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It was billed as “The Battle of the Bridge”. But there were no bridges to be seen at ANZ Stadium, and it didn’t feel like a battle.
There were no marches through the streets. No confrontations at local shops. No flares. No expletive-laden hate anthems.
Just a friendly game of footy between two clubs who are based in the same city, but haven’t yet found a reason to dislike each other.
GWS Giants are in their second season. Going for a youth strategy with their recruiting, loading their list with the best young talent of a generation; the Giants’ list is, by their own admission, a long term project to build a premiership team.
In contrast, the Swans are a club at their peak. Strong talent and an established, disciplined culture, took them to the 2012 premiership.
The stability of the club evident in that 19 of the 22 players from last year’s Grand Final took their place in this match.
It looked on paper to be a mismatch. And the Swans burst out of the blocks, with Mike Pyke steering the first goal through in the opening minute; the first of four unanswered goals for the quarter.
Although it was a GWS home game, the majority of the crowd were in red and white; occupying the northern end and the retractable seats on the wings. The Giants fans, decked out in orange, were at the southern end.
But it was the southern fans who came to life in the second term, as the momentum of the game suddenly shifted.
Toby Greene was on the scoreboard for the Giants within seconds of the restart. The tall forward combination of Jeremy Cameron and Jonathan Patton joined forces to add three quick goals.
And when Devon Smith slotted a shot on the run from a tight angle, suddenly the Giants had the lead.
The Giants fans at the ground couldn’t believe what they were seeing. The chant of “Here come the Giants” echoed around the cavernous stadium.
A banner in the cheer squad, “Bridge Wars”, signalled a new hope. But the Swans empire would strike back, with the return of the Jude.
The turning point came as Jude Bolton gathered the ball on the Swans’ forward line, but was brought down in a tackle by Tom Scully. It looked a clear-cut holding the ball; but umpire “Razor” Ray Chamberlain awarded a free to Bolton.
Bolton kicked truly, and the Swans had regained the lead. Two more mystifying free kicks to the Swans in the next minute would follow.
And the young Giants lost their nerve. Dropping their heads, turning the ball over.
Mental inexperience from the young Giants, not yet knowing how to keep their heads when they get bad calls. And the Swans capitalised.
Bolton’s goal was the first of a run of five in a row; and for all the Giants’ work in the early stages of the second term, the Swans had won the quarter.
Forced to play catch-up footy in the second half, the Giants never looked like snatching the game.
However, in contrast to the 2012 Giants who would have conceded plenty of goals in the second half, this side kept it tight, kept it tough, and there were few easy possessions for the Swans.
Yet, whenever the Giants attempted to launch a challenge, the Swans had the answer. Whether it was the body-work of Mike Pyke, a soaring speckie by Sam Reid or the class of co-captain Kieran Jack; the Swans had the ways to snuff out any Giant surge.
The Swans were short of their best, but did what they needed to. The Giants kept working hard, but found making up a five-goal deficit a bridge too far.
But, as the team song and a cheer squad banner say, the Giants will never surrender. The Giants fans kept cheering till the final siren. And on the field, the players continued to test themselves against the defending champions, proving themselves worthy adversaries and winning the last quarter.
The final siren sounded, and the Swans had won by 30 points. A solid first-up win, but unspectacular and far from their premiership best. But a win’s a win.
And the prize was four premiership points rather than a bridge. No flags will be flown on any bridge, no territory changed hands.
At the station, at the brewery, and around the Olympic Park precinct, there was little feel of a battle. The Swans fans in their 2012 premiership scarves happily chatted to the GWS faithful.
Just 23,000 in a city of 6 million, warriors together for our little Aussie battler game in a place dominated by the giant multinationals.
It was a game of footy, and not a bad one. Premiers of the present against premiers of the future. At least we hope so.
But the “Battle of the Bridge” nonsense should be put to bed. We don’t need marketers to tell us who to hate and to whip up something that isn’t there.
Rivalry comes from the fans, it evolves over time as history and culture develops. It doesn’t come in two years.
And when it comes, it won’t be a battle. There’ll be no unsavoury incidents in the streets or blood spilt in the stadiums.
We’ll build a different kind of rivalry.
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