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Brownlow Medal | 3 Josh Kennedy (SYD) | 2 Patrick Cripps (CARL) | 1 Lance 'Buddy' Franklin (SYD) |
Following two narrow home losses against top-eight sides at the SCG in recent weeks, the Sydney Swans would have been looking forward to a more comfortable win against Carlton at the venue last Saturday afternoon. The Blues were coming off five losses in a row and, with a chance to get back into the top four on offer, Sydney would have expected and been expected to make short work of the 14th-placed Carlton.
Unfortunately that was not to be, with the Blues taking the game right up to the Swans for the entire afternoon producing a third SCG match in a row to be decided by a goal or less. Fortunately for Sydney, though, this time it was on the right side of the ledger when the final siren sounded, sneaking home by six points to record its 12th win of the season.
The game began in a somewhat dour fashion, neither side scoring a goal in the first 10 minutes but a free kick and goal to Xavier Richards - who had replaced his brother Ted in the side - set the tone for a very free-scoring next 20 minutes. It was the Blues that scored freely at first, with majors to Charlie Curnow, Liam Sumner and Dennis Armfield seeing them out to a 10-point lead before Josh Kennedy's first and Richards' second had Sydney back ahead by three after 24 minutes. Carlton hit back with two more goals to Matthew Kreuzer and Ed Curnow to move nine points clear but a late goal to Lance Franklin had the Swans back within three at the first break.
Both sides locked down their defences in the second quarter and goals proved much harder to come by. The first of them finally came at the eight-minute mark, when Dylan Buckley kicked a beautiful rover's goal to put Carlton 10 points clear. The Swans added three behinds to one over the next five minutes before a long, straight bomb from Franklin had Sydney bad with two points after 13 minutes. A running goal from Blaine Boekorst had the Blues back ahead by eight points after 19 minutes and neither side troubled the scorers after that, the margin standing at eight points at the long break.
As the good sides do, Sydney made its move in the third quarter. Isaac Heeney and Luke Parker added early behinds before Kieran Jack levelled the scores with his first goal after a free-kick at the four-minute mark. The Swans dominated the next 20 minutes, adding 3.2 to nil - the goals going to Franklin (two) and Parker - to establish a 20-point lead and, seemingly, control of the match. But the time-on period belonged to Carlton and majors to Jack Silvagni and Levi Casboult had the Blues back within seven and well in the hunt at the last end-change.
The last term was a dog-fight, no quarter asked and none given. A goal at the four-minute mark extended the Swans' lead to 14 points, and they appeared to have the match safely in their keeping. The Blues had other ideas, though and Ed Curnow's second goal had the margin back to eight points a couple of minutes later. From there Carlton dominated general play but could not convert that on the scoreboard. A behind from Matthew Wright cut the margin to an even goal and from that point on, the margin alternated between six and seven points as each side traded behinds. In the end, neither side could find the big sticks and Sydney held on for a perhaps unconvincing but nevertheless vital six-point win.
Lance Franklin's four goals and 17 disposals were crucial in setting up the Swans' win, while Patrick Cripps was magnificent for the Blues laying 13 tackles as well as picking up 32 possessions.
Sydney will travel to Perth next Sunday to take on Fremantle at Subiaco, and will be expected to shore up a top-four spot with a comfortable win. The Blues, meanwhile, will be hoping to take their much improved form to York Park on Saturday, where they will take on top team Hawthorn.
