Summary
First the good: Sydney were superb. With the ball they were brave, they took on the corridor, they backed their skills, and they nullified the conditions and the narrows of GMHBA park. All across the ground they were committed, hungry, and stuck to their tasks for four quarters. It was the kind of performance that a coach must dream of. The four points surely secures a spot in the finals, but the percentage boost, and the manner of the victory, suggests they can do more than simply make up the numbers in September.
Now the bad: West Coast were awful. So bad they made Sydney looked better than they were? Perhaps. But this was an abject, insipid display. There was a lack of fight, an inability to adapt to the conditions, and a woeful adherence to a flawed game plan that was never going to work at this venue. Throw in two injuries and you have about as disastrous a day at the office for players and coaching staff as you could imagine. This was a defeat that not only jeopardises the Eagles’ finals chances but suggests a line needs to be drawn under this premiership-winning era of the club. A slow decline was brutally exposed and with only Andrew Gaff the only player of note absent, it looks like it’s time for some home truths in the Eagles’ rooms.
Ugly. pic.twitter.com/ZPFFHfa2Yv
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) July 4, 2021
Updated
Full-time: Sydney Swans 18.10 (118) beat West Coast Eagles 3.8 (26)
One-sided from start to finish. Sydney were superb. West Coast were awful. Pick your own narrative, both deserve headlines.
What a win!!
— Sydney Swans (@sydneyswans) July 4, 2021
Our biggest win against the Eagles against 1987. #Bloods pic.twitter.com/4M15liWhRs
Updated
Q4: 2 mins remaining: Swans 18.9 (117) v 3.8 (26) Eagles - Great work from Fox, strong presence in the goalsquare from Amartey, and Heeney snaps the goal over the back.
Q4: 3 mins remaining: Swans 17.9 (111) v 3.8 (26) Eagles - This one was over at quarter-time but it’s credit to Sydney they’ve maintained their standards and intensity for four full quarters.
Q4: 7 mins remaining: Swans 17.9 (111) v 3.7 (25) Eagles - “High pressure without the ball, thirst for the corridor when they’ve got it. They could cause some damage in September,” King suggests. Dunstall agrees.
Q4: 11 mins remaining: Swans 17.9 (111) v 3.6 (24) Eagles - Are West Coast now the story of the round? Or does that remain Richmond dropping out of the eight? Not a bad weekend for Melbourne to have a wobble.
Q4: 12 mins remaining: Swans 17.9 (111) v 3.5 (23) Eagles - Papley’s belatedly in the mood, and he snaps his second after Sydney demonstrated they remain hungrier and more determined at ground level, despite the scoreline.
Q4: 15 mins remaining: Swans 16.8 (104) v 3.5 (23) Eagles - Gee-whizz. Sydney score another direct from the centre clearance. Papley, buzzing from his goal, sets up Heeney to kick a goal on the run. West Coast’s percentage is getting absolutely mullered.
Q4: 16 mins remaining: Swans 15.8 (98) v 3.5 (23) Eagles - Franklin looks certain to run in towards goal and shoot, but he unselfishly centres to Papley instead, who kicks a goal that improves a quiet showing.
Q4: 17 mins remaining: Swans 14.8 (92) v 3.5 (23) Eagles - An update on Jones, who is done for the day, and looking sorry for himself with plenty of ice on his right ankle. Eagles down to three on the interchange.
Q4: 19 mins remaining: Swans 14.8 (92) v 3.5 (23) Eagles -Franklin marks with strong hands overhead, storming out of the goalsquare and holding off Barrass. He kicks his third, the 976th of his career.
3QT: Swans 13.8 (86) v 3.5 (23) Eagles
Joel Amartey crashing the pack 💪 v Jordan Dawson with one mit 🖐️
— AFL (@AFL) July 4, 2021
Who ya got?#AFLSwansEagles pic.twitter.com/5h9vEejbRB
Q3: 2 mins remaining: Swans 13.8 (86) v 3.5 (23) Eagles - Heeney holds onto a superb mark at centre-half forward, but he misses his set shot by a fraction.
