Greater Western Sydney were a long way from being humiliated in their maiden AFL clash, but a third-quarter fade-out proved telling as Sydney strolled to a 63-point win.
Swans midfielder Kieren Jack kicked the opening goal in the second minute, and his side never looked like losing for the remainder of Saturday night.
The fact Sydney led at every change and won 14.16 (100) to 5.7 (37) wasn’t exactly a shocking development – most pundits had pencilled them in for the four points when the stand-alone start to the season was announced last year.
That Israel Folau could only manage a handful of possessions and seven hitouts in his first AFL match wasn’t a shock either.
But considering the margin expected by most of the 38,203-strong crowd – and the bookmaker who opened up a market with a 99.5-point start – GWS had every right to feel reasonably pleased with the result.
They won the last quarter by one point, and at halftime trailed by only 31 points.
Some four years after the AFL won the support of the then-16 club presidents to establish a team in western Sydney, the Giants played a fine half of football on as grand as stage as they’re likely to see for a few seasons.
For a match billed as `boys against men’, it was GWS who fired the first physical shot when James McDonald ironed out Luke Parker with a bump that might attract the match review panel’s attention.
McDonald wasn’t alone in his physical intensity.
Despite fielding a team with a record 17 AFL debutants, the Giants’ pressure often forced mistakes from Sydney in the opening half.
Indeed, GWS co-captain Callan Ward – one of his side’s best with 22 possessions, seven tackles and six clearances – kicked the Giants’ first goal after Folau forced a contest early on.
Folau then grabbed a strong pack mark on the half-back flank in the second quarter, and the Giants added two consecutive goals to reduce the margin to just 18 points.
But that would be as close as they’d come.
The third quarter was a telling reminder – for those who had forgotten Gold Coast’s struggles last year – of how an extremely inexperienced side can fade out of a contest.
The Swans booted five goals on the trot, and were unlucky not to inflict more scoreboard carnage.
Sydney finished the third term with 5.3 to the Giants’ 0.1, while the AFL’s video review system was called into play for the first time when one of Jack’s shots hit the post.
The spark – kept alive before halftime by a combination of Sydney’s inability to drive home their advantage and GWS’s fighting qualities – was out of the contest, although the Giants claimed a micro victory in winning the last term.
Such wins may seem trivial, and Josh Kennedy – named the inaugural Brett Kirk medal winner for best on ground – won’t care.
But the match wasn’t anywhere near as comprehensive as the 119-point streamrolling Gold Coast endured in their debut clash last year.
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Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
Geelong has been crafty and creative in its list management and has quietly assembled a very exciting young group of midfielders and half-forwards.
