Australian Football

Match Report

Defending premier Sydney remains in the top four after seeing off an improved Melbourne outfit at the MCG on Sunday afternoon. The Demons, in their third outing under interim coach Neil Craig, made the Swans work hard for the 31-point win and outscored Sydney in the final term.

Sydney was not helped by some errant kicking for goal; the Swans scored 16.20 from their 36 scoring shots, while Melbourne kept itself in the game with a far more accurate 13.7.

The Swans win was spearheaded by a fine four-goal performance by second-gamer Brandon Jack, and a 31-touch, one-goal effort from his brother Kieran. Ryan O'Keefe (28 disposals, one goal) was also very good.

Young ruck man Jack Fitzpatrick was a shining light for the Demons in just his seventh match. The 200-centimetre beanpole kicked 3.1 to go with his 17 disposals and six hit-outs. Fellow first-year player Dean Terlich (27 possessions) and Nathan Jones (22 touches) were also very good.

The win keeps Sydney in the top four, ahead on percentage of Fremantle, who defeated St Kilda at Subiaco on Sunday afternoon. The Swans next match is an SCG derby against Greater Western Sydney. The Demons, though vastly improved since Neil Craig assumed the coaching role, are still languishing in 17th place on the ladder with just two wins. They will face another tough assignment on Saturday afternoon, when they take on Geelong at Kardinia Park.

GOALS
Melbourne: Fitzpatrick 3; Howe, Watts, Dawes 2; Nicholson, N. Jones, Trengove, Davey
Sydney: B. Jack 4; Tippett, Bird 2; Everitt, Pyke, Parker, Mitchell, K. Jack, O'Keefe, McVeigh, Lamb

BEST - THE AGE
Melbourne: Fitzpatrick, Terlich, Rodan, Garland, Watts, Howe
Sydney: K. Jack, McVeigh, O'Keefe, Malceski, Tippett, Kennedy, B. Jack, Bird

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Melbourne: Terlich, Fitzpatrick, N.Jones, Trengove, McDonald, Gawn
Sydney: K. Jack, O'Keefe, Kennedy, Mitchell, McVeigh, Bird, B. Jack

COACHES' COMMENTS
Neil Craig (Melb): To use a racing term, we've played a Group 1 horse today, and they [Sydney] are a fair dinkum footy side and have been over the journey. That's how we need to be judged, over time. You've got to start somewhere. The guys have taken some small steps in that area. Now it's a matter of keeping on driving really hard and them we'll get judged on our merits.

John Longmire (Syd): It's always hard to win a game of AFL footy, so winning is always pleasing. That's the first point. The second point, if we're looking for areas to improve our game, our finishing - to kick 16.20, it would have been better to kick a bit more accurately than that. And I thought our forward entries probably weren't as good as they should have been.

INJURIES
Melbourne: Frawley (hamstring)
Sydney: Reid (quad)

SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Shannon Byrnes replaced James Frawley (hamstring) in the third quarter
Sydney: Brandon Jack replaced Sam Reid (quad) in the first quarter

UMPIRES: Hay, Harris, Mollison