The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

Swans Make History With 10-Game Winning Streak

29th June, 2014
Advertisement
Roar Guru
29th June, 2014
51
1003 Reads

Normal AFL service in the Harbour City has officially resumed, with the Swans handily dispatching the upstart Greater Western Sydney Giants at the SCG on Saturday night.

The win came thanks to a first-half masterclass from prized recruit Lance Franklin, who booted four goals, including one that surely will be a contender for goal of the week – if not goal of the year – to blow the inexperienced Giants away.

The seven-goal win erases the shock loss that the young Giants handed the Swans in Round 1 at Spotless Stadium.

It also extends the Swans’ current winning streak to a franchise-best ten games. Not since the 1930s has the Sydney/South Melbourne franchise notched up an even ten-game winning streak. The Swans came close to a similar streak in 2012 – a premiership year, which augurs well for the current squad – but fell one short.

This time around, with the high-flying Swans enjoying strong wins against premiership contenders Hawthorn, Fremantle, Port Adelaide and a 110-point belting of Geelong en route to this historic mark, win number ten came against Sydney’s fledgling cross-town rivals on a cold, windy and rather unpleasant winter night in front of a little more than 27,000 fans, which is a pretty good return when you take the near-cyclonic winds into account.

What is it about Sydney derby games that seems to bring out the worst sort of weather imaginable? We endured a fierce storm at Spotless Stadium that stopped play for the better part of half an hour in the season opener, and while there was no precipitation or lightning, damaging winds howled through the city before Saturday’s game, doubtless keeping many fans away.

Two weeks ago, against Port Adelaide, commentator Anthony Hudson labelled Franklin ‘Cyclone Buddy’, and on Saturday night Mother Nature chimed in, delivering damaging wind gusts that dropped the temperature considerably, but the elements didn’t seem to worry Buddy, who has 26 goals in the last six games. The man wearing #23 on his back was the most damaging force out there.

Make no mistake, this was the win the Swans needed. GWS had their collective backs up, with two straight wins coming in, and you have to imagine Sydney circled this return clash on their calendars after the embarrassing Round 1 defeat.

Advertisement

It wasn’t the greatest game we’ll ever see, but the Swans did enough in the first half, thanks to Franklin’s four majors (and a few handy score assists, too) and were never really troubled after the long break. The second half was a dour contest, neither team scoring much in the way of style points. Not that it mattered – the damage had been done, and done well.

It was alluded to in the week by Luke Parker and others that the Swans, fresh off the coup of landing Buddy, headed into the season opener against the Giants complacent, which they paid for in a big way. There was no repeat of this in the SCG clash; in its place was the usual Swans ruthlessness.

The star-studded Swans midfield jumped all over the young Giants at the outset. Kieran Jack, the birthday boy and Brett Kirk Medallist, had 22 touches to half time, and people started wondering if he’d brought his own footy. Shane Mumford was well held by Mike Pyke, after big Mummy’s powerhouse effort in Round 1 set the table for so much of what the Giants did offensively. It was a red-letter day for Pyke, the Canadian ruckman playing one of his best games.

Much has changed for the Swans since Round 1. Their history-making loss to the Giants was part of a 1-3 start, and there is little similarity between the team that played in those first four games – jerseys aside, of course – to the team that took the park last night. They have improved out of sight.

Of course, Franklin’s grasping of the Sydney game plan and his return to form has been a big part of that, as has the return of Kurt Tippett and the improved fitness of midfielders like Jarrad McVeigh and Jack. It’s amazing the difference 15 rounds of football can make.

The gulf in class between the Swans at their very best and the still-young GWS squad was on display for all to see. So, it’s back to the drawing board for Leon Cameron and his coaching staff.

They will be without Heath Shaw, who was taken to hospital for concussion tests after a sickening collision with Kurt Tippett’s knee during the first quarter. The former Collingwood star was out cold on the turf, necessitating the arrival of the medical cart to get him off the field. The incident was entirely accidental, but still something very hard to watch. You can only imagine how Tippett must have felt.

Advertisement

Ten wins is great, of course, there is still lots of football to play, and the Swans have a very narrow margin for error after their 1-3 start. With a tough road trip to Perth to play the inconsistent – but still very dangerous – West Coast next week and Carlton the week after, before return clashes against heavyweights Hawthorn and Port Adelaide, now is not the time for complacency.

Creating history is something to remember, but the real task ahead is a hard tilt at September finals action, and Sydney will need to keep up their intensity if they are to hoist the AFL Premiership Cup at the MCG on grand final day.

close