On paper, Saturday’s Sydney derby is a mismatch of epic proportions. The team boasting the stingiest defence in the AFL will clash at ANZ Stadium with the side that’s struggled more than any other to kick goals this season.
No points for guessing which tag belongs to second-placed Sydney and which adorns newcomers Greater Western Sydney.
After 13 rounds, with every side having had a bye and played 12 matches, the Giants have a league-worst 100 goals to their name.
That statistic is no big surprise – as talented as GWS forward Jeremy Cameron is, the club was always tipped to struggle with the quality and quantity of their inside-50s.
On the weekend Cameron will have to contend with Alex Johnson, Heath Grundy and Ted Richards – unassuming in a way all good defenders are, but brutally effective.
The Swans have conceded a league-best 125 goals this season, meaning on average their opponents kicked a miserly 10.4 goals a game.
Johnson, Grundy and Richards’ partnership is unique – three men who came to Sydney as forwards but quickly learned the arts of defence.
The Swans’ backline was a strong suit last season, when they ranked sixth in goals against and finished seventh on the ladder.
But under the guidance of Richards – added to the leadership group for the first time this year – they’ve lifted again.
Detractors will point to a comfortable draw, which holds more challenges in the second half of the season.
But there’s no doubting some of Sydney’s shutdown jobs.
Reigning Coleman medallist Lance Franklin, hot favourite to again win the award, was held goalless by Richards in round five.
Geelong’s Tom Hawkins likewise had his influence curbed by Grundy last Friday night.
Even in a loss to St Kilda – under five goals but heavy by Sydney’s standards – Nick Riewoldt’s two goals were handy but not match-changing.
Adelaide spearhead Taylor Walker (five goals) is the only man to boast a genuine bag against the Swans this season.
Cameron and Jonathon Patton will be hoping to achieve similar feats in the second Sydney derby, but it’s hard to see complacency creeping into the minds of Richards and Grundy.
TomC
Guest
Good article Rob. You just need to watch the Swans to appreciate how good their defence is. They work back in numbers, and very rarely get caught on the counterattack. There's almost never space for the opposing forwards to lead into, but when the ball does get turned over, the well drilled Swans defenders quickly spread and clear, and usually find Jetta, Armstrong, Goodes or whoever happens to be in space on the wing. The only thing holding this team back from being regarded as a genuine premiership contender is the absence of a really good key forward. I think it's time they bit the bullet and installed Adam Goodes as a permanent forward. His work around the ground is valuable, but it's in front of goals that they most need his class and experience.
JD
Guest
Couple of points When looking at defense - its not just the back 6 anymore, its all over the ground. Plus if you are winning the ball more so than the opposition (generally speaking the top clubs) the defense is less under pressure. You could say the Hawks have one of the best defenses in the league, based on points conceeded, but then people (Look at Malthouse recent comments) will say that Hawks are weak in KPD, and get exposed against them. So you need to ask yourself - is points conceeded a true statistic when stating the side is the best defensively? Or is it more complex than that when checking whether a team has the best defense. Look at percentage of inside 50s that result in shots on goal (still subjectivity, you could have many shots but all are forced from difficult angles/under pressure). Also it could come down to a detailed analysis of looking at how sides compete one on one, or manufactur 3rd man up when under pressure fast breaks. In the end I dont think there is one or two statistics that you can look at and would categorically state that makes this side has the best back 6. But what we can acknowledge is that the current combination of the Swans would definately be in the equation when discussing the best back 6. (This is helped by the swans been able to consistantly play the same group back there - compared to Collingwood who has a very unsettled backline this year) The 2nd point is Roughead also kicked 5 first half goals against the swans.