This was the first game I put my hand up for this weekend.
Sure, it was the last dance on the card, and sure, I always do the Thursday and Friday night games, but with the Swans and Dockers without a win, and both sides fancied as legitimate flag chances in 2025, this was the match of the round.
And for once, the game lived up to that billing.
It was not a beautiful game, although there were moments of ball movement that made me say “ahhhh”. It was more a high pressure type of game, with players not afforded any time to assess their options. It was one of those “one step and dispose of it” type of games. If you took another, you’d have someone on you.
The Swans unleashed their number one stopper onto Caleb Serong, and he did the job. However, the Dockers were prepared, and pushed their veteran, Jaeger O’Meara into the middle, where he was able to turn back the clock.
Despite the scores being so close, it struck me as though Fremantle were playing to save a game that didn’t need saving.
It needed winning.
And the Swans played like they wanted to win.
They pushed hard down the stretch, made the play, and when Joel Amartey got rid of Brennan Cox, took a mark, and kicked the goal to give the Swans the lead, I sat there shaking my head – both marvelling at the tenacity of this Sydney side, and in horror at the tactics, or lack thereof, of the Dockers.
Let’s jump into the review and take a look at the Good, Bad, and Ugly of this one.
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