The Sydney Swans have opened their campaign in style, with a blistering 12-goal third term setting up a 63-point win over Carlton on Thursday night.

Despite taking 40 minutes to get their first goal in the AFL’s season opener, the Swans scores came in a rush after half time as they recorded a 75-point third quarter – the third best score in a single term in AFL history.

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And Carlton simply had no answers in the 20.12 (132) to 10.9 (69) defeat at the SCG.

While the pre-game build up surrounded ex-Blue now Swan Charlie Curnow, it was the man central to that trade in Will Hayward who got Carlton going in the first term.

The Blues had all the momentum in a first quarter “mauling” – but they couldn’t put it on the scoreboard.

And Sydney made them pay when they finally found their feet in the third term.

Carlton coach Michael Voss could do little but watch the one-way traffic unfold from the bench, after the Blues gave up their 22-point buffer at the five-minute mark of the term.

The Swans finished with an 18-goal second half in worrying signs that Carlton’s second half fade outs of 2025 have rolled on into the new year.

Further souring Carlton’s night is news Adam Saad failed to finish the match with hamstring tightness, while recruit Ollie Florent could be in hot water for contact his knee made with the head of his former teammate Isaac Heeney late in the second term.

Blues star Jacob Weitering conceded emotions got the better of his teammates at times during the match.

“No doubt (emotions got the better of them) … we’ve gotta be disciplined, we’re gonna play in pretty heated environments against some quality opposition,” Weitering said on Seven.

Charlie Curnow of the Swans and Jacob Weitering of the Blues wrestle during the 2026 AFL Opening Round match between the Sydney Swans and the Carlton Blues at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 5, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

THE 3-2-1… (what we learnt)

3. ‘ABSOLUTELY NUTS’: SWANS MAKE STATEMENT WITH 35-YEAR FIRST

After a slow first half and a nervous energy around the SCG, Sydney erupted in the third quarter.

A superstar had his finger prints all over it. And their marquee recruit showed what he’s going to provide for the Swans.

Trailing by 10 points at half-time with just 2.6 (18) on the board, Dean Cox’s crew stacked on 12 majors in the third term in a dominant statement.

In fact, Sydney’s score of 75 points was the most in a third quarter since 1991 and the equal ninth-most on record.

And it was much more of the Sydney we thought we were going to be getting after an upset appeared to be on the cards.

“What a quarter, it was unbelievable at ground level. Seriously, the crowd was going absolutely nuts, and rightly so,” Western Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson said on Fox Footy.

Following a quiet start to the game, Isaac Heeney went bonkers in the third term with 13 disposals and two goals in a monster effort to lift his side.

Errol Gulden (12 touches) was also everywhere and he looks set for a monster 2026, while Justin McInerney bagged three goals in the period.

But perhaps the most satisfying moment for Sydney fans was Charlie Curnow finally kicking his first major in red and white midway through the third as he was swarmed by teammates.

Curnow followed it up with another goal with a minute left as the SCG crowd exploded for their marquee recruit’s heroics.

2. BLUES’ ‘STARK’ SHIFT… BUT SIMILAR PROBLEMS ARISE

There was a clear shift with the way Carlton wanted to play in a more direct brand utilising handball.

But ultimately a similar issue came back to hurt the Blues as they had no answers for Sydney’s onslaught and were belted off the SCG in the end.

The numbers at half-time were “stark” – Carlton had 94 handballs after averaging 144 in 2025.

“I think we’re going to see a lot more of this in 2026. Teams maintaining the advantage when you have a 2 v 1 – use that player, even if it’s a forward handball,” Kangaroos great David King said on Fox Footy at half-time.

“The numbers are stark … they’re capitalising on winning that contest and then playing the outside game.

“I think they’re really refreshed and renewed with this new vigour Michael Voss has got this season.”

Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna added: “And all the midfielders get their hands on the footy. You get a lick of the ice cream, you feel confident and feel good.

“They are sharing it around.”

Sydney’s Charlie Curnow celebrates his first goal for the Swans.Source: News Corp Australia

They probably should’ve led by more.

But for all their control of the game, they didn’t get enough bang buck, putting up just 28 points with a 10-point lead.

It was a key issue last year and something the club has gone to work on over the off-season, with a more unpredictable forward half without Charlie Curnow.

There’s hope it could have a similar effect to when Buddy Franklin left Hawthorn and the rest of its forward half stepped up.

But Marc Pittonet (three goals) and Ben Ainsworth (two) were their only multiple goalkickers, with the former’s big night in front of the big sticks clearly hard to rely on.

Meanwhile Harry McKay, who the club will be relying on to bounce back and have a big season following the Curnow trade, kicked just one goal and was well held by Tom McCartin.

“Their only problem has been executing it inside 50,” Montagna added.

“They just haven’t been able to find a mark or use the ball well enough inside 50 and it’s hurting them again.

“They’ve had a lot of entries; they just haven’t been able to put it on the scoreboard.”

Blues lock horns with Curnow pre-game! | 00:57

1. FASCINATING USE OF ‘PSEUDO SUB’

We’re going to see the extra man on the bench utilised in different ways this year.

That was clear in the first quarter of this game when Tom Papley sat the majority of the first quarter as he works his way back up to full speed.

Papley, who went into the game after disrupted summer while dealing with a calf issue, didn’t come onto the ground until late in the opening term.

Tom Papley is yet to see minutes in this Blues contest.

It led triple premiership Tiger Jack Riewoldt to suggest it was a strategic move by Sydney in using Papley as something of a “pseudo sub”.

“This looks like they’re using Tom Papley as a sub really,” Riewoldt said on Fox Footy.

“A reverse sub.

“We know he’s had an injury-plagued and shortened pre-season.

“This is a way to get minutes into a player that maybe wasn’t ready to go.”

Papley eventually got going in a major way as a fire starter in Sydney’s third quarter blitz.

The gun small forward kicked a goal among six disposals in the term and generally provided his usual spark as an energiser bunny.

“He got ‘em going. Brad Johnson put this on the table at the start of the night; he may be on restricted minutes, be what he offers is pure emotion,” Kangaroos legend David King said on Fox Footy.

“They were down and out, they were on the canvas when he was on the pine. He came on in two short bursts in the first half and early in the third and really sparked them.”

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