Nothing much shocks me anymore. I’ve been to Amsterdam.
However, in doing this review, I was interrupted by a plan to take Mrs Mongrel and our daughter to their first football game, and it meant that I had to watch this contest in two parts.
Put it this way – when I switched the coverage off, and went spoiler-free until I returned, the scores were 59-30 in favour of the Swans. In my mind, I was pondering how they had been able to stifle a Gold Coast team that was looking to get out and run, but ended up running into a brick wall across half-forward a little too often. I wondered aloud, as I drove toward the other game (much to the chagrin of the family), just how the Suns could stop the Sydney rebound, and punish them, as they did so?
With Heeney pushing forward, the Swans looked potent – much like myself about 15 years ago. Sadly, they looked like the modern version of me soon after.
Yes, I don’t get shocked me anymore, but when I got home, fed the family, and settled back in to catch up on what I’d missed, I was genuinely shocked by what transpired over the next 75 or so minutes of footy.
This was a Gold Coast Suns team that did exactly what they would have failed to do in seasons past – they worked it out. They adapted. They changed the way they played, and they took the game on. They played beautiful, powerful football – the type teams used to be able to play against them. It was brutally immaculate!
And just as shocking, was the way the Swans capitulated. 12-straight goals to the Suns made the Swans look inept, as Gold Coast forced them into turnovers (or even just permitted the Swans to shoot themselves in the foot, and turn it over themselves), and ran the opposite way in numbers.
It was Jed Walter, Bailey Humphrey, Ben King, Ben Long… all these forwards clicking into gear. It was Noble, Rioli, and Powell rebounding off half-back. And it was Jarrod Witts in the middle, playing the role of immovable object, and ensuring we didn’t make the mistake of thinking Brodie Grundy was the irresistible force. He was quite resistible when it came to Big Wittsy!
This was the Gold Coast Suns staring down the 2024 Grand Finalists, saying “take your best shot”, absorbing the blows, and punching them right in the mouth in return.
Time to jump into The Mongrel’s Talking Points, and because I screwed you over by going to the footy instead of getting the review done like a professional (as if anyone would call me that…) I am leaving this one open for all.
I’m good like that.
SO, RIGHTO – IT WAS 50-29 THE SWANS’ WAY – WHAT HAPPENED?
The easy answer here is to say Jed Walter happened, but it runs deeper than that, and a fair bit of what happened revolves around something I did not like seeing from the Sydney defence – their efforts were laced with a healthy dose of entitlement and laziness.
It started with Nick Blakey just deciding to take Walter out of the contest as the young forward flew for a mark a few metres out. The umpire saw it, and Blakey sheepishly held his hands out in the “who, me?” type of gesture that always goes over a treat. Walter goaled and kept the Suns alive.
Moments later, he goaled again, as Lewis Melican, who had just kicked the footy out on the full because he was too afraid to attempt a left-foot kick, decided that he would further plunge himself into the bad books of Dean Cox, by holding Walter on the ensuring kick inside 50.
Bada bing, bada bang – Walter has two in a minute, and the Suns are feeling it.
It would be foolish of me to say that those moments were THE incidents that changed the game, but if I did, I probably wouldn’t be too far off the mark, as it started an avalanche of goals to the Suns, and it didn’t halt until they’d stretched the lead out to an unassailable margin.
Still, the siren rang for halftime, and Sydney had a chance to regroup. They’d played some good footy in the first half, even if their work had been brought undone by the efforts of Blakey and Melican.
Surely, they could right the ship?
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DEFENCES
And here is where we get into it.
I used the words “entitlement” and “laziness” to describe the way the Swans’s defence closed out the first half, but from there, we can add the words “arrogant” and “reckless” to the list.
Meanwhile, at the other end, the Suns’ back six hummed along like they’d just been serviced at a reputable mechanic.
Also, if anyone knows a reputable mechanic in Sunbury, please let me know – my car needs a service.
If you want to see the difference in these teams, have a look at the desperation of the Suns’ defenders when the Swans pushed forward in the third quarter. Look at their commitment, their desire for the contest, and their willingness to put their body on the line.
And then compare what was going on at the other end.
Chalk and cheese.
You had blokes like Sam Collins and Bodhi Uwland dropping back into the hole. John Noble was wonderful again, with Sam Flanders providing support, whilst Daniel Rioli and Joel Jeffrey did damage of their own.
And then up the other end, you had the turnover kings – Lloyd, Melican, Blakey, Bice, Roberts… all of them trying these dinky little 25-metre passes on the 45-degree angle, and all of them being either picked off, or completely shut down. The Swans were being too cute in a game that demanded they play with ferocity, and the Suns ate them up.
Now, I know that some will defend Sydney, here. Likely, they’ll be Swans supporters, as I doubt anyone with two eyes that watched this unfold could defend what they saw. They’ll say that the numbers don’t completely back up some of the statements. They’ll look at the turnover kicks/possessions and say it’s not that bad, and that would be because some of the kicks were saved from being turnovers in the moment by a stoppage, or a a few tap ons that went nowhere, effectively saving the kicker from making a mockery of the art of kicking the footy.
