Sydney and Geelong will play each other in the first AFL preliminary final. But the Swans are dealing with a raft of injuries, while the Cats have some tricky selection choices.

James Hurwood reports.

TRANSCRIPT

The upcoming match has been described as a “long-awaited” clash of two heavyweights.

But both teams still have serious issues to work out before the game.

Four Swans are injured, two fresh from their recent match against the Adelaide Crows.

Forward Gary Rohan’s chances of playing looked particularly grim after he injured his knee.

John Longmire, Sydney Swans Coach: “Yeah Gary’s knee’s structurally sound, and the bone’s fine, so he’s just got deep bruising from a knock.”

Meanwhile the Cats are facing scrutiny about their line-up selection.

With Lachie Henderson returning from injury, people are questioning whether more tall defenders are what’s needed against the Swans.

Harry Taylor, Geelong Cats Defender: “I think all year we’ve handled it pretty well, whoever’s coming to the team, we’ve managed to handle the match-ups reasonably well.”

The two teams have played just one final against each other in the last 80 years, making this match particularly high-stakes.

James Hurwood, QUT News