Lance Franklin has one hand on a fourth Coleman medal after booting 10 goals at the SCG, where Sydney warmed up for AFL finals with a crushing 81-point win over Carlton.
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Final score
Sydney Swans 21.12.138
Carlton Blues 8.9.57
The Sydney Swans are still in the race for a top-four finish but they must score a big win against the Carlton Blues today to get it done. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match at the SCG on Saturday afternoon, starting from 4:35pm AEST.
Here’s Sydney’s situation: they absolutely must win this match to make top four, but they also need to hope that other results help them out a bit.
To start with, if Richmond win on Sunday (against St Kilda), then the whole thing is over – the Tigers are a win ahead, so the Swans must pray they slip up.
The other potential problem is Port Adelaide. They are level on wins with Sydney and, at the moment, slightly ahead on percentage.
Port go up against Gold Coast later tonight and if the season of both clubs to date is anything to go by, then a smashing victory for the Power is likely.
Sydney need to score at least a victory of commensurate size against Carlton to have any hope of jumping ahead of Port Adelaide in percentage.
Odds are, they’re probably going to finish fifth or sixth regardless of what they do in this one, but there’s no reason not to give themselves the best chance they can of sneaking into the top four.
As for Carlton, their win against Hawthorn last week was likely the magnum opus of their 2017 season, and it’d be a surprise to see them get up in this one.
They did manage to upset the Swans earlier in the year, but that game came under very different circumstances to the current one.
Prediction
Sydney ought to win this one by a decent amount, but perhaps not enough to make a top-four finish realistic.
Sydney Swans by 36.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match between the Sydney Swans and the Carlton Blues at the SCG on Saturday afternoon, starting from 4:35pm AEST.
Birdman
Guest
No emotional nourishment today for the Blues but Buddy got plenty.
Sydneygirl
Guest
That's some sort of finish. Well done Sydney.
Josh
Expert
So with that win the Swans officially jump into fourth place, with Port Adelaide and Richmond still to play. Their percentage of 126.8 has gone ahead of Port Adelaide at 123.1, so the Power will need to score a bruising win over Gold Coast tonight to be top four chance.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Embarrassing second half by the Blues. Sydney are looking very good. Another good game from Matty Kreuzer but the rest of the Carlton midfield were non-existent against one of the best midfields in the comp.
Josh
Expert
Ten goals from Lance Franklin nets the Swans an 81-point win over Carlton, and perhaps it is just what they need to get that top four finish. We'll find out.
Josh
Expert
FULL TIME SYDNEY 21.12.138 CARLTON 8.9.57
Josh
Expert
Q4, 30' - BEHIND SYDNEY Buddy set shot from a tight angle... nope. SYDNEY 21.12.138 CARLTON 8.9.57
Josh
Expert
Q4, 28' - BEHIND CARLTON Blues add some behinds. SYDNEY 21.11.137 CARLTON 8.9.57
Josh
Expert
Q4, 25' - BEHIND SYDNEY George Hewett adds a behind. SYDNEY 21.11.137 CARLTON 8.7.55
Josh
Expert
Q4, 21' - GOAL SYDNEY Lance Franklin pulls his tenth goal straight out his arse. He is not human. SYDNEY 21.10.136 CARLTON 8.7.55
Josh
Expert
Q4, 20' - GOAL SYDNEY Nic Newman adds one to Sydney's total. SYDNEY 20.10.130 CARLTON 8.7.55
Josh
Expert
Q4, 19' - BEHIND CARLTON Almost a great goal by Nick Graham, touched instead. SYDNEY 19.10.124 CARLTON 8.7.55
Josh
Expert
Q4, 18' - GOAL SYDNEY The Swans go to Franklin again, and he's got NINE! That's the most by anyone in a game this year and it puts him four goals ahead in the Coleman. SYDNEY 19.10.124 CARLTON 8.6.54
Josh
Expert
Q4, 14' - GOAL SYDNEY That's EIGHT goals for Lance Franklin. Yowza. He leads the Coleman by 3. SYDNEY 18.10.118 CARLTON 8.6.54
Josh
Expert
Q4, 13' - GOAL SYDNEY Gary Rohan pops through his third goal of the day. SYDNEY 17.10.112 CARLTON 8.6.54
Josh
Expert
Q4, 11' - BEHIND CARLTON Jed Lamb with a behind. SYDNEY 16.10.106 CARLTON 8.6.54
Josh
Expert
Q4, 9' - GOAL SYDNEY Isaac Heeney kicks a goal. SYDNEY 16.10.106 CARLTON 8.5.53
Josh
Expert
Q4, 6' - BEHIND CARLTON Charlie Curnow puts on a behind for the Blues. SYDNEY 15.10.100 CARLTON 8.5.53
Josh
Expert
Q4, 5' - GOAL SYDNEY Goal number seven for Buddy, and he leads the Coleman by two. SYDNEY 15.10.100 CARLTON 8.4.52
Josh
Expert
Q4, 0' - GOAL SYDNEY Josh Kennedy has a goal in the opening minute of the final term. SYDNEY 14.10.94 CARLTON 8.4.52