It was the Sydney Swans who took the win in a mini-version of the Sydney derby at Blacktown International Sportspark, downing the GWS Giants by 12 points on a wet Friday night.
The Swans got a good start to the match courtesy of two first-quarter goals from Lance Franklin, while also managing to hold the Giants goalless in that term.
However, scores were back to level at half-time as the Giants roared into life thanks to a supergoal from Josh Kelly, who was their best until the halfway mark but sat out the second half.
The highlight of the first half was a crunching collision between Lance Franklin and Tim Taranto, with a bit of help from Shane Mumford, which saw Taranto come off the field in no comfortable fashion.
However, you’ve got to give some credit to the kid – he came back on and kicked a great goal in the second quarter, and had 14 touches and six tackles for the match. Cracking into this talented GWS side won’t be easy but he has the tools.
The second half was quieter and was owned by the Swans – they kicked two goals to GWS’ one in the third term, and the only major of the final term, to eventually come out the winners by 12 points.
It was a low-scoring game much affected by the rain – the Giants’ disposal efficiencey ran at 62 per cent for the night and the Swans at 56 per cent, so it became more about grind than class, which played more to the Swans’ strengths than the Giants.
Callum Mills was excellent for the Swans, suggesting he’s ready to improve on last year’s Rising Star-winning season. He had twenty disposals and kept intercepting the footy, showing no shortage of skill even in the wet.
Darcy Cameron also showed a fair bit in the limited time he played, and might be in the mix for a Round 1 berth depending on what kind of ruck combination the Swans opt for. A big mark and goal showed he has the versatility to play forward with an impact.
In the end it was the Swans taking their first win of the pre-season competition, and a good one against a strong Giants side.
Final score
GWS Giants 1.4.9.42
Sydney Swans 0.8.6.54
We’re taking a look at one player from each team that needs to make a difference this week, starting with the ANZAC Day games.
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