SYDNEY has rubber-stamped its top-four credentials and extended its undefeated start to the season with a 25-point victory over Walyalup in a pulsating clash at Henson Park.

The Swans took time to shake off a determined Dockers side out to put a horror fortnight behind it, until breaking the game open with a four-goal blitz that set up a 9.8 (62) to 5.7 (37) win on Sunday afternoon.

With a club-first 4-0 start to the season already in the bag, the Swans can begin to target bigger goals while the Dockers slip to a 1-3 record and are at risk of losing touch with the top eight.

Swans ball magnet Laura Gardiner was at her prolific best with 35 disposals and five clearances, and helped to open the floodgates in the third term when surging the ball forward to set up a Holly Cooper goal.

That was the first of three goals in under three minutes as the Swans began to pull away from the determined Dockers and finished the third term with four goals while holding the visitors scoreless.

Darcy Moloney gathered 14 disposals and five clearances in her 50th game after making the move to Sydney from Geelong for this season, while Sarah Grundon and Cynthia Hamilton finished with two goals apiece.

Swans spearhead Chloe Molloy also booted a pair of majors including a Goal of the Year contender with a kick off the ground from the tightest of angles.

Walyalup responded to becoming the first AFLW side to be thumped by 100 points against North Melbourne last week with a bright start in front of another strong crowd at Henson Park.

After Cynthia Hamilton opened the scoring for the Swans, the Dockers began to win the ball at the coalface and added the next three goals.

The first came through Aisling McCarthy as the ball took a wicked turn on the goalline, before Angelique Stannett and Kiara Bowers added a couple more to lift the Dockers’ hopes.

The Swans got the game back on their terms from there with their potency and efficiency in attack shining through, while the Dockers failed to make the most of their opportunities in the forward half.

Bowers turned back the clock to lead the Dockers’ engine room as the 33-year-old gathered 22 disposals with nine tackles to go with an early goal.

McCarthy was just as influential while connecting the Dockers’ midfield with attack and locking the forward line with 16 disposals and seven tackles.

Mim Strom edged Ally Morphett as the Dockers ruck narrowly beat her rival for hitouts (15-13), clearances (11-4) and impact around the ground with 24-22 disposals, although the Swans’ 21-year-old was important in turning the game around in the third term.

Prized draftee Zippy Fish helped spark the Swans with a first career goal but was outshone by co-captain Molloy creating something out of nothing with a crafty soccer goal.

Fish turns the tide with stunning snap
Zippy Fish has made the brightest of starts since joining Sydney as a highly-touted No.5 pick last year and going on to rack up possessions in defence and slice up opponents through the midfield. On Sunday, the 19-year-old added a first goal to her early highlights reel with a stunning banana off her right boot. It was no surprise to see it come with a turn of pace as Fish pounced on a loose ball and streamed away from a pack to kick a team-lifting goal that gave the Swans the lead.

Luck of the Irish gives McCarthy a fortunate goal
Walyalup was peppering the forward 50 without much luck until the ball came to ground and soon made its way to Aisling McCarthy waiting outside the contest. Gabrielle Biedenweg-Webster gathered the ball and quickly got a handball out but McCarthy had no choice but to throw it straight onto her right boot as the Swans defence closed in. The Irish recruit hooked the hurried shot too far and the ball was on track for a behind before it took a wicked turn from a near-90-degree bounce. The shot bounced from just inside the goalline and through for a goal to help spark a much-needed fast start for the Dockers.

Up next
Sydney will be out to extend its winning streak to five matches when it faces Collingwood at Victoria Park on Saturday at 1.05pm AEST. The Dockers can look to rebound in a derby against the Eagles at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday from 3.05pm AWST.

SYDNEY   3.1   5.2    9.6   9.8 (62)
WALYALUP    3.0    4.5    4.5    5.7 (37)

GOALS
Sydney: C.Hamilton 2, Grunden 2, Molloy 2, Ham, Fish, Cooper
Walyalup: McCarthy, Stannett, Bowers, Kikoak, Biedenweg-Webster

BEST
Sydney: Gardiner, Ham, McEvoy, Molloy, Kennedy, C.Hamilton, Morphett
Walyalup: Strom, Bowers, McCarthy, Newton, O’Sullivan

INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Walyalup: Nil

Crowd: 4,564 at Henson Park

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