The Sydney Swans have defeated the Brisbane Lions by 55 points in humid conditions at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex.
Lance Franklin kicked four goals in a full match effort, while Jake Lloyd (26 disposals), Josh Kennedy (25 disposals, 3 tackles) and Robbie Fox (24 disposals, 2 tackles) were also impressive.
It could have been a 70+ point victory if not for three last term goals by Brisbane. Ben Keays kicked two and Eric Hipwood one in a final quarter attempt to make the scoreline look a little kinder.
After scoring no goals in the second or third terms it was good to see Brisbane get some faster and more fluid ball movement.
Sydney, on the other hand, scored regularly and through several options. Lance Franklin (4 goals) showed why he is the reigning Coleman medallist. Tom Papley and James Rose – with three goals each – also made valuable contributions to the scoreboard.
The young Lions outfit were in trouble when they allowed Sydney to have far too much of the ball. After an even first quarter, Brisbane had very poor disposal efficiency and coughed the footy up too easily, whereas Sydney protected it.
The teams were almost equal in contested possession, but the difference came in uncontested possessions, where Sydney had almost 100 more. The Swans were quite happy to chip the ball and take the time to find targets up forward.
Another positive for the Lions was their forward pressure, but unfortunately this fluctuated too much across the day. The heat may have impeded the young players’ ability to pressure relentlessly, but if they want to play contested footy this needs to improve.
Stefan Martin was impressive for Brisbane (21 disposals, 26 hit outs, 7 clearances), but the team could not capitalise.
The Swans do have some injury concerns, defender Aliir Aliir and ruckman Callum Sinclair came off with ankle injuries in the first and third quarters, respectively.
The endeavour was there for Brisbane but Sydney proved they are on target for a ninth straight finals appearance, when the season gets underway later this month.
In their second JLT Community Series games’, Brisbane will play the Gold Coast Suns in Southport at Fankhauser Reserve next Sunday, while Sydney will head home to Blacktown International Sportspark on Friday night for a match with the GWS Giants.
Final score
Brisbane 5.10 (40)
Sydney 14.11 (95)
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