Australian Football

Match Report

The faint finals hopes of the GWS Giants were well and truly extinguished on Saturday afternoon, as they were thrashed by the Sydney Swans to the tune of 89 points at the Sydney Showground. The Giants were on the back foot from the start but particularly insipid in the second half, Sydney kicking 13 goals to three in that period in a return to form that has taken the Swans back into the top four. 

GWS started off well enough, the game played on even terms in the first 20 minutes, with goals to Swans Kurt Tippett and Isaac Heeney answered by Giants Jeremy Cameron and Andrew Phillips. But from their, Sydney began to get right on top and two more majors to Tippett, along with one each to Harry Cunningham and Kieran Jack, saw the Swans leading by 22 points at the first change of ends. 

Goals dried up in the second quarter, as both sides squandered opportunities in front of goal. The first 20 minutes saw the Swans kick five behinds to GWS's two, with Tippett, Cunningham and Josh Kennedy all missing shots, and Rhys Palmer and Josh Kelly missing for the Giants. Jonathon Patton finally kicked straight for GWS at the 20-minute mark, but Kennedy answered for Swans two minutes later and Sydney held sway by an even four goals at the long break.

Sydney took complete control once the second half got underway. Within five minutes, Sam Reid, Cunningham and Kieran Jack had added goals to blow the margin out to 43 points and effectively kill the contest. Jarrad McVeigh kicked another before Patton finally got one for the Giants but further majors to Cunningham, Tippett and Brandon Jack saw Sydney 58 points clear at the final turn.

With little more than pride to play for, Jeremy Cameron got GWS to a good start in the final term with a goal in the third minute, but the Swans then got right back on top. After Tippett kicked his fifth, first-gamer James Rose, who had come on as a sub at three-quarter time, kicked three goals in eight minutes in a dream debut. Cameron's third pulled one back for the Giants but further goals to Kennedy and Adam Goodes gave the Swans a crushing 89-point win. 

Tippett (five goals, eight marks), Kennedy (35 disposals, two goals) and McVeigh (31 possessions, six tackles) were outstanding for the Swans, while the Giants' best included Heath Shaw (32 touches, five marks) and Adam Treloar (29 disposals, five tackles).

Sydney, back in fourth place as a result of the win, will meet St Kilda at Docklands and Gold Coast at the SCG in the final two rounds, while GWS will see out the season with a home game against Carlton and a final match against Melbourne at Docklands. 

GOALS
GWS: Cameron 3; Patton 2; Phillips
Sydney: Tippett 5; Cunningham, Rose 3; Kennedy, K. Jack 2; Heeney, Reid, B. Jack, McVeigh, Goodes

BEST - SMH.COM.AU
GWS: Shaw, Griffen, Williams.
Sydney: Tippett, Kennedy, McVeigh, Goodes, Rampe, Reid

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
GWS: H. Shaw, Treloar, Williams, Whitfield, Ward, Griffen
Sydney: Kennedy, Tippett, McVeigh, Reid, Cunningham, Goodes

INJURIES
GWS: Will Hoskin-Elliott (hamstring), Nick Haynes (illness)
Sydney: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
GWS: Cam McCarthy replaced Nick Haynes in the third quarter.
Sydney: James Rose replaced Isaac Heeney at three-quarter time.

UMPIRES: Deboy, Nicholls, Mitchel

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Dermott Brereton, Brad Johnson, Cameron Mooney