Greater Western Sydney celebrates during its clash against Sydney in round six, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

GREATER Western Sydney has stunned Sydney and reclaimed Harbour City bragging rights with a seven-point triumph in a fiery derby in front of a record-breaking crowd at Henson Park.

Giants young gun Zarlie Goldsworthy was the star in attack with a superb all-round display before her side defended desperately to hold off the Swans in a 7.7 (49) to 6.6 (42) thriller on Sunday afternoon.

SWANS v GIANTS Full match coverage and stats

The Giants only won their first game for more than a year last week, while the Swans are pushing for a top-four spot, but there was little to separate the cross-town rivals in a ferocious contest.

The two teams set out to put on a show in front of a Henson Park-high crowd of 7,171 fans during a tense and tight affair. 

Brodee Mowbray helped set the tone as early spot fires broke out and the Giants forward went toe-to-toe with several Swans including veteran Tanya Kennedy. 

The 23-year-old backed up her actions with a goal in the opening term then added another to snatch back the lead early in the last quarter.

That proved to be the last goal of the game as the Giants stood tall in defence and withstood several last-gasp forward entries from the Swans. 

Goldsworthy was the most threatening forward throughout the contest whether playing close to goal or drifting up the field into space. 

The 20-year-old finished with a game-high 31 disposals, nine tackles and a goal as her class stood out even as others began to stutter under the pressure of the game and occasion.

“Zarlie is having a really good year. It’s different to what she’s had previously, it’s always been the flashy stuff and the goals, but I think she’s becoming a really complete midfielder,” Giants coach Cam Bernasconi said.

“She bases her game off of pressure and defence, which is such a nice thing to have as a coach, when you’ve got a high-end talent that actually values defence.”

Georgia Garnett was on track to have a 50th game to forget after finding it hard to work her way into the game in the first half and then injuring an arm early in the third term. 

The Giants forward returned to play soon after and took a strong mark on the lead then tumbled a goal through from a tough angle to hand her side the lead on the cusp of the last change. 

The Swans pushed hard to get closer in the dying stages but were unable to find space or targets in attack. 

Kennedy battled hard and largely dominated the stoppages to finish with 25 disposals and a game-high nine clearances. 

Zippy Fish made a scintillating start with a pair of goals and a hand in another as the Swans held the Giants at arm’s length during a tense opening half. 

But when the Giants found space to move the ball through the middle of the field in the second half, as well as more efficiency in their forward half, the Swans gradually ran out of answers.

“The brutal honesty is, ball in hand, we just took options that we shouldn’t take. We kicked it back to them nine times in that (forward) area of the ground where it could have gone over the top or to the advantage of a forward,” Swans coach Scott Gowans said.

“And then there’s the decisions we make to take that extra few steps, get caught. There was a lot of that today.”

No love lost in fiery derby opening
Greater Western Sydney finally broke a 378-day drought last weekend and was determined to keep the momentum going with a fast start against Sydney. Kicking with a strong breeze behind them, the Giants booted two of the first three goals and refused to take a backward step even under some close attention from the Swans. There were down-the-field free kicks, off-the-ball indiscretions, and ferocious tackles during a fiery opening to the derby. Giants forward Brodee Mowbray and Swans veteran Tanya Kennedy brought the fans to their feet as they threatened to come to blows in the first term that was a mere preview of a tense tussle to come.

Fish swarms with licence to attack
Zippy Fish has made a blazing start to her career with the Swans while racking up possessions from half-back and slicing through opponents with her kicking through the middle. The 19-year-old showed that she can do it all at both ends with a classy cameo closer to goal in a tight clash with the Giants. Fish pounced on a loose ball that had been shaken loose by some intense pressure from her Swans teammates, then snapped a classy goal off one step. The young gun added a second early in the second term and soon turned provider when she opened up the Giants with slick hands. Fish gathered the ball from the deck and released Paris McCarthy to help the Swans open up an early lead. 

Up next
Sydney will get to test its top-four credentials again when it heads to Thomas Farms Oval to face Adelaide on Sunday at 3.05pm AEST. GWS can make it three consecutive victories when it takes on West Coast at Mineral Resources Park on Sunday from 3.05pm AWST.

SYDNEY                                           2.2     5.4     5.5     6.6 (42)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY          2.1     4.3     6.5     7.7 (49)

GOALS
Sydney: Fish 2, Cooper, McCarthy, Kennedy, C.Hamilton
Greater Western Sydney: Mowbray 2, Brazendale, Goldsworthy, Evans, Levy, Garnett

BEST 
Sydney: Kennedy, Gardiner, Morphett, Fish, Grierson
Greater Western Sydney: Goldsworthy, Evans, Srhoj, McCormick, Brazendale, Beeson, Mowbray 

INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Kos (elbow)

Reports: Nil 

Crowd: 7171 at Henson Park