Swans close gap on Essendon, St Kilda

The Sydney Swans have escaped with four points after defeating top-eight hopefuls St Kilda 10. 23. (83) to 10. 8. (68) in front of a small but optimistic crowd at ANZ Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Swans’ ineffective goal kicking looked likely to see a third straight loss following disappointing results against both Essendon and Richmond in previous weeks, until a fourth-quarter scoring surge proved too strong for Ross Lyon’s squad, leaving Sydney sitting comfortably in seventh on the AFL ladder.

St Kilda had the best of opportunities in the first half, and ran into halftime with a 10 point lead. The Swans on the other hand looked unsteady in front of the posts, kicking 10 straight behinds before Jared McVeigh slotted a crucial goal setting the stage for a big second half.

With two seasons on the line, the third quarter set up an even more dramatic final term. Sam Reid kicked his first goal of the game at the 10 minute mark, while Lewis Jetta’s four tackles kept the pressure on the Saints who were without Zac Dawson and Justin Koschitzke.

For St Kilda, fans were left holding their breath following an injury scare for key forward Nick Riewoldt late in the third quarter. Riewoldt’s courage when running back with the flight of the ball saw him cop some friendly fire, and things only got worse from there as the Saints began to fall apart.

Riewoldt entered the fourth with a heavily strapped knee, and his kicking in front of goal looked just as frail. After leading the way in the first half as the only multiple goal scorer on the ground, Riewoldt missed two crucial set shots late in the final term – both of which killed much of the Saints stirring momentum.

Stephen Milne followed suit not long after, and suddenly St Kilda resembled their former selves of three months prior.

As for best on ground, Shane Mumford was the talking point. Sealing the game winner with under three minutes to go earned the Swans some much-needed confidence just weeks before the finals, and a dominant 54 hit-outs helped Sydney up the middle.

The main negative fans could take away from today’s game was the variety of misses, creating doubt that either side is really top-eight material. Having previously won two out of their last eight, Sydney’s goal kicking looked just as sloppy as it had a month ago – 23 behinds at home tells the story.

Riewoldt’s injury scare could also prove to be the final twist in the Saints’ hot-and-cold season. Clinton Jones and Sean Dempster were the only two Saints players to have a fourth-quarter possession after three minutes of play, leaving Ross Lyon with plenty to ponder as the Saints prepare for a fired-up North Melbourne side next week at Etihad Stadium.

A lot will have to happen in the next two weeks if the Swans are to hold on to a top-eight spot. After today’s win, Sydney are now tied with Essendon and St Kilda at an even 42 points, but a trip to Skilled Stadium next week to face Geelong awaits John Longmire’s men.

St Kilda has it just as tough in Round 24 with a Saturday night game against Carlton fast approaching. The Bombers could still be the odd ones out with a last round bye, making Essendon’s clash with Port Adelaide next week even more meaningful as the Kangaroos continue to force their way into the picture.

The 25,025 folks who made it to ANZ Stadium on Sunday should feel relatively positive after the Swans showed resilience after a wobbly second half. Star man Adam Goodes made up for any criticism still smouldering following the Essendon game, and Mumford’s form is promising should Sydney reach the finals.

With Riewoldt finishing the game on the bench, the Saints have plenty to think about while Swan morale got a shot in the arm. Two weeks to go, and thankfully, the AFL fixture couldn’t have provided more entertaining games to look forward to.