The seven-goal win erases the shock loss that the young Giants handed the Swans in round one at Spotless Stadium, and extends the Swans’ current winning streak to a franchise-best ten games. Not since the 1930’s has the Sydney/South Melbourne franchise notched up an even ten-game winning streak.
The Swans came close to a similar streak in 2012 – a premiership year, which augurs well for the current squad – but fell one short. This time around, with the high-flying Swans enjoying strong wins against premiership contenders Hawthorn, Fremantle, Port Adelaide and a 110-point belting of Geelong en route to this historic mark, win number ten came against Sydney’s fledgling cross-town rivals on a cold, windy and rather unpleasant winter night in front of a little more than 27,000 fans, which is a pretty good return when you take Sydney’s near-cyclonic winds into account.
What is it about Sydney Derby games that seems to bring out the worst sort of weather imaginable? We endured a fierce storm at Spotless Stadium that stopped play for the best part of half an hour in the season opener, and whilst there was no precipitation or lightning, damaging winds had howled through the city and it’s suburbs before the game, and it doubtless kept many fans away from the game.
Two weeks ago, against Port Adelaide, FOX commentator Anthony Hudson labelled Franklin “Cyclone Buddy” and on Saturday night, Mother Nature chimed in, delivering damaging wind gusts that dropped the temperature considerably, but the elements didn’t seem to worry Buddy, who has twenty-six goals in the last six games. One might argue, in fact, that the man wearing #23 on his back was the most damaging force out there all night.
Make no mistake, this was the win that the Swans needed. GWS had their collective backs up, with two straight wins coming in, and you have to imagine that Sydney circled this return clash on their calendars after the embarrassing round one defeat. It wasn’t the greatest game we’ll ever see, but the Swans did enough in the first half, thanks to Franklin’s four majors (and a few handy score assists, too) and were never really travelled after the long break. The second half was a dour contest, neither team scoring much in the way of style points. Not that it mattered – the damage had been done, and done well.
It was alluded to in the week that the Swans, by Luke Parker and others, fresh off the coup of landing Buddy, headed into the season opener against the Giants with a little too much complacency, which they paid for in a big way, but there was no repeat in the SCG clash. In it’s place was the usual Swans ruthlessness.
The star-studded Swans midfield jumped all over the young Giants at the outset – Kieran Jack, the birthday boy and Brett Kirk Medallist, had twenty-two touches to half time, and people started wondering if he’d brought his own footy – and Shane Mumford was well held by Mike Pyke, after big Mummy’s powerhouse effort in round one set the table for so much of what the Giants did offensively. It was a red-letter day for Pyke. The Canadian ruckman played one of his best games in red-and-white.
Much has changed for the Swans since Round One. Their history-making loss to the Giants was part of a 1-3 start, and there is little similarity between the team that played in those first four games – jerseys aside, of course – to the team that took the park last night. They have improved out of sight in every facet of the game.
Of course, Franklin’s grasping of the Sydney game plan and his return to form has been a big part of that, as has the return of Kurt Tippett and the improved fitness of midfielders like Jarrad McVeigh and Kieran Jack. It’s amazing the difference that fifteen rounds of football can make, isn’t it?
The gulf in class between the Swans at their very best and the still-young GWS squad was on display for all to see. So, it’s back to the drawing board for Leon Cameron and his coaching staff, who will be without Heath Shaw, who was taken to hospital for concussion tests after a sickening collision with Kurt Tippett’s knee during the first quarter.
The former Collingwood star was out cold on the turf, necessitating the arrival of the medical cart to get him off the field. The incident was entirely accidental, but still something very hard to watch. You can only imagine how Tippett must have felt in the immediate aftermath.
Ten wins is great, of course, there is still lots of football to play, and the Swans have a very narrow margin for error after their 1-3 start. With a tough road trip to Perth to play the inconsistent – but still very dangerous – West Coast next week and Carlton the week after, before return clashes against heavyweights Hawthorn and Port Adelaide, now is not the time for complacency.
Creating history is something to remember, but the real task ahead is a hard tilt at September finals action, and Sydney will need to keep up their intensity if they are to attain the ultimate success, hoisting the AFL Premiership Cup at the MCG on Grand Final Day.
No comments:
Post a Comment