They’ll say that the Swans succumbed to pressure and there is nothing to worry about with that – happens to even the best teams.
Yeah, you have a point. But the best also make adjustments. The best also learn from their own, and the mistakes of others. The Swans were wearing the dunce cap in the third quarter; they learnt nothing, and in the embodiment of the word insanity… they kept trying the same thing, and failing!
Now these kicks weren’t game-breaking kicks through the middle. No – they were chip kicks at half-back. They were the type you make when you’re six goals up – not six goals down. They offered no avenue forward even if they’d come off. A minuscule change of angles? A gain of four or five metres in actual distance?
They were nothing kicks. They were baited into attempting them by a hungry and waiting team of wolves in Gold Coast attire, and made to pay when they did.
The words to describe the Swans were harsh, but they were correct, just as describing the Suns’ back six as “clinical”, “professional”, and “precise” would fit the bill, as well.
Too often, we have these accolades foisted on players, or even entire thirds of the ground, but far too seldom do we laud the efforts of one defence over another, particularly when the one being left out of the equation is the Swans.
The Suns were all over them in this one, and we’re not having any of their arrogant and reckless ball movement.
The Swans got what they deserved in this game, and the Suns were deserving of handing them that ass-kicking. They worked harder, smarter, and did’t try to be fancy. They just played good, hard, defensive footy.
And the Swans’ return of just one behind for the term is all the proof you need.
KNOW WHAT’S SCARY? THE SUNS DID IT WITHOUT ANDERSON AND ROWELL
Hats off to James Jordon. Despite not starting in the guts, he got the job on Noah Anderson, and held the Brownlow chance to 21 touches – his lowest total of the season.
James Rowbottom also got the better of Matt Rowell for most of the game, with the red bull feeling the heat in close, and managing just 16 disposal, and importantly, five clearances.
These two are the poster boys of the Suns, and yet, despite seeing them both lower their colours, the Suns were able to rely on other emerging stars of the game to carry the load.
Bailey Humphrey started to look like the potential that was discussed so often was ready to turn into results. He kicked four goals from his 18 touches, as he picked up five clearances along the way.
Touk Miller stepped up to aid his young stars, adding 24 touches, and the run through the middle from Noble, Rioli, and Flanders meant that the Suns are no longer a Rowel/Anderson-or-bust collective.
No, far from it – they are developing into a mature team that does not require superhuman efforts from the same players every week to get over the line.
Think about where this team was at, and where they are now. If I told you 12 months ago, that both those ball-winners would be beaten pretty handily when the Suns played the Swans, you would have chalked it up as a Sydney win.
I would have, too.
But that was then. Now, the Suns have guns that come from different angles. Forget about second shooters, they assassinated the Swans with guns blazing all over the park!
And that, my friends, is an unmistakable sign that a team is growing up.
AARON FRANCIS NEEDS ONE MORE FORWARD TO WORK WITH
Watching Francis go to work in this game, he looked like a natural forward, and that is a big compliment.
You see, I reckon we get these big blokes who have great vertical leaps, and the recruiters say “He is a forward waiting to become a forward”, or some dumb shit like that. What they are assessing is the physical gifts, and not the knowledge of his to play the role. Sure, you cannot teach size, but forward craft is bloody hard to learn, as well, and over the past couple of weeks, Aaron Francis is the only one in red and white not named Isaac Heeney that has demonstrated any.
And yet, he ended up with no goals to his name in this game – how am I praising him?
Well, number one, I am a very nice person. And number two, I reckon Francis plays better as the mobile half-forward that resides about a kick and a half from goal. In that role, he can use his versatility to either mark, or gather the ground ball, and hit a target within range.
But who will that be?
Hayden McLean? Either of Logan McDonald or Joel Amartey when they’re fit?
I’m genuinely unsure, but both McLean and Amartey remind me of robots playing footy. They don’t instinctively go where they should, and they almost need to be turned around and pushed in the right direction like a cheap robo-vac, to get involved. Francis does it automatically – like a good robo-vac, I’m assuming. I don’t have one.
Yeah, there are games when he gets beaten – all forward shave them, but as a leading forward up to about 70m out, there is something the Swans can work with in him. But it will require patience, and maybe putting the nose of a more fancied forward out of joint, at some point.
TWO FORMER MAGPIE RUCKS
Wow, how the turntables have… turned.
There was a time when both Jarrod Witts and Brodie Grundy were together at Collingwood. Not like together as in a couple… although, really, I don’t pry into what players get up to in their own time.
Fast forward to now, and we have Witts, who has gone on to captain the Suns before handing over to the current crop of leaders, and Grundy, who has had a failed run at Melbourne, and now seeks redemption as a Swan.