GOALS
Sydney: Franklin 4; Parker, Richards 2; Kennedy, Jack
Carlton: E.Curnow 2; C.Curnow, Sumner, Armfield, Kreuzer, Buckley, Boekhorst, Silvagni, Casboult
BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Sydney: Kennedy, Franklin, Parker, Lloyd, Mills, Rampe
Carlton: Cripps, Gibbs, E.Curnow, Simpson, Docherty, Graham
BEST - THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Sydney: Franklin, X. Richards, Parker, Jack, Aliir, Kennedy
Carlton: Cripps, Gibbs, Simpson, E. Curnow, Wright, Docherty
INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Carlton: C.Curnow (knee)
UMPIRES: Margetts, Dalgleish, Deboy
TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network
COMMENTATORS: Basil Zempilas, Tim Watson, Jude Bolton, Andrew Welsh
Sydney | Match Stats | Career | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Player | K | M | H | D | G | B | HO | T | FF | FA | Age | Games | G |
36 | Aliir, Aliir | 6 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21y 322d | 5 | 0 |
7 | Cunningham, Harry | 7 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22y 230d | 65 | 36 |
45 | Foote, Jordan | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 20y 203d | 1 | 0 |
23 | Franklin, Lance 'Buddy' | 14 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 29y 175d | 238 | 763 |
39 | Grundy, Heath | 9 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30y 51d | 204 | 23 |
4 | Hannebery, Dan | 14 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 25y 150d | 161 | 76 |
5 | Heeney, Isaac | 10 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 20y 79d | 29 | 33 |
29 | Hewett, George | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 20y 207d | 15 | 12 |
15 | Jack, Kieren | 14 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 29y 25d | 202 | 140 |
12 | Kennedy, Josh | 12 | 1 | 23 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 28y 33d | 174 | 103 |
44 | Lloyd, Jake | 21 | 3 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22y 307d | 60 | 16 |
14 | Mills, Callum | 11 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19y 112d | 16 | 1 |
6 | Mitchell, Tom | 2 | 0 | 21 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 23y 53d | 56 | 30 |
35 | Naismith, Sam | 4 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 24y 7d | 4 | 0 |
41 | Papley, Tom | 4 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 20y 10d | 11 | 15 |
26 | Parker, Luke | 10 | 4 | 14 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 23y 272d | 118 | 94 |
24 | Rampe, Dane | 9 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26y 51d | 89 | 5 |
42 | Richards, Xavier | 5 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 23y 89d | 3 | 2 |
16 | Rohan, Gary | 6 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 25y 46d | 70 | 53 |
18 | Sinclair, Callum | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26y 304d | 45 | 28 |
40 | Smith, Nick | 8 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 28y 41d | 158 | 9 |
22 | Towers, Dean | 7 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 26y 80d | 26 | 15 |
Rushed | 4 | |||||||||||||
Totals | 183 | 67 | 195 | 378 | 10 | 14 | 51 | 80 | 16 | 21 | 24y 146d | 1750 | 1454 |
Carlton | Match Stats | Career | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Player | K | M | H | D | G | B | HO | T | FF | FA | Age | Games | G |
27 | Armfield, Dennis | 6 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 29y 214d | 135 | 69 |
12 | Boekhorst, Blaine | 6 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 22y 325d | 15 | 7 |
7 | Buckley, Dylan | 8 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 23y 129d | 33 | 10 |
41 | Casboult, Levi | 3 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26y 130d | 67 | 66 |
9 | Cripps, Patrick | 10 | 4 | 22 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 21y 127d | 39 | 12 |
30 | Curnow, Charlie | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19y 171d | 6 | 5 |
35 | Curnow, Ed | 18 | 5 | 10 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 26y 259d | 105 | 16 |
15 | Docherty, Sam | 22 | 11 | 8 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 22y 280d | 65 | 10 |
4 | Gibbs, Bryce | 16 | 1 | 15 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 27y 130d | 204 | 118 |
32 | Graham, Nick | 12 | 2 | 10 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 22y 41d | 24 | 5 |
11 | Kerridge, Sam | 9 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23y 88d | 44 | 28 |
8 | Kreuzer, Matthew | 10 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 27y 71d | 135 | 70 |
34 | Phillips, Andrew | 5 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 25y 20d | 25 | 9 |
20 | Plowman, Lachie | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21y 316d | 34 | 1 |
17 | Rowe, Sam | 6 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 28y 247d | 68 | 15 |
2 | Silvagni, Jack | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 18y 219d | 4 | 3 |
6 | Simpson, Kade | 23 | 5 | 11 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 32y 79d | 259 | 127 |
19 | Sumner, Liam | 5 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22y 342d | 25 | 15 |
42 | Tuohy, Zach | 13 | 0 | 8 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 26y 226d | 115 | 37 |
23 | Weitering, Jacob | 5 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18y 243d | 15 | 2 |
43 | White, Simon | 5 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 28y 36d | 71 | 12 |
46 | Wright, Matthew | 14 | 2 | 13 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 26y 222d | 111 | 79 |
Rushed | 1 | |||||||||||||
Totals | 204 | 67 | 179 | 383 | 10 | 8 | 47 | 89 | 20 | 15 | 24y 227d | 1599 | 716 |