we got them earlier this year, it’s a big game for them sending off their champions and it’s a great game for us a week from the finals.”

Among three ins for the Swans is hard-working midfielder Jarrad McVeigh.

The teams
Brisbane Lions
B: Ashley McGrath, Jason Roe, James Hawksley
HB: Joel Patfull, Josh Drummond, Joel Macdonald
C: Jared Brennan, Simon Black, Daniel Rich
HF: Michael Rischitelli, Jonathan Brown, James Polkinghorne
F: Sam Sheldon, Lachlan Henderson, Luke Power
Foll: Mitch Clark, Cheynee Stiller, Justin Sherman
Int: Scott Harding, Matt Austin, Travis Johnstone, Jack Redden

In: Henderson, Roe
Out: Bradshaw (quad), Merrett (hamstring)

Sydney Swans
B: Heath Grundy, Leo Barry, Lewis Roberts-Thompson
HB: Rhyce Shaw, Craig Bolton, Paul Bevan
C: Nick Smith, Jared Crouch, Martin Mattner
HF: Ryan O’Keefe, Adam Goodes, Kieren Jack
F: Jesse White, Michael O’Loughlin, Jarrad McVeigh
Foll: Darren Jolly, Brett Kirk, Jude Bolton
Int: Luke Ablett, Dan Hannebery, Matt O’Dwyer, Kristin Thornton

In: Ablett, McVeigh, Thornton
Out: Jarred Moore (ribs), Ed Barlow, Mike Pike

On the punt
Despite the Lions coming off a win and playing for the right to play at home in week one of the finals, TAB Sportsbet has installed the Swans as $1.70 favourites. The Lions have been posted at $2.05, which looks fair considering the record between the teams. There are three other matches around the league with finals ramifications that offer astute punters some good opportunities. Essendon and Hawthorn are $1.85 take-your-pick which looks a good price if you’re a Bombers fan considering the absence of Lance Franklin. Carlton ($1.75) and Adelaide ($2) and Collingwood ($1.65) versus the Western Bulldogs ($2.15) are also tough to pick.

Key match-up
Craig Bolton (Swans) v Jonathan Brown (Lions). With Bradshaw out, the Lions are likely to be even more Brown-centric than usual. The big skipper will play closer to goal on the small SCG ground as the traditional centre half-forward is often bypassed with quick-kick clearances. As a result his running capacity will be reduced, but the pair should be engaged in a number of one-on-one battles that might go a long way to determining the outcome. One of the best defenders up against one of the strongest marks in the competition is a mouth-watering proposition.

Odds and sods
Jonathan Brown is within reach of a club record on Saturday night. While he has slipped six behind Carlton spearhead Brendan Fevola (81) in the race for the Coleman Medal, Brown (75) is just three behind Alastair Lynch’s mark of 78 for the Lions. Craig Bolton is a difficult opponent, but Brown has kicked at least two goals in 20 of his 21 matches this season.

The Swans have certainly had the Lions’ measure this decade. Not only have the Lions won just three of the past 14 contests between the teams, they have also struggled horrendously to score points. Before they scored an even 100 in the round-three win earlier this season, they had not cracked the ton against the Swans since round 14, 2002.

These are two of the better tackling sides in the competition. The Swans are renowned for their hardness, and Brett Kirk (first), Jude Bolton (fourth) and Ryan O’Keefe (ninth) are all ranked in the league’s top 10 tacklers. The Lions are no slouches either, with Luke Power, Michael Richitelli, Simon Black and Daniel Rich in the top 25.

And the winner is ...
Both teams have plenty to play for on Saturday night. A win for the Lions will see them hosting a final the following week. While the Swans have no post-season incentives hinging on the result, they do have three club legends retiring. And the Swans more than anyone know how to lift for team-mates sharing a big occasion, just as they did for O’Loughlin’s 300th three weeks ago.

The loss of Merrett and Bradshaw will hurt the Lions, and if they get off to a customary slow start it could be a long night. The Swans have a great record against the Lions, and with stirring performances against Geelong and St Kilda in the past month, look good on their home track. Swans by eight points.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club