SYDNEY 4.4 10.9 17.12 19.13 (127)
ADELAIDE 1.4 3.4 3.9 6.14 (50)
Goals: Sydney: B McGlynn 3 J White 3 M Morton 3 C Bird 2 J Bolton 2 A Everitt A Goodes D Hannebery K Jack L Parker T Mitchell. Adelaide: S McKernan 2 B Vince I Callinan P Dangerfield T Lynch.
Best: Sydney: D Hannebery K Jack J McVeigh J White R O’Keefe T Mitchell. Adelaide: P Dangerfield R Sloane D Talia B Rutten.
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Robert Findlay, Mathew Nicholls.
Official Crowd: 38,374 at AAMI Stadium.
Simply extraordinary. That's what the Swans were tonight. If there's been a more thoroughly complete effort on an AFL footy field this year then, please, point it out to me because the Swans were unstoppable tonight. They were so good that Adelaide, who weren't exactly lying down and letting the red-and-whites run all over them, were left hopelessly reeling, the victims of a football team that was absolutely unstoppable. The Swans were just too good, a pack mentality at every contest, the silky smooth movement of the football through the midfield, the occasional party trick and, most importantly of all, scoring potency. It led to a 77-point hatchet job of Brenton Sanderson's men that, sometimes, was almost beyond belief. A red and white hurricane hit AAMI Stadium tonight, and it didn't let up until the Crows were battered into submission.
This was the complete effort from Sydney, on the back of impressive wins against Collingwood and Essendon in the last two weeks. Heading into their bye week, Sydney, whose record at AAMI Stadium hasn't been great over the years, are perfectly placed for a run deep into September. Another premiership flag is not out of th question, not based on their form of the last few weeks. And, scarily for anyone not aligned with the Swans, will only get better with the likes of Rhyce Shaw, Lewis Jetta, Lewis Roberts-Tomson and the suspended former Crow Kurt Tippett to come back in the next few weeks.
There was so much to like about this Swans effort that it's hard to know where to start. But, really, can you go past the ball-magnet Dan Hannebery, who, time and time again, week after week, bobs up with a game that just makes your jaw drop. This kid has all the skills, and, even more, possesses that rare ability to make good players put on him look like no-talent hacks from some bush league. The Crows might've tagged him in the first half. Who knows for sure? Guys who ran with him were blown away, clear away, and Hannebery set about amassing a ridiculous 28 disposals to half time. He was checked somewhat in the second half, but the damage was well and truly done, and he finished with 42, easily best on ground, and he must be right up there in Brownlow voting.
Particularly impressive tonight were the fringe players, guys in the side because of injury or suspension. Jesse White played the best game that I can remember from him, booting three goals. Andrejs Everitt was solid, also, and the mercurial Mitch Morton, this squad's version of the equally mercurial Nick Davis, came on in the second half, and is proving to be just the goal sneak the Swans need. Key to his continuing place in this team, his pressure on the defensive side is improving week by week. Another success story for the Swans: a player discarded by another club becoming a role player in Sydney.
Debutant Brandon Jack looks the goods. He showed impressive flashes in the final quarter after coming into the game as the sub, relieving Shane Mumford, who also had a strong game, and set up a goal early in the fourth quarter, which pushed the lead into the nineties. The thing for the younger Jack is to get used to the pace of the game at AFL level, but the signs are there. Put it this way: if he proves to have half the talent his brother does, the Swans are onto a good thing. Kieren was amongst the Swans' best today, notching 32 touches, his usual gritty effort. You're never surprised now, to see #15 at the foot of all the packs, in there, fighting hard, maximum effort all the time.
Speaking of being onto a good thing: second-gamer Tom Mitchell looks for all the world like a 100-game player for the Swans. He goes about his work quietly for the most part, in the way of so many great midfielders at the club - Jarrad McVeigh and Jude Bolton, to name just two - but he has an influence. 31 touches and a goal today after a great debut from out of the substitute vest last week, and you wouldn't count out the youngster for the NAB Rising Star. At this rate, he'll street them. Just another midfielder to slot into this team. It's an embarrassment of riches destined to give opposing coaches headaches during the second half of the season!
Really, it was hard to find a bad player. McVeigh was the epicenter of many attacking raids, Ben McGlynn took advantage of a midfield that beat Adelaide's version to a bloody pulp, and the back line were, as ever, towers of strength. Dane Rampe looks ready to slot straight into the hole left by the sad retirement of Marty Mattner during the week. There doesn't look like being a drop off. It's quite a testament to the Swans' system.
For Adelaide...well, the looks on Brenton Sanderson's face said it all. He probably realised that his team had run into a buzz-saw and, in that situation, there isn't much that you can do about that. From a preliminary final run last year, to a scenario where they'll likely be struggling to play any sort of part in September will probably spell trouble - at least in the press - but tonight was one of those nights where everything he did was countered by Sydney. The ball bounced the right way for the Swans. It never did for the Crows. Unfortunately, it happens.
The Swans have the bye next week and they enter it in the best possible way. Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in a fortnight, and in the interim, the hardest task for John Longmire is going to be deciding which players to leave out when the likes of Tippett, Shaw and Jetta come back. On tonight's form, no one deserves to be demoted, though Tippett's power forward status almost demands he gets a game straight up. It's a nice problem to have, though. And one that Longmire will no doubt grapple with during the week off. All will be revealed soon.
Go Bloods!!
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