Swans Record Strong Win in Brisbane

It wasn’t always pretty, and the final margin of victory should have been far bigger than it was, but the important thing is that the Swans scored a percentage-boosting 79-point win seventh straight win over Brisbane, got through without any really major injuries – aside from the loss of ruckman, Mike Pyke in the second quarter – and have run a few of their biggest players into form. Just as well, too, ahead of a tough month of games: Hawthorn next Friday, then Essendon, a bye and Geelong.

Brisbane toiled hard, but there came a time late in the second period when the Lions appeared to have given all they had to the contest and the more experienced bodies of the Swans took over.

So did the Sydney midfield class. Jarrad McVeigh and Josh Kennedy were the two best players on the field, battling one another for the title of highest possession-winner for the Swans, whilst getting onto the scoreboard as well.

In the end, it was McVeigh with thirty-five and Kennedy with thirty-four touches. Dan Hannebery had his second strong game in a row after an uneven start to the season, picking up thirty-one touches. Brisbane’s Tom Rockliff touched the Sherrin thirty times himself, but the next best Lion was Andrew Raines with twenty-two. Such was the Swans’ midfield domination, they had seven players picking up more than twenty-five possessions.

Pyke’s unfortunate injury forced a change in strategy, with Sydney coach John Longmire sending his midfielders forward, and might have unlocked something with that forced move. McGlynn, Kennedy, Kieran Jack, Brandon Jack, Luke Parker and McVeigh all got amongst the goals, outshining most of their team-mates who are specialist forwards.

The exception to that rule was Adam Goodes. The Australian of the Year passed his first test with flying colours, completing a full game, and very much looking like the Adam Goodes of old. The Lions seemed content to give him a lot of room to work in the forward arc, which is never a good idea. At times, the dual Brownlow medallist looked like a circling predator. If it hadn’t been for some poor execution at times, Goodes might’ve bettered a three-goal haul.

Watching the Swans midfield go to work was a thing of beauty. This is a unit hitting it’s stride at a very opportune time, unless you’re a Brisbane fan. Indeed, there were long stretches of game time when the Lions appeared powerless to do much of anything about it. Invariably, an attacking raid would start with Richards, Grundy, the ultra-impressive Rampe from the back.

McVeigh had more than his fair share of touches, not shadowed at all, and Kennedy was the same. If it wasn’t those two, it was Parker or Jack, or the other Jack, or McGlynn or Lewis Jetta, who came alive in the last quarter. They ran rings around the Lions, and had it not been for a very ugly start to the game in terms of kicking for goal, it might have been a much worse night for the Lions. 3 goals and 6 behinds in the first term made the scoreboard seem so much closer than it really was. The Lions were slaughtered in that opening…everywhere but where it counts: on the big board.

Brisbane’s power forward Jonathan Brown, a strong target up forward all season, was a late withdrawal, resulting in an easier day for the Swans defenders, including 200 gamer Rhyce Shaw, who contributed a goal and twenty-seven possessions. So often in football, these milestone games don’t end as we would like, but Shaw’s night in Brisbane was a positive one, and much of his game reminded Swans fans of why the former Collingwood player has become such a great player and, more importantly, a great person.

Just like that, the Swans look back in town, sitting fifth on the ladder on Saturday night, albeit with a tough month to come – almost certainly a month of gut-check footy that will give themselves and the rest of the AFL a better indication of where they are against the competition’s undoubted yardsticks.

There is plenty to look forward to on Friday night, with a rampant Hawthorn coming in, the Buddy Franklin Circus sure to fire up again, and the very real likelihood that Kurt Tippett, the other high-profile recruit – he’s so 2013 now, the former Crows spearhead – will return to the line-up, thus completing a rather scary forward line, joining Franklin, Reid and Goodes.

A big week coming up in the Harbour City, and I am already very interested, albeit with low expectations, to see how the Swans come out against the Hawks. It could very well be the building block for the rest of the year.