The Swans have emphatically answered their premiership credentials doubters, blitzing a subpar Giants outfit early to cement their top-two spot on the ladder in a Sydney derby that took some bizarre twists and turns.
Sydney’s 51-point win over the Giants, 21.13 (139) to 13.10 (88), made it seven victories from their past eight games against the Giants, who missed a golden chance to sure up their wildcard spot.
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The Swans’ victory was set up by a dominant first quarter, booting 7.4 — the best opening quarter by either team in a Sydney Derby — to set the tone for a game in which they were never threatened.
Errol Gulden won the Kirk-Ward Medal.Source: FOX SPORTS
Superstar midfielder Errol Gulden won his fourth Kirk-Ward Medal for best on ground, amassing 41 disposals, eight inside 50s, seven clearances, seven score involvements and a whopping 1045m gained — becoming the first Swans player to ever record over 1000m gained in a game.
To add to the pain of the performance, Giants star Finn Callaghan went down late injuring his right ankle, untouched attempting a mark, hobbling from the field.
There was plenty of drama throughout the game, including a half-time scuffle — that prompted Gulden to vacate his Fox Footy interview mid-chat — as well a fourth-quarter fire alarm and the odd sight of a player wearing two different boots.
Cox relieved after Swans derby win | 09:33
THE 3-2-1 …
3. ‘OBVIOUSLY A PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE’: GIANT FLAW LAID BARE
This was a loss Fox Footy commentator Gerard Healy suggested the Giants shouldn’t bother watching and reviewing.
With their season on the line in one of their biggest games of the year against their cross-town rivals, the Giants weltered early under immense Swans pressure.
Adam Kingsley’s side had little answers for the Swans’ incredible running game, which sliced through the Giants with ease throughout the first half. At one stage, Healy suggested he’d “never seen the Giants produce as little pressure as they are producing right now”.
If not for inaccuracy and a couple touched behinds, the Swans arguably could have scored 100 points by half-time.
Remember, this was the same Giants team that knocked off ladder-leaders Fremantle and top-six contenders Geelong earlier this month … but have now lost to Essendon and the Swans (convincingly) in the past fortnight.
“They’re not playing with the same spirit,” Healy told Fox Footy.
“When you can beat Fremantle and lose to Essendon, there’s obviously a psychological issue at stake here and the boys are either right up or right down.
“They’re not playing with Toby (Greene) and they lost Tom Green early in the piece and there’s discussions about who’s coming and who’s going. They look as if they’ve switched right off for the moment.”
Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon added: “At times, it looks like they’re coming out for their first ball session of pre-season. Just not sharp at all.”
The Giants found their pressure game in the fourth quarter – trailing by 57 points – but the game was gone – and possibly the Giants’ season, grasping to the fringe of a wildcard spot.
“They are the definition of unpredictable,” Mark Howard said
A hot Swans start in Sydney.Source: FOX SPORTS
2. ‘MIGHT TRY AND GO IN’: STAR’S MID-INTERVIEW EXIT TO JOIN SCUFFLE
Unsurprisingly, Tom Papley and Jake Stringer were central to a half-time scuffle.
But there was a surprise when Swans superstar Errol Gulden left a Fox Footy interview mid-chat to join in the scuffle!
Papley got in the face of a few Giants players at half-time, prompting the two teams to come to blows.
After saying he was pleased with his side’s ability to curtail the Giants’ slingshot ball movement and scoring, Gulden saw a scuffle was breaking out between the two sides.
“Yeah we feel in the last few weeks … here we go! Yeah we’ve, um … might try and go in,” Gulden told Fox Footy before running into the fire.
And Gulden obliged with an almost speechless Lynch halted by a player ready to get physical to support his teammate.
Asked about Papley’s antics, Giants veteran Stephen Coniglio told Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon: “We’ve been in embarrassing in the first half. But last year when we came back, he (Papley) was very quiet.
“We need to do the same again. We either roll over now or fight back and try and do something different. It’s a very disappointing first half.”
“Better get involved in that!” | 01:02
1. GIANT CREATES BIZARRE FOOTY FIRST?
Has there ever been a footballer in AFL/VFL history wearing two different boots?
If not, then Max Gruzewski may have created history bizarrely swapping one of his boots for one of the physio’s.
“He’s taken the physio boot … he’s borrowed the physio’s boot, I’ve seen it all,” an amazed Alastair Lynch remarked.
Maybe due to sponsorship requirements, but by the start of the fourth quarter the 22-year-old was back to two white boots.
And when he had those white boots on, the Engie Stadium fire alarm started.
Perhaps the bleating noise — which had Fox Footy commentators and coaching staff questioning whether to evacuate — was a signal to stop the rot, because when it stopped the Swans goaled again to prevail by 51 points.
The game that bad for the Giants, Healy suggested the coaching staff should send the videotape to Pluto.
“I think they’ve already burnt it, that’s why the fire alarm went off,” Dixon cheekily added.
— with David Gavin, NCA NewsWire