With rivalry games occurring left, right, and centre this weekend, this was the one I was looking forward to most.
Coming into Round Eight, these teams occupied two of the top three positions on the AFL Ladder, and despite some believing this was a manufactured rivalry, there is always going to be heat in the crosstown clash between the Swans and Giants. No need to manufacture anything – this was two excellent teams looking to show the other up. The fact they were both from New South Wales only added to the heat.
And that heat threatened to boil over, as Callum Brown collected Tom McCartin in the second quarter, causing the fullback to be subbed out of the game. It was nasty hit, but it was the Swans that settled best following it, reeling in the 15-point lead of GWS and establishing an eight-point lead of their own at the main break.
The Swans seemed to adapt best to the wet weather, playing a fundamentally sound brand of footy, putting their head over the ball, and running in straight lines at the contest.
And GWS couldn’t go with them.
The longer the game went, the more the Swans looked the goods. Early goals in the last put the game out of reach, which led to the Giants’ offence breaking down, tired of consistently having to defend and too spent to get back to offer targets inside 50. As Hayden McLean and James Rowbottom slotted consecutive goals, the game was put to bed, with only a gut shot from Toby Greene to Jake Lloyd providing any late talking points. He’ll be fined once again – probably could have bought some real estate with the money he’s given back to the AFL coffers over the years.
Let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Talking Points from the Sydney Derby.
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