Gold Coast Suns v The Swans - Can Sydney avoid a grand final hangover in AFL season 2023?

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Fox Sports Lab AFL host Ben Dixon and Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall discuss the round 1 match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Sydney Swans at Metricon Stadium on Saturday, March 18.

The team are joined by SuperCoach expert and stats guru Al Paton. The Suns are coached by Stuart Dew and are looking to prove their doubters wrong, while the Swans will be eager to avoid a Grand Final hangover from the previous season.

Dixon mentions that three of the last four matches between the two teams have gone in the Suns' favor, but Dunstall is not very bullish about Gold Coast's chances. He mentions that the Swans are young and hungry to make up for what happened in the previous season. He believes that the Swans will win the match and start the season off on a good note.

Dixon asks about the Suns' forward line, but Dunstall is worried about the way they move the ball forward and their small forward presence. He also mentions that Isaac Rankin's absence is a severe loss for the Suns.

Paton mentions the Suns' midfield players, including Took Miller and Matt Rowell. However, he thinks that Noah Anderson is the player to watch out for, as he is an absolute superstar and one of the best two-way runners in the competition. Paton also mentions that Tom Papley is looking for a massive game, but Dunstall laughs off Dixon's suggestion that Papley could win the Brownlow Medal and clarifies that he doesn't play enough midfield to win the award.

The panel agrees that the Swans will win the match against the Suns and open their account with a win.