Swans Review - Port Adelaide (14 April 2012)

SYDNEY 5.2  8.4  10.6  16.9 (105)
PORT ADELAIDE 3.3  5.6  9.9  12.11 (83)

Goals: Sydney: L Jetta 3 A Goodes 2 C Bird 2 J White 2 R O’Keefe 2 B McGlynn J Bolton J McVeigh S Mumford S Reid. Port Adelaide: D Stewart 3 Brad Ebert 2 J Schulz 2 J Westhoff 2 J Surjan M Broadbent M Thomas.

Best: Sydney: D Hannebery L Parker J Kennedy N Malceski K Jack A Goodes. Port Adelaide: J Westhoff H Hartlett J Trengove D Cassisi Brad Ebert K Cornes.
Official Crowd: 19,032 at AAMI Stadium. 

Well, it wasn't always pretty, and at times there were some maddening breakdowns in basic skills, but the Swans got a win against Port Adelaide, extending their unbeaten run in Adelaide vs. the Power, a run that started back in 2004, and they are, somewhat amazingly, equal top on the AFL ladder with Carlton. For a team that has traditionally struggled early in the season and made a late run to a finals position - slow out of the blocks, gathering steam in the middle of the year, before a charging finish - this is somewhat unfamiliar territory. Don't get me wrong; it's nice territory to be in!

My biggest take way from this game, as from last week's game vs. Fremantle (and even the game vs. GWS) is that the Swans need to focus, perhaps above anything else, on playing a complete game. That's four good quarters of smart, intense football. Not two or three or even three and a half good quarters, but four. Like last week, the Bloods seemingly decided that they'd take the third term off and gave the Power a glimpse at a possible victory. Against better teams that they'll face down the road, lethargic, non-thinking football with basic skill errors is going to be a killer. Look at a team like Carlton or Hawthorn; take a quarter off against those heavyweights and there'll be a very lopsided score once the final siren goes.

To the positives, though, and aside from general lackadaisical effort in the third, there were good things happening across the ground. Luke Parker had a career day in terms of possession, and always seemed to be around the football. Jetta, who didn't have a wealth of touches, made his plays count, kicking nicely, truely, and without too many examples of the yips that've characterised his efforts in front of goals in previous seasons. Josh Kennedy continued his solid form, Jude Bolton was a consistent force - as if he's ever going to be anything but - and Dan Hannebery appears to be playing himself back into the form that has so endeared him to Swans fans in the last few seasons. 

Elsewhere, Craig Bird is looking more and more like Paul Kelly each week - he has the jumper number to match - and what else can you say about Mattner, Grundy, Shaw, Richards and co in the back half of the field? It sounds like a broken record. We say the same thing every week. It's a very reassuring thing to have guys like that protecting the goals. Richards, especially, had a number of brilliant spoils when the game was on the line. He's matured into a brilliant defender. Another discarded player who's made the move up to Sydney, another Swans success story.

On the day when he tied the Swans games record, Adam Goodes went missing at times, but bobbed up when necessary, especially when the game was somewhat in the balance midway through the fourth. The occasional deft touch from #37 is all it usually takes, and the game today - as has been the case numerous times throughout a sparkling career - turned because of some well-timed insertions into the play. It's been a somewhat quiet start to the year for Goodes, but he's still not a guy opposition teams want to give the ball in space. He can still kill you. 

Let's just hope that Goodes being reported for rough conduct in the second quarter - those knees did look a little questionable, if that is indeed what the report is related to - doesn't interfere with the milestone game up next for one of the greatest players to ever wear the Sydney/South Melbourne jersey. The one positive is that Surjan, the man Goodes was alleged to have kneed, was not hurt and managed to carry on the game.

Next week, North Melbourne back at the SCG on Sunday afternoon, and the Swans, who keep doing enough to win, should go into that game as favourites.