I feel like I’ve written the following sentence a few times over the last few weeks – sometimes, you just have to win ugly.
That’s the best way to describe what went down at the SCG; it was ugly footy as the Swans and Blues engaged in an arm wrestle for three quarters, before Sydney channelled Sylvester Stallone and went Over the Top in the final stanza.
In a high-pressure, and at times, low-skill contest, the Blues got the jump on Sydney, and looked like the better team. With their two focal points hitting the scoreboard, it appeared as though Carlton were right up for this one, but the Swans clawed their way back, and with a red time goal to Will Hayward in the first quarter, pulled to within a goal of the lead.
The game swayed back and forth over the next two quarters, with neither team able to establish dominance, but that all changed after the last break, with the Swans adding two early goals to establish their lead (followed by four consecutive behinds), and after Charlie Curnow marked and goaled, they added another three.
Sam Walsh got a consolation goal on the siren, but it was little more than a participation medal, both for his team, and for himself, after being soundly beaten by James Jordon. In the end, the Swans ran out 16-point winners in this slog, and kept some air in the lungs of their season.
Let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Heroes and Zeroes.
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