Groundhog Day for Sydney Swans’ super midfielders

WELCOME to Groundhog Day. Forget Buddy Franklin, Power’s greatest test at the SCG on Saturday will be at ground level.

Sydney Swans midfielder Dan Hannebery is in brilliant form. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

WELCOME to Groundhog Day.

Forget Lance Franklin, Port Adelaide’s greatest test at the SCG on Saturday will be at ground level.

While both clubs are on long winning streaks — the Power a club record-equalling eight and Sydney seven — the Swans’ ground level dominance since round five threatens to break this game wide open.

John Longmire’s midfield ball hogs are producing numbers rarely seen in the AFL.

Since they started their winning run following a stuttering 1-3 start to the year, the Swans have ripped their competition apart in ground-ball gets.

This has set their wheels in motion and resulted in convincing wins against last year’s grand finalists Hawthorn and Fremantle and a record 110-point demolition of perennial powerhouse Geelong which made the rest of the competition stand up and take notice.

Simply, when the ball hits the ground the Sydney players swarm on it like bees around a honey pot.

And they usually emerge with it, making life easy for their star-studded attack which will be minus former Crow Kurt Tippett but still includes superstar Franklin, dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes, Sam Reid and a posse of smalls and resting midfielders.

In a revealing Champion Data statistic, the well-drilled Swans are in a league of their own when it comes to winning the ball at ground level.

Since round five, Sydney boasts an incredible +143 differential in ground-ball gets — +68 better than closest rival Collingwood (+75).

The third-ranked team, Western Bulldogs, sits way back with a +32 differential, highlighting just how good the Swans have been.

Port ranks 11th in the past seven rounds with a -4 differential.

Overall, the Power ranks fourth in ground-ball gets (+66) but it has fallen away badly in this category since irs round four hammering of the Brisbane Lions.

Six of the eight highest-ranked ground-ball winners from rounds five to 12 who will line up at the SCG on Saturday are from Sydney.

The strong-bodied Josh Kennedy leads the way, averaging 13. Fellow Brownlow Medal chance Dan Hannebery sits second, with an 11.7 average, followed by Kieren Jack (9.7) and Craig Bird (8.6).

Port’s top two ground-ball gets players — Ollie Wines (8.6) and captain Travis Boak (8) — are next.

But it’s two Swans — Jarrad McVeigh (7.7) and Ben McGlynn (7.5) — who round out the top eight.

“It’s daunting,’’ Power defender Alipate Carlile said of the challenge facing his side at the SCG.

“Their midfield’s really strong with Hannebery and guys like that.

“What they did to Geelong a couple of weeks ago and how they’ve been playing over the last six or seven weeks has been unbelievable.’’

Port on-baller Hamish Hartlett stressed how important it would be to match Sydney at ground level, describing it as “huge’’.

And probably game-defining.

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