Despite the SCG’s efforts to drag the standard of the game down, the Friday Night Footy showdown between the Dogs and Swans felt like a game that was worth more than four points, and the teams played like it was, too.
There were spotfires, cameos, superstars, and quarters from heaven, as the game that was supposed to be a celebration of Marcus Bontempelli, who was playing his 250th game, shifted gears. Instead, it was some young stars in the red, white, and blue, that stole the spotlight.
The Dogs are an amazing story in 2025. Despite a poor record against the top teams in the game, they are now knocking on the door of the top four, and with their next game against the Kangaroos, could be in a very nice spot for the run home.
As for the Swans, they needed this one to stay in touch with the finals. They played like they knew that, too. But they ran into a team that matched their intensity and, importantly, kicked straight when it counted.
When you look at the game’s matchups, the Swans seemed to win every encounter that you would have thought they had to. They restricted the Dogs engine room, they were not dominated up forward, and they locked down on prime moving half-backs, but the Dogs found winners elsewhere.
And those winners won big.
A heap to get through in this one, so let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Good, Bad, and Ugly.
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