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The Greater Western Sydney Giants have made an immediate impact in finals football with a convincing 36-point win over the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium in the first AFL qualifying final.
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A dominant second half helped the Giants seal the win and a home preliminary final in a couple of weeks time.
With plenty on the line, it was the Swans who started stronger as a couple of early goals to Tom Papley helped them sneak out to an early lead.
However, the Giants weren’t about to roll over as they began to take it up to the Swans in the physicality stakes as a number of spot fires broke out.
The physicality of the game began to show as Josh Kennedy and Kurt Tippet both went off in the opening term after head knocks as a result of heavy clashes.
A late goal to Toby Greene helped the Giants sneak away to a one-point lead at the opening break.
The arm wrestle continued in the second stanza as both sides were not prepared to give an inch to their cross-town rivals.
The Giants struck first through Greene who finished well in traffic for a goal but the Swans answered minutes later through George Hewett. Former number one draft pick Lachie Whitfield capped off a big first half of hard running with a goal as he roved one well off the back of a pack to run into an open goal.
In a positive sign for the Swans in the second term, Josh Kennedy returned and kicked an important goal. But another knock to Tippett and a hamstring injury to rising star Callum Mills put the Swans in a tough position with a half still to play.
After a number of missed chances by both sides late in the term, it was the Giants who went into the main break with a slender two-point lead.
After a chance to regroup at halftime, both teams came out strongly in the third stanza as it turned into a back and forth arm wrestle.
After a scrappy first 10 minutes, Giants forward Jeremey Cameron turned the game on its head with three goals in a row including a couple that came from great defensive efforts by the big forward.
The Swans finally got a goal late in the term through McGlynn, but that was nullified by a late goal to Scully for GWS which helped his team go into the final break with a 21-point lead.
The momentum continued in the final term for the Giants as they controlled the contest in all areas of the ground.
In a credit to their defence, the Giants managed to keep Franklin, Tippett and Rohan all goalless.
A strong finish helped the Giants seal a memorable 36 points against their cross-town rivals although one worry for the Giants will be Johnson and Mumford who will be in hot water for a couple of incidents.
The Swans they will now need to bounce back against the winner of the Adelaide Crows and North Melbourne Kangaroos, which will be played later on Saturday evening.
Final score
Sydney Swans – 7.13.55
GWS Giants – 12.19.91
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