Adelaide and the Sydney Swans have played 37 times. The Crows hold the advantage 23 – 14.
The Swans have won four of the last five meetings between the two teams, but the Crows emerged victorious by 10 points in the most recent clash at Adelaide Oval in Round Four this season.
The Crows and Swans have met twice previously in finals. Adelaide won the first game, the 1998 second Semi-Final at the SCG, before the Swans won the second Qualifying Final in 2012 at AAMI Stadium.
The Swans will be playing their first final at the SCG since 2005. They have played five times at the SCG in finals for four wins, while Adelaide has lost seven of their last eight finals interstate.
The Crows have played in nine Semi-Finals for six wins and three losses.
Adelaide has a favourable record at the SCG having won 11 of the Club’s 17 games at the venue.
However, the Crows have only played at the ground twice in the last seven seasons. The Club’s most recent win at the SCG was a stirring five-point victory in Round Six, 2012.
Of the Adelaide team that beat North Melbourne last weekend, Rory Atkins, Kyle Cheney, Brad Crouch and Mitch McGovern have never played at the SCG.
The Swans have only dropped two games at the SCG this season to Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs by a total of nine points.
Eddie Betts is set to play his 253rd AFL game this week, drawing level with Peter Matera (253 games for West Coast) in eighth spot for most games by an indigenous player.
Betts has kicked 27 goals in his last six games, including a finals career-high six last weekend. The in-form forward bagged four against the Swans earlier this season.
Scott Thompson is set to play his 16th final this week, equalling Mark Ricciuto and Graham Johncock in finals games played for the Crows. Only Simon Goodwin (23), Tyson Edwards and Andrew McLeod (22), Ben Hart (18) and Nigel Smart (17) have played in more finals for the Club.
Captain Taylor Walker has drawn level with two-time premiership player Nigel Smart in fourth place for most finals goals for the Club with 16. He needs three goals to join Darren Jarman and Scott Welsh in equal-second spot. McLeod leads the way with 23 goals in finals.
Swans wingman Dan Hannebery has averaged 34.5 possessions and nearly two goals in his past four outings against the Crows. Hannebery is ranked third in the AFL for total disposals (719) this season and second for inside 50ms (123).
Another All Australian Luke Parker has also kicked an average of two goals from 26.3 touches in his past four clashes with Adelaide.
Crow Tom Lynch enjoys playing the Swans. Lynch has kicked seven goals and averaged 22 disposals and eight marks in his last three matches against Sydney.
The competitive Swans average 13.3 more contested possessions than their direct opponents behind only the Western Bulldogs (14.8) and Geelong (14.4) this season.
Big-Bodied midfielder Josh Kennedy leads the League in contested possessions (373) and is second for clearances with 170.
One of the most promising young midfielders in the competition, Crow Matt Crouch is ninth in the AFL for handballs (341) and eighth in effective handballs (279). He’s also 10th in hard-ball gets (119) – ranked No.1 at Adelaide.
Both teams like to launch their offence from the back half. The Swans and Crows are the two best intercept marking teams in the League.
Important defender Dane Rampe, who was one of five Swans to earn All Australian selection this year, ranks fourth in the League for intercept marks (59) while fellow defender Heath Grundy is fifth level with young Crow Jake Lever (57). Daniel Talia is eighth overall with 56 intercept marks.
Adelaide has scored more points from intercept possessions (1,668) than any other side.
The Swans are the second-best team at scoring from stoppages behind GWS.
The damaging Rampe is also second in the League for rebound 50ms (147).
All Australian vice-captain Rory Sloane is the No.1 pressure act player in the game this year.
The miserly Swans have conceded an average of only 9.6 goals per game this season.
Lance Franklin, who was held goalless for just the third time this season against GWS, is Sydney’s leading goalkicker this season with 74 – ranked second in the AFL. Second-year forward Isaac Heeney is the Club’s next-best goalkicker with 26.
Franklin and Heeney each booted four against Adelaide in Round Four.
Franklin is the second-most used target inside 50m in the League this season.
Sydney’s 36-point Qualifying Final loss to GWS at ANZ Stadium was the club’s second biggest of the season behind its seven-goal defeat, also at the hands of the Giants, in Round 12.