It was an intriguing clash, with Witts once again demonstrating exactly why he could be the most underrated big man in the league. Not many players get hold of Grundy, but Witts was able to continually frustrate him at stoppages, using his size advantage to either win possession, or get first hands on it.
Grundy’s annoyance was palpable, as he gave away multiple free kicks to Witts in trying to jostle for position. To Grundy’s credit, he knew what he’d done immediately a couple of times, and took off into the defensive fifty in an attempt to make up for his indiscretion.
Grundy started well, with the Swans enjoying a healthy clearance advantage in the first quarter, but in a reflection of the game, as Witts started to get on top, so too did the Suns.
Here’s a quarter-by-quarter rundown of their numbers. Look at the correlation with the quarter-by-quarter scores.
Q1 Grundy – 3 Disposals and 9 Hit outs. Witts – 4 Disposals and 4 Hit outs. Scoring Differential for the quarter – Swans +25 pts
Q2 Grundy – 5 Disposals and 4 Hit outs. Witts – 10 Disposals and 6 Hit outs. Scoring Differential for the quarter – Suns +8
Q3 Grundy – 1 Disposal and 7 Hit outs. Witts – 3 Disposals and 10 Hit outs. Scoring Differential for the quarter – Suns +41
Q4 Grundy – 0 Disposals and 3 Hit outs. Witts – 1 Disposal and 8 Hit outs. Scoring Differential for the quarter – Suns +14
So, what does that tell us?
Well, in order to give it further context, we need to look at clearances.
Q1 – Swans – 13. Suns – 6
Q2 – Swans – 8. Suns – 7
Q3 – Swans – 3. Suns – 15
Q4 – Swans – 7. Suns – 11
As go the clearances, so went the teams, in this one. When Grundy was able to get over and around Witts and feed his mids, the Swans were off to the races. When Witts started nullifying Grundy and made him a non-factor, the tables were turned quite suddenly.
When commentators talk about how important first possessions are, this game is the one they should use. Those first and third quarters are examples of a team using the work of their big men to capitalise. As soon as you took that away from either side, things fell apart.
Grundy did start well, but the old adage rang true – as the game progresses, the bigger blokes don’t get any smaller.
Well done, Jarrod Witts.
QUICKIES
All I ever hear from the footy public about Ben Long is that he is dirty, or he is a sniper… it’s such a load of crap. This is a pure footballer who plays the game hard and always – ALWAYS – puts his head in the hole when he has to go. Some of his work in this one to make body contact and disrupt the Swans, was elite. And his effort to chase down the footy and kick a centring footy to set up the Dan Rioli goal in the second quarter is the type of action that lifts a team.
If he is not front and centre of all Rolling All-Australian teams in the footy world right now, i can only assume people are not watching Gold Coast games.
And they are really missing out.
Ben King contesting like a true key forward – I am here for it!
I’ve been critical of King and the way he goes into his shell when things don’t go his way, but he is jumping into the contest this season, finally realising that he is the one that should be pushing people out of the way, and not vice-versa. Great to see, and the goals are flowing as a result.
I still love the work of James Rowbottom, but he desperately needs some more grunt in the middle with him. As good as he is, he is not a powerhouse like some of the other big clearance winners in the game, and he needs a bit of muscle to back up his hustle.
The Swans have The Chad, and Heeney to go in there and help out, but the absence of a fit Callum Mills continues to hurt this mob. His no-nonsense play and accountable role in the middle would fix a bit of what ails the Swans, right now.
The AFL app says he is still a week or so away. His return cannot come quick enough.
So, the Suns sit third with a game in hand, and a percentage that makes the others look like scrubbers. By about Round Seven, I always get the feeling that we’ve sorted the wheat from the chaff.
North are the chaff. West Coast are the chaff.
Collingwood, Brisbane, and Gold Coast are the wheat. There are some other teams who still require further sorting, but as it stands now, Gold Coast fans, don’t make any plans for September – you might be a little busy with footy-related matters.
As for the Swans, they either let their structure fall away, or had it forcibly taken from them in this game. Their capitulation, and lack of anyone to stand up and put a stop to it, is a concern, but I don’t see it as the end of the world.
Next week, the Suns face perhaps their biggest test of the season, heading to the Gabba to face the Lions in the biggest Queensland Derby I can remember. Time to stand up, Gold Coast – win this, and even your most ardent detractors will have to concede you’re in season 2025 up to your eyeballs.
As for the Swans, GWS would be licking their lips at the prospect of sending you to 2-6. As much as I am not panicking, that result would make a deep finals run very difficult.
That said, Brisbane were in 13th after 13 rounds in 2024. Things change quickly.
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. You can see the amount of care that goes into it. I love footy, I love writing about it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Without you, this whole thing falls over. Sincerely… thank you – HB
Like this content? You could buy me a coffee – I do like coffee, but there is no guarantee I won’t use it to buy a doughnut… I like them more. And I am not brought to you by Sportsbet or Ladbrokes… or Bet365, or any of them.