Q3: 3 mins remaining: Swans 13.7 (85) v 3.5 (23) Eagles - A hopeful punt to the left forward pocket is held superbly by Darling, showing great strength to hold front position. He finishes off his excellent work with a very tidy snap across his body.
Q3: 5 mins remaining: Swans 13.7 (85) v 2.5 (17) Eagles - Sydney maintain the pressure and deny West Coast an easy exit. Amartey does superbly to intercept mark, then he kicks to a pack where Gulden leaps highest, grabs and goals.
Q3: 6 mins remaining: Swans 12.7 (79) v 2.5 (17) Eagles - Sydney should score after some trademark handball run and gun through the corridor but, not for the first time today, Papley makes a poor decision and Hayward is denied an easy tap-in.
Q3: 8 mins remaining: Swans 12.6 (78) v 2.5 (17) Eagles - Sydney should kick another goal but Florent pulls the wrong rein bursting through midfield. West Coast smuggle clear and construct a scrappy attack that eventually ends with the lesser spotted Josh Kennedy having his lead honoured. His set shot goes right, then wildly left, then right again, and through for his side’s second of the afternoon.
Q3: 10 mins remaining: Swans 12.6 (78) v 1.5 (11) Eagles -West Coast have already activated their sub for the day but Jones is now also off the ground after being twisted awkwardly in a tackle. What a nightmare day.
Q3: 12 mins remaining: Swans 12.6 (78) v 1.4 (10) Eagles - It’s been a scrappy old quarter, much more how I excepted the opening half to play out in these conditions. But the goalscoring resumes eventually after Witherden mindlessly smashes into Gulden after the mark, concedes 50, injures himself, and gifts a goal.
Q3: 14 mins remaining: Swans 11.6 (72) v 1.4 (10) Eagles -West Coast have butchered a couple of decent attacking opportunities but their inability to maintain pressure thereafter has allowed Sydney to wriggle off the hook.
Q3: 16 mins remaining: Swans 11.5 (71) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - Not a lot of scoring early in the half. Sydney have come out with the same intensity, and for the time being at least, West Coast are matching them.
Q3: 18 mins remaining: Swans 11.4 (70) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - Oscar Allen misses a set shot from 10m on an angle, snapping across his body and missing the lot. One of those days.
We’re back underway after half-time. Can the Eagles restore some pride?
The stats are unsurprisingly one-sided. Sydney have near enough double the uncontested possessions, inside-50s and marks, and they lead marks inside-50 5-1. 13 of the top 16 ball-winners are all in red, and the Swans have four multiple goalscorers.
As a rule, you can lock in the biggest match of the round on a Saturday. Everything else depends on what else might be happening over the weekend and where resources need allocating. Last week, for example, we had State of Origin and the A-League grand final.
Half-time: Sydney Swans 11.4 (70) v 1.3 (9) West Coast Eagles
An absolute shellacking at GMHBA Stadium. Sydney have been very good. West Coast have been abysmal.
Buddy with the great slips catch and goal number 975!
— AFL (@AFL) July 4, 2021
The Swans have kicked the last eight 💪#YokayiFooty | #AFLSwansEagles pic.twitter.com/BbfP6k5D3m
Q2: 1.30 mins remaining: Swans 11.3 (69) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - Sydney now calmly icing the half across halfback.
Q2: 3 mins remaining: Swans 11.3 (69) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - More bad news for West Coast, the sub, Petruccelle is on for the injured Redden, who rolled his ankle.
Q2: 4 mins remaining: Swans 11.3 (69) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - It goes from bad to worse. A block at the stoppage on Sydney’s defensive 50m arc turns into a 50m penalty when Shuey swings an arm backwards into Mills’ head. He’ll get at least a fine for that. The free-kick finds Amartey’s mitts in a pack, and the Swans lead by 60 points. And it doesn’t flatter them.
Q2: 5 mins remaining: Swans 10.3 (63) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - Unsurprisingly, Eagles fans are unimpressed.
This has been deplorable. Just cannot handle when it when conditions go against them, West Coast.
— Daniel Garb (@DanielGarb) July 4, 2021
So much talent, so little flexibility, so little resilience right now. #AFLSwansEagles
Q2: 6 mins remaining: Swans 10.3 (63) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - The avalanche continues. Franklin this time has his second after holding onto a spectacular mark on the lead. Good grief.
