Swans Review - Elimination Final vs. St Kilda (10 September, 2011)

SYDNEY 2.4  7.6  8.9  12.10 (82)
ST KILDA 1.3  3.4  7.7  8.9 (57)

GOALS - Sydney: R O’Keefe 4 A Goodes 2 B McGlynn 2 S Mumford 2 M Spangher S Reid. St Kilda: A Schneider 2 B Goddard 2 J Koschitzke N Dal Santo N Riewoldt S Milne.

Umpires: Michael Vozzo, Jacob Mollison, Ray Chamberlain.
Official Crowd: 39,205 at Etihad Stadium.

What a win! Everything we love about the Sydney Swans was on display tonight at Etihad Stadium. The rare vein of form that the Bloods have been in since the sole-searching week following the diabolical loss to Richmond at the MCG continues. What a long time ago that game feels like now. Our scalps since then? St Kilda in Sydney, Geelong in Geelong, Brisbane in Sydney and St Kilda again, this time at Etihad Stadium in an elimination final.

Honestly, I could not be happier with the performance, but for a shaky few moments in the third quarter where the Saints seemed to get back into the game. In some ways it was like the Preliminary Final of 2005, when the Swans clung to a measly lead at the last change and seemed poised to be overrun. It was a seven goal final quarter that night at the MCG, and while the Swans of 2011 didn't slam home that many six-pointers tonight, the result was the same.

I'd hoped that the Saints had spent all of their tickets getting back into the game in the third, and it appears that they had. Among other influential players in red, black and white, Nick Riewoldt had but one touch in the final quarter. He is, for want of a better descriptor, the Adam Goodes of the St Kilda Football Club. Imagine how well - or how unwell - the Swans would have travelled ifn Goodes had only had one touch. Thankfully, we didn't have to see what might've unfolded in that regard.

Goodes was sensational all night, and at times seemed to be toying with the Saints. He was the catalyst for so much, with other cool heads like McVeigh, Shaw, Kennelley, Richards, McGlynn and O'Keefe doing wonderful jobs, as has been the case so often over the last month. Richards was sensational on Riewoldt, keeping the Saints skipper frustrated and to one goal. Ditto, Nick Smith, who kept the dangerous Stephen Milne to a low-impact game. Milne can torch teams with his in-and-under work, but Smith didn't give him an inch.

The list of star performers goes on and on: Spanger, Reid, White, Kennedy and Hannebery were all sensational. Mumford, as always, a tower of strength with a motor to match his heart and his height. Luke Parker came on in the fourth and added the necessary run. Jude Bolton did what he always does: throws himself in with complete disregard for his body. His attack at the football inspires the young midfield around him. No wonder the Swans are so glad he'll be back for - at least - another year!

And so to Hawthorn - a homecoming for Josh Kennedy and Ben McGlynn - and a team somewhat in disarray. On Friday night, the Swans will face definitely a Jarryd Roughead-less Hawks and perhaps a Buddy Franklin-less Hawks, too. Despite that, the Hawks are a good team. It will be a tough contest. I wouldn't count the Swans out, not based on tonight's performance, and despite a woeful MCG record. Sydney have a young team that's building nicely to something special in the very near future. What a ride it promises to be.

What a win tonight. Go Bloods! See you Friday!!