SWANS v LIONS - MATCH REPORT
Liz Read 11 May
It was inevitable that they would be beaten at some point this season. Not even the best team in recent memory can be "up" for a whole 25 games on the trot. And there were even some mumblings in the media that this week was a danger for them. Brown was out, Leppitsch doubtful and the best of the lot, Voss, reportedly struggling with a virus.
Yet the popular view was that the gallant Swannies might push them but probably didn't have quite what it takes, not yet anyway. I confess that I shared this view, even inviting my friend (and AFL rookie) Mary to come see "the Swans get walloped by the Lions". She was underwhelmed by this suggestion, but came along anyway!
The opening quarter saw the Swans start off as they had played against the Pies - full of running, crisp disposal and accurate conversion. Goodes kicked the opener and O'Loughlin added another shortly afterwards. The Lions looked slow and at a loss as to how to stop the Swans. Voss tried to lift his team, kicking a typically powerful goal to get the Lions on the board, but by the end of the quarter O'Loughlin had snared a couple more and Davis had kicked a beauty from tight on the boundary line.
The second quarter continued in a similar vein. Brisbane's midfield improved somewhat but, as a team, they were looking rattled and were unable to prevent Sydney adding another four majors to only two of their own. Still, it was only half-time and the Swans' lead of five goals looked fragile against a team capable of blasting their opposition away in one short quarter. The key was up top, inside their heads. Brisbane knew they were good enough to win the game. Did the Swans?
My fears started to become reality in the third term. Possessions were relatively even but the Lions began to hit their targets. Their pressure, physical and mental, began to cause the Swans to miss theirs. Schneider's superb opener of the quarter - how good is this kid? - was followed by four Lions goals. Hall missed one he really should have kicked and things were looking ominous. Still, it could have been worse. Our undersized defence generally held up well against the northern barrage and Sydney went into the final break still two goals up.
The final quarter was a see-sawing event. A brilliant piece of play by Mr Magic resulted in Schneider kicking the first of the quarter but it was not long before Notting replied for the visitors. Hall kicked truly for Sydney's next but the Swans were far from home. The defence looked to be cracking under the pressure, and a shocking OOBOTF from Leaping Leo gifted Leppitsch his first. When the same player out-muscled and out-recovered Craig Bolton in the goal square moments later, the Swans lead was cut to a mere three points.
It looked as if the Swans had done their dash - not disgraced but ultimately not quite good enough to see off the reigning premiers even playing well below their best.
How wrong I was. By the time the final siren sounded, Crouch had kicked a huge goal from outside 50 and Ball had bobbed up with a strong mark straight in front of goal. In the meantime, Goodes and Saddo were standing strong in defence and Barry was still backing himself to run and handball out of trouble. When O'Loughlin kicked the final goal of the game - his fifth - we knew we were home!
Dermot and Gerard, sitting in the C9 commentary box, attributed the victory to the efficiency of the Swans' forward line, pointing out that Sydney took the ball into their forward line only 39 times compared to 57 for the Lions.
But surely that is as much a testament to the tenacity and team work of the oft maligned Sydney defence. Sure, they gifted the Lions at least three of their goals, but Messrs Saddington, Schauble, Bolton, Barry and Kennelly should be highly satisfied with their day's work. Their willingness to handball in tight and switch play across the face of goals might cause us to cover our eyes at times but it is a pivotal part of the Roos game plan, and when it works to set up the runners further up the ground it is very effective.
Goodes was fantastic all day - but then we've come to expect that now - and it's scary to think how good O'Loughlin might become when he gets himself fully fit. Williams played his best game yet for the year, while Crouch must take a lot of credit for keeping Akermanis ineffective for pretty much the whole game. But then again, it's hard to pick out a player who didn't make a valuable contribution.
Three quarter time against the Demons suddenly seems a long long time ago and maybe we should be cancelling our plans for September.
Oh yes, and maybe Mary gets to come to another game?
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