VENUE & TIME: Telstra Stadium, 7.10 pm AEST, Saturday 11 August
HEAD TO HEAD: Sydney - 123, St Kilda - 72, Draws - 3
LAST TIME: St Kilda 15.7 (97) def Sydney 11.7 (71), Round 7, 2007 at Telstra Dome

WALKING WOUNDED: For the Swans co-captain Leo Barry faces a fitness test on the hamstring he injured against West Coast while Stephen Doyle (knee) and Matthew Laidlaw (hamstring) are a week or two away. Daniel O'Keefe (groin) and Daniel Currie (groin) are sidelined indefinitely.

Luke Ball needs to prove he's over an adductor strain if he's to take his place in the St Kilda line-up. He's the only addition to the Saints' injury list which includes three players - Brendon Goddard (knee), Michael Gardiner (foot) and Aaron Hamill (knee) - who are all out for the season.

FORM: The Swans sit in seventh spot on the AFL ladder with four wins from their past five matches. The Round 16 loss to West Coast at Subiaco was their only defeat in that stretch.

Last Friday night's thrilling draw at Telstra Dome interrupted a three-game winning streak (over Adelaide, Hawthorn and Carlton) for the ninth-placed Saints.

WHO'S HOT: Swan Amon Buchanan had a field day against Melbourne at Manuka Oval last Sunday, gathering 31 possessions and 11 marks in a best-afield performance.

Nick Riewoldt has been in outstanding form since signing a new contract for the Saints and his effort against the Bulldogs last Friday night - 20 disposals, 13 marks, three goals - was no exception.

WE THINK: Last time these teams played at Telstra Dome in Round 7, the Saints beat the Swans at their own game, shutting down the visitors with a game plan taken straight from the Swans' play book. Fraser Gehrig, who kicked four critical goals in that match, is coming off a goal-less shocker in last week's draw with the Bulldogs, but the Saints' forward set up is generally better now with Riewoldt in particular in outstanding form. The Swans, however, have the defenders to cope and will be looking to take control at the stoppages where Peter Everitt and Darren Jolly can be expected to get first hands to the ball. The Saints will welcome back Ball, whose hardness will be vital. This will be another tough affair, but the hosts must be favoured to dent the Saints' finals hopes. Sydney by 18 points.