The Sydney Swans will look to get their season back on track as they host a struggling Melbourne side. We’ll have live scores and updates from 4.40pm AEST.
The Swans burst out of the blocks this season, winning their first five games. It prompted some to consider them a genuine premiership chance.
However, in the last two weeks they’ve dropped games to Adelaide and Richmond.
They’ve also been hit by a six-week quad injury to star Adam Goodes, while Shane Mumford remains sidelined with his back injury.
Melbourne, meanwhile, are without a win in 2012. Their past two weeks have seen them go down to heavyweights Geelong and Hawthorn.
But the Dees, to their credit, pushed in all four quarters against the Cats, which is sometimes all you can ask of a young side. Mark Neeld also described last week’s first quarter against the Hawks as “the best quarter that we’ve played all year.”
Unfortunately, though, the Hawks game was not a four-quarter effort and the team went down by 66 points.
With Carlton, Essendon and Collingwood in the next three weeks, Melbourne might be sensing that going up against an out-of-form Sydney is their biggest opportunity to snatch a win before the bye.
But the Swans, who will be celebrating 30 years in Sydney with a commemorative guernsey, are bound to have other ideas.
The Swans have changed things up in the tall department, bringing in Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Mike Pyke and Tommy Walsh. The Irishmen Walsh will be playing his first AFL game.
The Dees have made a couple of headline-worthy inclusions by bringing in Liam Jurrah and Jack Watts, along with Brad Green and Sam Blease.
Neeld, who has publicly said Jurrah needs to work on areas such as defence and tackling rather than just attack, has been impressed with the forward’s form for Casey in recent weeks. After his court appearance this week though, plenty of eyes will be on Jurrah.
Josh Kennedy has been winning the ball the most for Sydney this season with 27 disposals per game, followed by Jarrad McVeigh with 22 and Luke Parker with 21. Lewis Jetta is the leading goal scorer with 14 majors.
Pressure will be on the much-hyped youngster Sam Reid, who has gone goalless in his last four matches.
Nathan Jones is the leading Demon ball-winner with just 21 touches a game. Mitch Clark dominates the goal kicking with 17 from six games.
The last time these two teams met was way back in Round 1 of last year at the MCG, which ended in a draw.
GrantS
Guest
As you stated Michael it's very unusual for the Swans to kick such a high score and it was their biggest win since defeating Richmond by 118 points in 2006. Not much of a game to watch and you have to feel sorry for the Melbourne coach who had to put up with such a deplorable exhibition by his players.
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
And that'll be it from me. Enjoy the rest of your weekend folks!
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
The only positives for the Dees were the game of Jack Watts playing in defence, accumulating 34 disposals, and Jeremy Howe’s fantastic mark, which is a massive mark of the year chance. But, with some big teams to come in the next three weeks, it’s hard to feel too optimistic about Melbourne just now. DISPOSALS: Sydney: O’Keefe 34, Jack 33, Hannebery 33, Jetta 21, Bolton 21 Melbourne: Watts 34, Blease 29, Grimes 23, Jones 22, Frawley 22 GOALS: Sydney: Jack 3, Parker 3, Jetta 3, Kennedy 3, Walsh 2, McGlynn 2, Dennis-Lane 2, O’Keefe, Mattner, Reid Melbourne: Jones 2, Green, Bennell, Sylvia KEY STATS: Contested possessions: Sydney +23 Clearances: Melbourne +1 Inside 50s: Sydney +36 Tackles: Melbourne +1 DREAM TEAM: Hannebery 137, Jack 128, Watts 121, O’Keefe 116, Garland 105, Roberts-Thomson 103, Mattner 100
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
FULL TIME Sydney Swans 21.12 138 Melbourne 5.7 37 An absolutely belting has been handed down at the SCG. Sydney have scored a rare triple-figures win by taking down a deplorable Melbourne by 101 points. The win was set up by the likes of Keiran Jack (33 touches, three goals), Luke Parker (18 touches, three goals), Lewis Jetta (21 touches, three goals), Josh Kennedy (19 touches, three goals), Ryan O’Keefe (34 touches) and Dan Hannebery (33 touches). Sydney were clearly the better users of the ball, at one point in the second quarter there was a 20% gap in disposal efficiency. They also built a noticeable buffer in the contested possession count. Defensively, they were much better than Melbourne.
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Abuse gives Melbourne a 50m penalty. Bennell converts right in front of goal. Sydney Swans 137 Melbourne 37 – 4min left 4th qtr
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Another to Josh Kennedy. Nails the set shot. 106 points the lead now. Sydney Swans 137 Melbourne 31 – 6min left 4th qtr
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
100 point lead! Mattner gets the goal for the Swans. Sydney Swans 131 Melbourne 31 – 8min left 4th qtr
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Sylvia gets a consolation goal. Tiny ray of hope that they might avoid a triple-figure loss. Sydney Swans 123 Melbourne 31 – 10min left 4th qtr
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Percentage boost here for the Swans, which is good for them. As I've already said, they aren't known for really blowing teams away so this will definitely help them come August. 98-point lead as we speak. Sydney Swans 123 Melbourne 25 – 11min left 4th qtr
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Ben McGlynn makes something out of nothing! Just hacks it mid-air in the pocket and it goes through. Almost 100 points now! Sydney Swans 123 Melbourne 25 – 12min left 4th qtr
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
True, but Melbourne didnt manage that all the time last year.
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Trent Dennis-Lane snaps from the pocket. Nice kick. Sydney Swans 117 Melbourne 25 – 13min left 4th qtr
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Ian, it's a positive but winning the tackles is to be expected when the other side has more of the footy.
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Goal No. 3 has arrived for Melbourne. Jones' set shot makes the distance. His second. Sydney Swans 111 Melbourne 25 – 16min left 4th qtr
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Bennell subbed on for Cale Morton. 13 touches for Morton today, was caught in the wrong place several times. Sydney Swans 111 Melbourne 19 – 17min left 4th qtr
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Must say I was this close to posting about Sam Reid's poor form continuing, but he's worked his way into it. 10 disposals and now his first goal. Sydney Swans 111 Melbourne 19 – 17min left 4th qtr
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Im grasping at straws here, trying to say something nice about Melbourne ... but they are winning the tackle count
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Final quarter underway now. Is this a 100-pointer?
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
TV crew show pictures of Mark Neeld as the Howe mark happens. Doesn't bat an eyelid, but looses his cool the second Howe decided to play on.
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
THREE QUARTER TIME Sydney Swans 16.9 105 Melbourne 2.7 19 More of the same that quarter as Sydney continued to build on their lead. Big win for them tonight, you rarely see them really blow teams away. Dees are playing very poorly. Aaron Davey just three touches. Jamar six, Green eight, co-captain Trengove ten. They did get a huge highlight with Jeremy Howe’s (very likely) mark of the year. But that’s about it. DISPOSALS: Sydney: O’Keefe 26, Jack 26, Hannebery 23, Jetta 20 Melbourne: Watts 26, Blease 20, Frawley 20, Grimes 19 GOALS: Sydney: Jack 3, Parker 3, Jetta 3, Kennedy 2, Walsh 2, McGlynn, O’Keefe, Dennis-Lane Melbourne: Jones, Green KEY STATS: Contested possessions: Sydney +15 Clearances: Even Inside 50s: Sydney +27 Tackles: Melbourne +5 DREAM TEAM: Jack 102, Hannebery 96, Jetta 96, O’Keefe 94, Watts 85, Parker 83