Sydney coach John Longmire won’t engage in September dreaming, even after his AFL side stormed into the top eight with a barnstorming 67-point dismissal of Gold Coast at the SCG.
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Final score
Sydney Swans 17.16.118
Gold Coast Suns 7.9.51
The Sydney Swans will look to continue their path towards what was once an extremely unlikely AFL finals campaign when they go up against the Gold Coast Suns. Join The Roar for live scores from the game at the SCG on Saturday afternoon, starting from 4:35pm AEST.
The story of Sydney’s 2017 season has been run through more than enough times this year but here’s the short version – none from the first six, seven from the next eight, and now a finals threat, maybe even a premiership dark horse?
The total record winds up at 7-7 and one spot outside the top eight with a very handy percentage of 108 – better than the next two teams above them.
Basically if the Swans win at least one more game from their last eight than West Coast or St Kilda – and the other teams below them – they’ll play finals this year, and as we learnt last September, anything can happen from that position.
In a year where no one has played consistent footy really, you’d have to say that Sydney’s seven of eight in the last two months is probably the most stable and reliably good football that any team has played all year.
As for Gold Coast? Well, they’re midtable – 6-8, 12th, and 14th for percentage. They’re not going to play finals this year, they’re pretty hot and cold. They haven’t had a winning or losing streak of more than two games all season.
They’ve lost both Gary Ablett and Pearce Hanley to injury this week so conventional wisdom suggests they’re going to get creamed – and while that hasn’t always proved valid this year, it does seem likely.
Prediction
Swans by plenty.
Sydney Swans by 48.
Join The Roar for live scores from the game between the Sydney Swans and the Gold Coast Suns at the SCG on Saturday afternoon, starting from 4:35pm AEST.
Sydney are collecting for Redkite, supporting children and young people with cancer, at today’s game. Donate here.
Mattician6x6
Guest
Well that's the worst pick I've ever made
Cat
Roar Guru
Unfortunately I have to go pick up my wife from the train station now, so if anyone else wants to try blogging go for it, dunno what happened to Josh tonight.
Swannies
Guest
Swans should get a nice percentage boost from this if they kick on in the second half.
Cat
Roar Guru
Sydney take 65 to 36 lead into halftime. That quarter was all Swans. Suns held goalless.
Cat
Roar Guru
Swans kick it out on the full, might be last chance for the suns
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Roar Guru
Ball gets the buddy, told to play on, swing it on his boot but misses to the left
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Roar Guru
Swans muck it up going forward, had all the numbers but the ball goes out of bounds
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Roar Guru
Suns goalless so far, really need a late one
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Roar Guru
Saad clears the ball goes for a run, kicks from about 70 out but it skids wide.
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Roar Guru
Reid gets a hand in the back free but misses from 35 out on a 45 degree angle
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Roar Guru
Suns going side to side but can't seem to find a way forward. Finally a kick to Lynch and he clunks it.tight angle and never looked a chance. Behind Suns
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Roar Guru
Harbrow shakes and shimmies but can't get away. Holding the ball.
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Roar Guru
Swans have kicked 6.0 from stoppages. Suns in all kinds of trouble.
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Roar Guru
Swans go forward and yet again Rohan with a chest mark slight angle, goes back and kicks his fourth.
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Roar Guru
Swans dominating this quarter. Kicked the last 5 unanswered
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Roar Guru
Stoppage on the Suns defensive 50 arc. Towers from the stoppage kicks a major
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Roar Guru
Martin goes forward but too wide, out on the full
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Roar Guru
Suns get the ball to the centre wing and over the line
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Roar Guru
Franklin marks inside the arc uncontested. Out on the full buddy fails to register a score
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Roar Guru
Lynch shifted back. Suns need to wrestle control back