Sydney took an 8-1 record into a Friday night clash with Collingwood at the SCG, where the Swans were scheduled to run out at 7.30pm AEST in round 10. The home side had won all four matches it had played in Sydney in 2024 and carried a long hold over Collingwood dating back to 2019.
Collingwood arrived at 4-1-4, still trying to turn a mixed start into something more stable after missing a chance to kickstart its season against Geelong. The Magpies had failed to reach triple figures for the eighth time this season, a blunt sign that their scoring touch had not yet matched their effort around the ball.
Sydney came in with changes of its own. Charlie Curnow and Tom McCartin were back, and Jai Serong also returned, while Dane Rampe was managed out. Matt Roberts missed with a groin injury and Hayden McLean was also unavailable. It left the Swans with a different look, even if the task remained the same: protect a home record that had been immaculate all year and keep Collingwood under the pressure that has defined this matchup for more than five seasons.
The challenge for Sydney was framed by how it got there. The Swans had survived a huge scare to beat North Melbourne in their previous match, a reminder that even the league’s best starts can fray quickly if the contest gets loose. On paper, though, their record remained the cleaner one. At 8-1, they were the side setting the pace while Collingwood came in searching for a response after its defeat to Geelong.
Collingwood also made four changes. Charlie West, Will Hayes, Ed Allan and Wil Parker were all called up, giving the Magpies a refreshed line-up for one of the toughest away assignments in the competition. Scott Pendlebury was managed out, while Darcy Moore, Darcy Cameron and Lipinski were all sidelined with injuries. The absences stripped away some experience and structure from a team already looking for consistency.
That made Friday night about more than the ladder positions. Sydney’s run since 2019 has made this a fixture it has largely controlled, and the fact that it had not lost a home game in 2024 before this one only sharpened the stakes at the SCG. Collingwood, by contrast, was still searching for the sort of complete performance that would tell the league it had found its level. A win would have mattered because it would have come against a team ahead of it, in form and on home turf.
The same round also carried a second interstate test, with Gold Coast set to play Yartapuulti in Darwin on Friday night. The Suns took a 6-3 record into that game and were chasing a 10th straight victory at their home away from home in Darwin, a stretch built on nine consecutive wins there. Matt Rowell returned after two weeks out with an ankle problem, while Jed Walter, Nick Holman and Zeke Uwland also came back. Ben Long was missing with an ankle injury, Alex Davies was managed out, Ethan Read was out with a knee injury and Ben Jepson was omitted.
For Sydney, the immediate question was whether the Swans could turn another strong start into another statement win without letting Collingwood settle. For the Magpies, the night offered a chance to show that the gap between their record and their best football was finally narrowing.