Q2: 7 mins remaining: Swans 9.3 (57) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - Now the former Roo reckons “we could be watching the end of an era” as the Swans hammer through another goal, and another demonstration of their pace and purpose from the centre clearance onwards. This is turning into a defining for Adam Simpson.
Q2: 8 mins remaining: Swans 8.3 (51) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - Yet again an Eagle gets the ball but has nobody to kick it to. Sydney swarm all over him, force the turnover, and kick another goal. This is very very ugly from West Coast. “The Swans are playing true to themselves and exposing a poor West Coast,” reckons Kingy.
Q2: 10 mins remaining: Swans 7.3 (45) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - Hayward belatedly gets his goal from earlier, finishing off an end-to-end move that exposed every weakness in West Coast’s defensive structure. Sydney carved through the Eagles with worrying ease. That was way too easy. The Eagles are in serious trouble here, off the pace without the ball and clueless with it.
Will Hayward just kicked the footy out of GMHBA Stadium! #AFLSwansEagles
— Rudi (@RudiEdsall) July 4, 2021
Updated
Q2: 12 mins remaining: Swans 6.3 (39) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - More excellent run and gun in midfield from Sydney but it’s a poor entry inside 50. The pressure is good though and the Eagles are slow to clear their lines. When they do, Darling is forced to hold up in the centre square then the Sherrin is returned backwards for some slow kick-mark build-up, which ends with a mishit pass out of bounds in the back pocket. Eurgh, this is not good from West Coast.
Q2: 14 mins remaining: Swans 6.3 (39) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - McInerney looks hurt following a collision with Allen, but he’s back on his feet. Downfield the Swans are again causing havoc with Franklin controlling front position and his small forwards profiting at ground level. They should be further ahead. West Coast have not adapted to the venue and conditions and look ill-designed for this encounter. Are they nimble enough to adapt on the run?
Q2: 15 mins remaining: Swans 6.2 (38) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - The ball goes through the big sticks again but Hayward’s snap is ruled out for an overly aggressive shepherd from Amartey on McGovern in the goalsquare. That looked harsh.
Q2: 17 mins remaining: Swans 6.2 (38) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - All that early pressure finally tells. Sydney force a stoppage on their half-forward flank, the ball to the hotspot causes chaos, Franklin almost marks, but Heeney is on hand to crumb, snap, and goal. Big few minutes coming up for the Eagles. They cannot allow Sydney to pull clear into the wind.
Q2: 18 mins remaining: Swans 5.2 (32) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - “The kick-mark Eagles versus the run and gun Swans,” is a precis of David King’s assessment at quarter-time. One of those approaches feels more suitable on this ground in these conditions. IT doesn’t take long for Sydney to prove why, with Florent dancing inside 50 and earning a free-kick for a shove in the back. The first attack is repelled but the Swans are well set for a second entry, then a third, until Barrass claims a brave intercept mark.
QT: Swans 5.2 (32) v 1.3 (9) Eagles
Who knows how influenced by the wind this scoreline will prove to be, but Sydney look sharper, cleaner and more dangerous, well worthy of their early advantage.
Buddy beautiful 😍
— AFL (@AFL) July 4, 2021
974.#ColesGoals | #AFLSwansEagles pic.twitter.com/itp4n5IHCt
Q1: 1 mins remaining: Swans 5.2 (32) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - Papley should do better after Allen drops a simple intercept mark and West Coast clear. Whenever the ball is coming out of defence on the Eagles’ left side it’s very sluggish. The wind might have started evenly across the ground but now it’s on an angle favouring the Swans - around two goal’s worth, according to boundary rider Cam Mooney.
Q1: 2 mins remaining: Swans 5.2 (32) v 1.3 (9) Eagles - West Coast build a rare attack, but it lacks the frantic energy of Sydney’s surges and it ends with Kelly snapping harmlessly behind.
