The Sydney Swans have continued their march to September, as they picked up their 10th win in 11 games, defeating St Kilda by 42 points at the SCG on Saturday night.
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The Swans looked to be all over the Saints, from the first bounce all the way until the final siren, as St Kilda could only hold the 2016 Grand Finalists for minor periods of time before the Swans finally found room to score.
They were led by Callum Sinclair, in his return to the senior side from the NEAFL. Replacing the injured Sam Reid, it was a welcome return for the ruck/forward, who booted five goals to lead the Swans in the goalkicking.
Lance Franklin wasn’t far behind, as he kicked 3.4, including a monster bomb from 55 meters out in the fourth quarter.
Dan Hannebery led the disposal count for the Swans with 25 of his own, whilst Josh Kennedy had 25 of his own, as well as a goal.
For the Saints, their performance reeked of poor skill errors and an abundance of turnovers. While they had the top three possession winners, they were unable to find anyone inside forward 50, and struggled to make an impact on the scoreboard.
Josh Bruce led the goalkicking with three goals, whilst Seb Ross had a standout game with 37 disposals. Luke Dunstan had 29 and a goal, and Shane Savage had 27, as well as kicking one major.
For Sydney, they continue their march into September, and will be eyeing off a spot in the top four in the near future, a remarkable turnaround from their 0-6 start to the year.
For St Kilda, the loss is another blow to their hopes of a finals campaign, as they continue to sit outside the top eight. The Saints will finish off the year with games against four top eight sides in the remaining five games of the year.
The Swans will now travel down to the MCG on Friday night to take on Hawthorn in what promises to be a blockbuster clash, as they are the only side to have beaten the Swans in the past 11 games.
St Kilda will fly to Adelaide, where they will clash with an angry Port Adelaide unit, keen to avenge their loss to Melbourne this Saturday afternoon.
There were no reports, but there are worries about Leigh Montagna, who hobbled off the ground in the third quarter, grabbing his right hamstring. He took no further part in the match.
Sydney Swans 14.17 101
St Kilda Saints 9.5 59
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