Swans Review - GWS Giants (June 30, 2012)

SYDNEY 3.4 8.6 14.10 19.18 (132) GWS 1.2 2.5 4.7 5.8 (38)

GOALS Sydney: Jetta 3, Goodes 2, McGlynn 2, Kennedy 2, Jack 2, Roberts-Thomson 2, Reid 2, Everitt, Hannebery, Pyke, Mumford. GWS: Ward, Cameron, Giles, Palmer, Greene.

It's fair to say that last night's Sydney Derby 2 isn't likely to bring a tidal wave of support from rugby league across to the AFL, but the potential seems there. As seems to be the blueprint for games involving the fledgling GWS Giants, Kevin Sheedy's men in burnt orange and gray put in a solid half of football and then, later on, succumb to the speed of the game, the ferocity of the talent and the opposition, who have been playing senior football for much, much longer and understand what is needed to close out the game.

In the end, the Swans swept to a 94-point win that was convincing on the scoreboard if not always on the ANZ Stadium turf. The second term was a red-and-white rout, the Swans kicking 11 goals to 3, and peppering the big sticks late in the final quarter, trying hard to record their second 100-point win of the season, but falling short at the end. Even so, the percentage boost will help. Large win though it was, last night's game really did little to leave an imprint on the minds of the - dissapointing - crowd of 22, 565, well down from 38, 203 on Opening Night. Must've been the absence of the star GWS recruit Israel Folau...

For the most part, it was a scrappy, ugly contest with plenty of stoppages. Indeed, it seemed as though the GWS coaching staff had decided to employ the tactics that won the Swans a flag back in 2005, and delivered them perilously close to a second consecutive one a year later. There were glimpses from the Giants, and it was a physical contest, yet, it was the Swans who flourished playing this brand of football for the most part. Perhaps it's important to remember who wrote the book on that sort of play.

In amongst the passes of dour struggle was individual brilliance. The midfield excelled, as it so often seems to do. Ryan O'Keefe had his best game of the season, Jarrad McVeigh led all comers with 37 touches and Brett Kirk Medallist Kieran Jack was close behind, over 35 touches, and adding two goals - highlight reel goals, for that matter - to his stat line. The movement through the centre was, at times, nothing short of brilliant. We saw a brilliant soccer-style goal from Dan Hannebery, excellent defensive work from Ted Richards, superb movement off of half back from Rhyce Shaw and the ruck duo of Shane Mumford and Mike Pyke continue to impress.

Then there's Lewis Jetta. If this kid isn't leading the Swans best and fairest there's something horribly wrong. He should be on the fringes of All Australian selection, too. Quite simply, the speedy winger, who seems to be able to leave anyone and everyone else in his dust, had the football on a string. At times, it wasn't even fair and the GWS kids must've wondered how a guy with legs like needles can run so far so far and then launch massive roosts to goal from outside of fifty, with plenty of room to spare. It's never dull when #32 has the football. He's fast becoming a superstar, and surely he must be giving opposing coaches headaches? How do you tag a guy who can grab the football and be twenty meters upfield almost before his opposing player knows what's going on?

So Sydney Debry 2 is in the books. There were positives and negatives. After a slow and uneven start, the Swans showed some of the ruthlessness that has appeared this season - see wins vs. Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs - and, thankfully for the fans who have suffered much in the last few weeks, there was no late-game meltdown to test the nerves of the majority of the ground's occupants. For that, if nothing else, we should be thankful.

Sydney return to the SCG next Saturday afternoon at 4.40pm to face Johnathan Brown and the Brisbane Lions.