Q1: 4 mins remaining: Swans 5.2 (32) v 1.2 (8) Eagles - Heeney should score but misses his snap across his body on the run. The chance was created by glorious play through the corridor by Gulden, running at pace, using Franklin as decoy and executing the right option at the perfect moment. Sydney are hitting the ball at speed and swarming forward with intent.
West Coast don’t make it out of their defensive territory, which is bad news when Lance Franklin’s around. He smashes home a Buddy classic to further extend the lead.
Q1: 6 mins remaining: Swans 4.1 (25) v 1.2 (8) Eagles - The wind plus the narrowness of the ground means plenty of boundary throws and kicks out on the full. Now add driving rain to the mix. Should’ve taken up cricket.
Buddy drives for goal from 60m but his long-range skidder is just wide.
Q1: 8 mins remaining: Swans 4.0 (24) v 1.2 (8) Eagles - Darling takes his third strong grab barreling down the ground from centre-half forward, but West Coast have failed to profit from any of them. They maintain territory for a passage though, and look set for a goal-scoring free-kick but Shuey is not awarded what appeared a stone cold coathanger. Sydney fail to clear their lines effectively and from the second surge Jones does well at ground level but snaps wide.
Q1: 10 mins remaining: Swans 4.0 (24) v 1.1 (7) Eagles - And another for the Swans. Their ball movement, run and carry, and willingness to take the game on is too much for West Coast in this opening quarter. Goulden kicks the goal.
Q1: 12 mins remaining: Swans 3.0 (18) v 1.1 (7) Eagles - Sydney strike straight back. Hayward marks well overhead and kicks the set shot but it was some instinctive ball movement in midfield - especially the tap-on from Bell - that led to the space unfolding and the one-out marking opportunity. The Swans look dangerous in possession.
Q1: 13 mins remaining: Swans 2.0 (12) v 1.1 (7) Eagles - Oh wow! Darling misses a set shot from 20m out dead in front - the wind just dragged it off his boot. It was a gimme following a strong leading mark after brilliant centre clearance work from Kelly. The Swans cannot clear their lines though and after treading water inside defensive 50 Yeo nails a strong rugby league-type tackle to earn a free-kick 30m out, and he learns from Darling’s mistake to get his side on the board.
Q1: 14 mins remaining: Swans 2.0 (12) v 0.0 (0) Eagles - The wind is blowing across the ground, making the ball-ins from the umpire on the far side laughably short. Sydney read the wind better on one such stoppage on right centre-wing, move the ball nicely, bomb the ball forward, and for the second time in quick succession the defensive pack fails to intercept or spoil and Wicks feeds on the scraps to kick Sydney’s second unopposed goal.
Updated
Q1: 15 mins remaining: Swans 1.1 (7) v 0.0 (0) Eagles - Sydney look the cleaner early on and are threatening more with their precise raids out of defence than West Coast are with their territorial dominance. Franklin drops a chest mark he should have taken, but Sydney are reprieved when Naitanui catches Dawson high, but his effort from 50m+ is wide.
Q1: 17 mins remaining: Swans 1.0 (6) v 0.0 (0) Eagles - Sydney level up on territory but a couple of good smothers then a strong intercept mark from Barrass denies any scoring opportunities. The pressure continues though and the Swans do well on left centre wing to prevent the Eagles from exiting. A couple of sharp handballs later and the bomb to the hot-spot clears the pack for Amartey to gather and dash into the unguarded goalsquare.
Q1: 19 mins remaining: Swans 0.0 (0) v 0.0 (0) Eagles - Sheed earns the first clearance and his wallop downfield finds Darling marking strongly to set up good field position. A couple of inside 50s and repeat stoppages follow but there’s no time or space in the early clinches. It’s hard to envisage this becoming an aesthetic classic.
Opening bounce!
Here we go at a chilly, blustery Kardinia Park...
The teams are out on the turf, Sydney resplendent in red and white, West Coast regal in royal blue and gold.
The round so far has been dominated by upsets to reigning premiers Richmond - who have dropped out of the eight - and ladder leaders Melbourne, who are wobbling just as they were looking set for the minor premiership.
Wins for Geelong, Brisbane, and Port Adelaide, mean the race for the top-four is a tight bunch of five with that trio chasing the Dees and Dogs. Further down the ladder GWS’ upset over Melbourne sees them sneak into the eight, while Fremantle failed to knock them back out after slipping up at home to Carlton.
