Australian Football

Match Report

Friday night's encounter at Kardinia Park was a classic 'eight-point' game, with the two top-four sides locked together on 40m points and separated by only 1.6% prior to the match. Despite Geelong having the home-ground advantage, it was Sydney who was the better side on Friday night, the Swans winning all four quarters to grab second place on the ladder and send the Cats tumbling down to sixth. 

The Swans appeared to be on song from the very beginning, and a goal to Kieran Jack, whose family issues had had a very public airing in the lead-up to the match, getting them off to a perfect start with a goal inside the first minute. When Lance Franklin and Dean Towers followed up with further majors, Sydney was three goals ahead and the signs were ominous for Geelong. The Cats did, however, settle after that, kicking three of the next four goals - one each to Nakia Cockatoo, Daniel Menzel and Tom Hawkins - to be within seven points at the first break. 

Geelong looked to have taken control of the match early in the second quarter, with majors to Zac Smith and Menzel kicking majors to put them ahead by five points at the 10-minute mark. But the match turned again after that, and Menzel's goal was incredibly the Cats' let score of the first half. Sydney, meanwhile, added 3.2, with goals to youngsters Zak Jones, Tom Papley and George Hewett and it was the Swans by 15 points at the half.

Sydney continued to maintain control in the early third-quarter exchanges, adding two behinds and a goal to Jake Lloyd, extend the Swans' lead to 23, before Corey Enright kicked a goal for Geelong against the run of play at the nine-minute mark, a full quarter after the Cats' previous score. Enright's goal cut the margin to 17 points but Sydney regained the ascendency soon after, and majors to Jack, Ted Richards (playing up forward for a change) and Luke Parker extending the lead to 34 points. A late goal to Jordan Murdoch had the Cats back within 27 at the last change. 

If Geelong was going to have any chance, it needed the first goal of the last term, but that goal went to Sydney's Josh Kennedy after just one minute, and the only remaining unknown was what the Swans' final winning margin would be. The Swans added another major through Dean Towers after that, extending their lead to 39 points, after which the sides alternated goal-scoring, each team scoring two as Sydney coasted to a 38-point win. 

Dane Rampe played a fine defensive game for the victors, gathering 23 touches and six marks in the backline, while for Geelong, Patrick Dangerfield put in another potentially Brownlow-vote-winning performance, with a goal going a long with his 34 disposals. 

With second place in their keeping for the moment, the Swans have a chance to go one rung higher on the ladder next Thursday when they take on top side Hawthorn in the match of the round. Geelong will look to get back on the winners list at Subiaco on Friday night, when it faces 16th-placed Fremantle. 

GOALS
Geelong: Menzel, Hawkins 2; Cockatoo, Smith, Enright, Murdoch, Dangerfield
Sydney: Jack 3; Towers, Papley 2; Franklin, Mills, Jones, Hewett, Lloyd, Richards, Parker, Kennedy

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Geelong: Dangerfield, Mackie, Enright, Selwood, Menzel, Duncan
Sydney: Rampe, Parker, Hannebery, Mitchell, Jack, Allir, Mills

BEST - THE SATURDAY AGE
Geelong: Dangerfield, Mackie, Selwood, Enright
Sydney: Rampe, Mitchell, Kennedy, Jack, Parker, Towers

INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Sydney: Nil

UMPIRES: Hosking, Meredith, McInerney

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Dennis Cometti, Cameron Ling, Jude Bolton