It didn’t go to script for either team – the Lions would be very unhappy with the way the majority of the game played out, and the Swans would not be pleased with the way the final three minutes of the game panned out.
However, with just seconds remaining at the final bounce of the game, the Swans were able to hold off the fast-finishing Lions to record a two-point win.
Can you ever really exact revenge for a premiership loss?
No matter what happens in the subsequent games, that loss, on that day, is what people will remember. However, putting the top four hopes of those who vanquished you in jeopardy the following season… there might be a little bit in that.
A little bit of satisfaction.
The Swans showed signs of the team that rampaged through the first half of the 2024 season through the first half of this game. Whilst not providing that powerful 10-15 minute burst of brilliance, their continued harassment of the Lions, and their counter-attack through the middle of the ground left Brisbane looking flat-footed, and enabled them to score seven-straight goals at one point.
Like many contests, those who owned the corridor owned the game.
Early, it was Sydney, often chaining handballs through the middle of the ground to provide their forwards with opportunity. It was also interesting to watch how they varied their entries after the main break. With Harris Andrews controlling defensive 50 in the first half, the Swans needed to work around his presence, and they did so successfully. Andrews had seven intercepts and seven one-percenters in the opening two quarters. In avoiding him, his influence was restricted over the next two quarters (with several intercepts coming very late in the game).
And that permitted the Swans space to hit the scoreboard.
Isaac Heeney put on a show, with the seventh five-goal bag of his career, whilst both Chad Warner and Errol Gulden reminded people of how good this Swans outfit can be when things start clicking.
Time to jump into The Mongrel’s Big Statements, with a forward view of the Swans, and a current view of the Lions, given their respective positions on the ladder.
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