On a personal note, it was a splendid celebration for the great Shaun Burgoyne who became only the fifth man to rack up 400 VFL/AFL appearances.
Speaking of Kardinia Park, the Eagles do not usually enjoy the trip to Geelong. They were hammered there back in round six, hammered there in 2016, and 2014 etc etc. Granted, these are all matches against a very good Geelong side, but the Swans have fared much better on the idiosyncratic venue. Sydney were narrowly beaten in 2019 but won their three previous visits before that.
Game ready. pic.twitter.com/BgDMU4gQON
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) July 4, 2021
GMHBA Stadium will become the eighth stadium to host clashes between these great rivals, joining the SCG, Subiaco, WACA, Stadium Australia, MCG, Optus Stadium and Metricon Stadium.
Our home away from home today! #AFLSwansEagles pic.twitter.com/vzJ7Yq2CzE
— Sydney Swans (@sydneyswans) July 4, 2021
West Coast XXIII
Five changes for the Eagles, led by the suspension to Liam Ryan and hand injury to Andrew Gaff. Alex Witherden, Jermaine Jones, Luke Foley, Nathan Vardy and Zac Langdon all return for Adam Simpson’s team, former Cat Vardy back on familiar territory and into the side for his first game since round seven.
B: Cole, Barrass, Sheppard
HB: Hurn, McGovern, Duggan
C: Redden, Yeo, Edwards
HF: Cripps, Darling, Sheed
F: Allen, Kennedy, Jones
FOLL: Naitanui, Kelly, Shuey
I/C: Langdon, Vardy, Witherden, Foley
Sub: Petruccelle
IN: Jones, Langdon, Vardy, Witherden, Foley
OUT: Gaff (hand), Ryan (suspended), Nelson, Waterman, Rotham, (all omitted)
Sydney XXIII
Not a lot to report from the Sydney camp as John Longmire coaches his 250th game of league footy. He’s prepared for a big midfield clash, saying during the week: “They have a fantastic midfield led by a wonderful ruckman in Nic Naitanui so we will have to be really good and we need to bounce back as well.”
B: McCartin, Rampe, Fox
HB: Lloyd, Cunningham, Dawson
C: Hewett, Florent, McInerney
HF: Heeney, Gulden, Hayward
F: Papley, Franklin, Amartey
FOLL: Hickey, Mills, Parker
I/C: Wicks, Bell, Kennedy, Blakey
Sub: Rowbottom
IN: Wicks
OUT: Brand (omitted)
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to the unfamiliar surrounds of GMHBA Stadium in Geelong for live coverage of Sydney v West Coast in round 16 of the AFL premiership season. The opening bounce is 1.10pm.
With the fixture list up in the air for a second consecutive season, it’s the unlikely safe harbour of Victoria that shelters the Swans and Eagles. The Surf Coast has put on a splendid welcome for its interstate visitors. It is bloody freezing, there’s a howling westerly gale blowing, and bands of showers will make periodic bombing raids over the awkwardly dimensioned Kardinia Park. Today is not for the fair-weather footballer or fan.
Sunny with a breeze. pic.twitter.com/CxR0amU9Ij
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) July 4, 2021
It’s a crucial clash for the four premiership points. Sydney, sixth on the ladder, are separated by seventh-ranked West Coast by only percentage. There is a decent margin ahead to the top-five, but the pack behind them is bunching, and today’s loser will be looking nervously over their shoulder for the run home, especially the Swans, who have a testing run of fixtures to come.
Both sides are coming off defeats after a bye round so it’s unlikely either will be brimful of confidence. Before that Sydney were bested by lowly Hawthorn at the SCG, so they urgently require a win to reboot a season that began promisingly.
The Eagles were battered by the Bulldogs last time out, and Adam Simpson pinpointed his much vaunted midfield for scrutiny. “We got out-worked in the midfield and out-hunted, and we didn’t handle it well enough,” he said. His group’s task became stiffer during the week with the news Andrew Gaff would be rubbed out with a hand injury.
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