Sydney Swans vs Carlton

First published on 2 Sep 2010. Updated on 5 Apr 2011.

It's been a rollercoaster season for the Swans. They started 2010 in a blaze of glory and led the AFL premiership race early. Then came the plummet, then the fight back, and now we're in the midst of a hot streak with four wins straight announcing the men in red and white as the dark horses to grab the flag from fifth spot.

Sydney enter this must-win second preliminary final against Carlton as favourites, having force-fed big slices of humble pie to their critics by defeating fellow-finalists Fremantle, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs in August. It's earned them a home final, albeit in the cavernous ANZ Stadium, and a chance to farewell retiring coach Paul Roos and captain Brett Kirk with even greater fanfare than the histrionics that accompanied their emotional adieu to the SCG on August 21.

Where the Swans season is gathering speed, Carlton's rollercoaster year is in a dip, with three wins from eight games and consecutive losses to Geelong and Fremantle in the past fortnight wounding their momentum badly. Despite recently thrashing Essendon and Richmond, they have scraped into the eight on percentages and are now sweating on key men returning from injury, paramount among them Andrew Carazzo whose hamstring went bung against Freo last week.

Unsurprisingly, Time Out is tipping the Swans to storm home - after all, Carlton haven't won in the Harbour City since 1993 and have lost 13 of their past 14 against the Swans - so we offer the victory song in preparation (sung to the tune of the ‘Notre Dame Victory March’)...
,br/> Cheer, cheer the red and the white,
Honour the name by day and by night,
Lift that noble banner high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky
Whether the odds be great or small,
Swans will go in and win overall
While her loyal sons are marching
Onwards to victory!


To purchase tickets, join the excitement and live life in the red and white go to Sydney Swans.