Sydney Swans vs Melbourne Demons: AFL live scores, blog

FINAL SCORE: Sydney Swans 12.14…………86 Melbourne Demons 9.10………64 The Sydney Swans win by 22 My votes: B. Grundy (SYD) 3, N.Blakey (SYD) 2, I. Heeney (SYD) 1

The Melbourne Demons on the other hand walk out of the SCG having been trounced in the fourth quarter, having sustained an injury to one of their best 22, and not showing enough signs of having fixed what ailed them in 2023. Gawn was also seen struggling late due to the physical challenge given to him by the Swans all game. Rarely are we ever going to see Gawn be the second best ruckman on the field in a game where he suits up and yet that is what Grundy made him tonight.

20' THE FINAL SIREN SOUNDS OUT AROUND THE SCG AND THE SYDNEY SWANS SONG COMES ALIVE FROM THE SPEAKERS. The Sydney Swans have kicked off their 2024 campaign with a solid victory against the Melbourne Demons before they travel away next week to Melbourne to face the reigning premiers.

19' GOAL. Fritsch gets a free kick inside 50 for a high tackle and he manages to grab a last minute consolation fourth goal of the night. Not a bad haul at all considering he only kicked his first after half-time. But it'll make no difference on the end result of tonights game as the Swans still lead by 22 points.

19' Prior to the beginning of this match I said I expected Brodie Grundy to come out and take the fight to Gawn and show that he's not anyone's second-fiddle ruckman. And he's done that undoubtedly tonight. Been physical with Gawn all night - a strategy others have tried previously with varied success - and Gawn in this last quarter has been showing signs of feeling it. And around the ground Grundy has shown himself to have the All-Australian ruckman form and capabilities of a few years ago still within him. Been very influential on this game especially in the fourth quarter.

18' Petracca tries his luck at a snap on goal as he manages to find himself free inside forward 50 with ball in hand, he's running away from goal as he kicks and he can't manage to make enough contact to get it to bend back all the way for a goal. Only manages a minor score.

16' Shot on goal from the Demons gets spoiled behind by McDonald who's now down back in the dying stages of this game for the Swans

15' GOAL. Tough marking night in the dewy conditions in Sydney especially for the tall forwards, and even more especially with the Sydney tall forwards as they've ahd to compete with May, Lever, and Tomlinson all night. McDonald finally manages to take a mark inside 50 as Lever didn't body him up quite enough prior to the ball's entry into the forward 50. He converts the fairly simplistic set shot kick that comes after and gets the Swans out to a 30 point lead.

13' Great defensive effort from Melican as he runs back and effects a legal spoil on Fritsch who was probably thinking he was about to get an uncontested chest mark 5m from goal.

12' Heeney with a miss on a flying snap on goal after some great forward pressure work by Robbie Fox on the taller Jake Lever. Stopped Lever from intercept marking the McDonald hack kick inside 50 from the centre square and kept the ball within his forward 50 until help arrived to funnel the ball out to Isaac Heeney.

9' GOAL. Jacob van Rooyen has had a night to forget so far as he hasn't contributed much and this late goal won't help either I suspect. The Swans kick to exit defensive 50 is smothered and Petracca just slams the ball onto his boot to get some territory. van Rooyen tries to get his hands up and mark it as he's falling slightly backwards but instead it goes through his hands, falcons him, and then rebounds onto his leg - just below the knee - and goes through for a completely unintended goal to keep the Demons within touching distance of the Swans.