COLLINGWOOD V SYDNEY
Telstra Dome, Saturday, August 23, 7.10pm
Head to head Collingwood 131 Sydney 79 Drawn 1
Last time Collingwood 11.13 (79) bt Sydney 6.14 (50) R14 2008 ANZ Stadium
Betting TABSportsbet Collingwood $1.72 Sydney $2.05 Centrebet Collingwood $1.74 Sydney $2.10

Collingwood
Backs: Wakelin Brown Goldsack
Half-backs: Clarke Maxwell O'Brien
Centres: Lockyer Burns Toovey
Half-forwards: Pendlebury Cloke Davis
Forwards: Dawes Medhurst Anthony
Followers: Fraser Swan
Rover: O'Bree
Interchange: McCarthy Wellingham Bryan Cook
Emergencies: Cox R Shaw Prestigiacomo
In: Wellingham
Out: Thomas (calf)

Sydney
Backs: Barry C Bolton Mattner
Half-backs: Roberts-Thomson Richards Kennelly
Centres: Crouch McVeigh Bird
Half-forwards: R O'Keefe Grundy Goodes
Forwards: Buchanan Hall Bevan
Followers: Jolly Kirk
Rover: J Bolton
Interchange: Everitt Jack Moore Veszpremi
Emergencies: Brabazon Brennan Fosdike
In: Barry Jack Veszpremi
Out: Ablett Fosdike Malceski

Summary This game presents Sydney with their worst nightmare - away from home, against a bogey team, in a must-win situation. The Swans need to break the jinx which has seen them drop their past five games to the Magpies, a side which has regrouped after its off-field problems and is now on the rise with two wins in succession at just the right time. Sydney will still be without agile goalkicker Michael O'Loughlin, whose ankle problems will keep him out until the final round, but Adam Goodes and Barry Hall are a potent force. Collingwood has rallied after the Alan Didak-Heath Shaw fiasco. Other midfielders have stepped up and allowed the side to remain in finals contention. And the scoreboard depth is there - 10 players scored goals for the Magpies last week in a healthy sign of across the board strength.

Key Barry Hall has finally found some good form with five goals against Geelong last week, but the Magpies are set to deny him by winning the centre.

Tip Collingwood by 35 points