Punters tuning into the Preliminary Finals clash at the S.C.G. on Friday, 18 September 2026, were treated to a fierce battle as Fremantle traveled over to take on the Sydney Swans. Coming off a strong win against the Geelong Cats, the visitors backed up their status in the market.
In the lead-up to the bounce, the market movement told an interesting yarn. Sydney Swans drifted from 2.45 to 2.5, while Fremantle firmed in from 1.56 down to 1.52. When the final siren sounded, it was the away side that justified that late backing, walking away with an 83–71 victory over the hosts.
How the match unfolded
The final scoreboard showed Fremantle 83 defeating the Sydney Swans 71, locking in a hard-fought win on enemy territory at the S.C.G. Despite the Sydney Swans coming into the match following a strong win against the Brisbane Lions on Sat, 5 Sept, they ultimately fell short against a determined Fremantle outfit.
With the total points line set at 189.5, the game proved to be a tighter defensive struggle than some of the high-scoring affairs both sides had put together earlier in their respective campaigns. Fremantle's victory advances their campaign in style, leaving punters who backed the away side celebrating at the final siren.
How the tips went
It was a mixed bag for our published selections across the board in this Preliminary Finals encounter. Let's take an honest look at how each market played out.
Our head to head selection on Fremantle landed successfully, with the visitors delivering for punters who took the 1.54 price after they firmed late in betting. However, our line tip of Sydney Swans +11.5 missed its mark as the 12-point margin went just past the buffer. Finally, the Total Points selection of Over 171.5 also resulted in a loss, with the combined 154 points falling short of the required mark in a tougher defensive battle.