Updated ,first published
The Swans bounced back in style from last week’s reality check against the Brisbane Lions, with superstar recruit Charlie Curnow booting six goals to power his new side to a 35-point win over the Western Bulldogs at the SCG, 13.12 (90) to 7.13 (55).
The Bulldogs’ backmen will be happy to see the back of Curnow for now, given he kicked seven last time they met in round seven, and his haul on Friday night took him to the top of the Coleman Medal leaderboard.
Brodie Grundy, meanwhile, looked almost unstoppable in the ruck, finishing with 17 disposals, five tackles, six clearances a staggering 60 hitouts. The Bulldogs, as a team, had just 29 hitouts.
As Grundy was dominating, Tim English was deployed deep in defence, prompting Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend Jason Dunstall to ask in the Kayo Sports commentary, “What message is [Bulldogs coach] Luke Beveridge sending by playing Tim English at full-back? It’s a vote of no confidence in the ruck”.
In his post-match press conference, Beveridge was full of praise for Grundy’s dominance.
“Our guys just found Brodie Grundy just too strong, like he just dominated,” Beveridge admitted.
“If you go and have a look at his hitout statistics, you’ll need 14 hands to count them on, so that was a challenge.”
In Brisbane, the Swans were suffocated, but against the Bulldogs, they were gifted the space to roam free and wide. The Bulldogs also seemed happy to play the role of pantomime villains in Sydney, dropping to the ground dramatically at times after what appeared to be minimal contact.
Injuries to talls Logan McDonald and Joel Amartey forced the Swans to reshuffle their forward line, with Hayden McLean getting the nod to partner Curnow.
They worked perfectly together, McLean also finishing with three goals in his just fifth AFL game of the year.
The 27-year-old has patiently waited for his opportunities and taken each one he has been given. With Amartey out of action with an Achilles strain for 10 weeks, McLean’s form is essential for the Swans, especially given his ability to deputise in the ruck if needed.
There was a curious lack of intensity from both teams in the first quarter, not helped by the rare sight of empty seats at the SCG for Friday night football, with just over 35,000 fans in attendance.
If the Lions provided the blueprint of how to strangle the Swans with a high defensive press, the Bulldogs completely ignored it, allowing the home side to amble around the SCG at will.
McLean volleyed the Swans’ first goal within the first two minutes and Curnow got some early target practice by kicking three in the quarter.
One of the Swans’ rare bright lights from Brisbane, Chad Warner, kicked a goal against an opposition that looked designed to showcase the midfielder’s full attacking skill set.
James Jordon was tasked with tagging superstar Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli to try to limit his influence, and it succeeded with Bontempelli finishing the quarter with just three disposals to his name.
The Bulldogs ended the first term not only goalless, but also bereft of energy and ideas on how to stop a Swans team desperate stamp its credentials as a premiership contender.
Curnow’s fourth goal opened the second quarter. The Swans were able to play with such swagger and space that ruckman Brodie Grundy had enough confidence to dummy a handpass after taking a bounce. Grundy ended up losing the Sherrin, but it didn’t matter; the Swans had recovered their mojo after their beating in Brisbane.
Seven minutes into the second quarter, the Bulldogs kicked their first goal through Bailey Dale. The Swans’ Caiden Cleary kicked just his second goal of the season to reestablish a 34-point lead.
The Bulldogs lifted their pressure and intensity from their lacklustre start and were rewarded with goals through Arty Jones and Ryley Sanders.
McLean’s second goal was the perfect reward for a forward who has had to patiently work for so much of the season in the sparsely attended suburban grounds of the VFL. McLean’s ability to apply defensive pressure from the forward line also frustrated Beveridge’s men.
Grundy finished the first half with 36 hitouts, underlining his dominance over Rory Lobb who finished with just 11. To give this context, Grundy is averaging 34 hitouts a game this season.
A needless, careless shove from Errol Gulden on Cody Weightman gave the Bulldogs a free kick and an easy goal for Aaron Naughton to start the third quarter.
Isaac Heeney had a relatively quiet night by his standards, but squeezed his first goal through on a tight angle in the forward pocket to shake the Swans from an early slumber. McLean’s third goal gave the Swans a 36-point lead.
Two late goals in the quarter from the Bulldogs Jordan Croft cut the lead to 24 points, setting up what would have been the unlikeliest of comebacks.
Curnow kicked his fifth and sixth goals in the final quarter, killing off the Bulldogs’ fleeting resistance and reminding the competition of his talent.
A comfortable win against the Bulldogs was perfectly timed, but the Swans will also be fully aware of the limitations of their opposition.
The Swans’ attacking swagger is back, but a far tougher Fremantle defence will demand it lifts to even higher levels in Perth.
On the match review front, hard-nosed Bulldog Matt Kennedy will be eagerly awaiting the findings of an incident where he made head-high contact with Swan Caiden Cleary.
Bulldog defender Nick Coffield copped an incidental knee to the head midway through the final term and was removed from the ground for a head injury assessment.
Connor Budarick also left the field for the Bulldogs, with Beveridge confirming after the game that they’re awaiting scans on a lower-leg injury.
“My understanding, it is a lower-leg injury, which usually is the simple term for the syndesmosis-type injury,” Beveridge said.
“And the extent of what that may be, we won’t be able to tell you until we have a look at it with the radiographer, but we’ll get back to you when we know a bit more.”
Fogarty kicks four, Dawson shines as Crows bounce back against West Coast
AAP
Darcy Fogarty kicked four first-half goals and Jordan Dawson produced a heroic captain’s display as Adelaide rebounded from last week’s shock loss to Port Adelaide with a 25-point win over West Coast in Perth.
The Crows lost star forward Riley Thilthorpe to illness before Friday night’s match, but it mattered little as Adelaide kicked eight of the first nine goals to open up a 43-point lead midway through the second term.
West Coast fought back to close the margin to 18 points early in the final quarter, but two clutch goals to Ben Keays helped Adelaide see out the 15.9 (99) to 11.8 (74) win in front of 40,770 fans at Optus Stadium.
The result improved Adelaide’s record to 10-6 ahead of next week’s home clash with Gold Coast, while West Coast (4-12) have now lost four in a row.
Fogarty kicked three goals for the Crows in the opening term on the way to 4.0 for the match to go with seven marks, while Dawson (27 disposals, six clearances, one goal, and 753 metres gained), Izak Rankine (27 disposals, seven clearances, one goal) and Keays (three goals) were prominent.
“We were looking for a strong start, and we were able to get that, which was really pleasing,” Crows coach Matthew Nicks said.
“It turned into a bit of a slog, so to finish it off and get the win was a great result. We were able to hang on.”
West Coast debutant Oliver Francou showed promise with 18 disposals, four clearances and nine tackles, while Jobe Shanahan and Jake Waterman kicked three goals apiece.
But the Eagles didn’t get enough out of their stars, with Tim Kelly (19 disposals, two clearances) and Elliot Yeo (seven disposals, one clearance) below their best.
Adelaide dominated most of the key stats, but it was their ruthless first quarter that proved the ultimate difference.
West Coast tallied the first 13 inside 50s of the last term, but Dawson took some clutch defensive marks to help stem the tide and allow Adelaide to attack on the counter.
“We got blown away,” Eagles coach Andrew McQualter said of the first quarter.
“The first 10 minutes of the game, they put four on us. In the past, that game gets a long way away from us.
“But the growth of our team is to fight, and we gave ourselves a chance to win that game, which is somewhat pleasing in that aspect, but we just can’t give any team a lead like that.”
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