How to watch Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL 2026 Round 23?

You can watch the Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL 2026 Round 23 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchAFL app is the perfect solution.

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To buy tickets to the Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL 2026 Round 23 game check the AFL website or the official Essendon site.

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Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL Round 23 Tips - Swans to cruise past bottom-placed Bombers

Adam Cusworth

Editor

Last updated: Fri 14 Aug 2026 09:32

Adam Cusworth 14 Aug 2026

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The game will be played at the MCG on Sunday, 16th August, with the bounce at 4:40 PM (AEST)
Can the Bombers avoid another humiliating loss?
Preview, expert analysis, stats, team news & best bet

Essendon vs Sydney Swans, Round 23 2026 - Expert Prediction

Essendon vs Sydney Swans, Round 23 2026 - Expert Prediction
Head to Head Stats
Essendon Form Analysis
Sydney Swans Form Analysis
Essendon vs Sydney Swans Team List & News
Essendon Team News
Sydney Swans Team News
Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL 2026 Round 23 FAQ’s

Sydney look set for another demolition job when they take on bottom-placed Essendon at the MCG on Sunday, with the 59.5-point line looking well within reach.

The only slight concern is whether the Swans take their foot off the pedal with second spot effectively sewn up, but their record against the competition's strugglers suggests otherwise. Sydney have consistently put lower-ranked sides to the sword this season, while Essendon have lost their past four matches against top-six opposition by an average of 80 points. The Bombers' inability to prevent opposition sides from piling on goals in quick bursts remains a major concern against one of the competition's most damaging attacking teams.

The mismatch extends to Sydney's forward line, where Charlie Curnow has the opportunity to put some serious distance between himself and his Coleman Medal rivals. He has kicked 12 goals across the past three rounds and five last weekend, making 5+ goals worth backing against an Essendon defence that has struggled badly against quality opposition. Tom Papley's record against the Bombers is also difficult to ignore, with 14 goals from his past six meetings making 3+ another appealing option.

Essendon's problems containing opposition ball winners also point towards another big afternoon for Errol Gulden. He had 39 disposals last weekend and is averaging 38 across the past three rounds, while the Bombers have struggled to prevent quality midfielders from accumulating possession. Gulden 30+ disposals looks an excellent player prop to complement Sydney covering the 59.5-point line.

Essendon have lost their past four against top-six sides by an average of 80 points.
The Swans are averaging 138 points in their past three matches.
Charlie Curnow kicked five goals last weekend, while Errol Gulden had 39 disposals.
Tom Papley has kicked 14 goals in his past six matches against Essendon.

Head to Head Stats

Sydney took out the most recent meeting by 14 points in Round 21 last season at the SCG. They have won four of the past five between the two sides. Essendon and Sydney have not met at the MCG since Round 16 in 2022, when the Dons recorded a nine-point win.

Standout player performances in the recent head to heads have come from:

Chad Warner (Swans)- 25+ disposals in his past six against the Bombers.
Andy McGrath (Dons)- 25+ disposals in his past four against the Swans.
Errol Gulden (Swans)- 30 disposals in the most recent head to head.
Tom Papley (Swans)- 14 goals in his past six matches against Essendon.

Essendon Form Analysis

Essendon's difficult season has continued over the past three weeks against Hawthorn, Adelaide and Geelong. Last week, it was a 67-point loss at the hands of the Cats and they are anchored at the bottom of the ladder with a 2-19 win-loss record.

Perhaps the biggest concern heading into this match is Essendon's inability to slow opposition midfielders. The Bombers concede more disposals than any side in the competition, regularly allowing elite ball users to accumulate uncontested possession through the corridor.

They were beaten in this area by the Cats, despite the work of Zach Merrett (29 disposals) and Dyson Sharp (27). Archie Perkins was the Bombers' only multiple goalkicker with two majors in the 7.8 (50) scoreline. In their past six matches, the Dons are averaging just 53 points per game.

Sydney Swans Form Analysis

Sydney come into Round 23 with a 16-5 win-loss record and are building strongly towards September. They thrashed Port Adelaide by 97 points last weekend, with Errol Gulden collecting 39 disposals and now averaging 38 across his past three matches.

The Swans have a 6-4 record away from home this season, although this will be just their second trip to the MCG, having lost to Hawthorn by 17 points at the venue in Round 2. They have been ruthless against the competition's bottom four, winning three of their four matches against those sides by 97 points or more.

Sydney have plenty of players hitting form, with Nick Blakey recording 28 disposals in each of his past two matches. Coleman Medal leader Charlie Curnow has kicked 12 goals across the past three rounds, while Logan McDonald has booted 10 in the same period, giving the Swans two in-form key targets heading into this match.

Essendon vs Sydney Swans Team List & News

Essendon Team News

Sam Durham misses through injury and Zak Johnson has been omitted. Alwyn Clarke, Elijah Tsatas, Harrison Jones, Nick Bryan and Lachlan Blakiston have all been included in the Bombers' extended squad.

Sydney Swans Team News

Dane Rampe and Brodie Grundy headline four inclusions alongside Caiden Cleary and Angus Sheldrick. Lewis Melican has been omitted, with the Swans naming an extended interchange for the final game of the round.

Essendon	POS	Sydney Swans
A. McGrath, Z. Reid, M. Redman	B	C. Mills, T. McCartin, D. Rampe
J. Prior, A. Roberts, J. Artemis	HB	N. Blakey, R. Bice, J. Hamling
M. Kondogiannis, W. Setterfield, A. Clarke	C	M. Roberts, E. Gulden, J. Serong
J. Caldwell, N. Caddy, A. Day-Wicks	HF	J. Lloyd, L. McDonald, B. Campbell
I. Kako, P. Wright, K. Langford	F	T. Papley, C. Curnow, J. Jordon
V. Visentini, Z. Merrett, D. Sharp	FOLL	B. Grundy, I. Heeney, C. Warner
J. Farrow, E. Tsatas, A. Perkins, H. Jones, N. Bryan, H. El Achkar, R. Unwin, L. Blakiston	I/C	H. Kyle, S. Wicks, B. Cootee, H. McLean, J. Dattoli, W. Green, C. Cleary, A. Sheldrick

Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL 2026 Round 23 FAQ’s

How to watch Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL 2026 Round 23?
You can watch the Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL 2026 Round 23 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchAFL app is the perfect solution.
How to buy tickets to Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL 2026 Round 23?
To buy tickets to the Essendon vs Sydney Swans AFL 2026 Round 23 game check the AFL website or the official Essendon site.

Verdict

Essendon v Sydney Swans

Swans big win with Curnow, Papley and Gulden best in player props

Sydney -61.5

Line

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