Updated ,first published
The Swans bounced back in style from last week’s sensational performance against the Brisbane Lions, with star recruit Charlie Curnow booting six goals to power his new side to a 35-point win over the Western Bulldogs at the SCG, 13.12 (90) to 7.13 (55).
The Bulldogs’ backs will be happy to see Curnow’s tail now, given he kicked seven last time they met in round seven, and his haul on Friday night took him up the Coleman Medal leaderboard.
Brodie Grundy, meanwhile, looked unstoppable in the ruck, finishing with 17 disposals, five tackles, six clearances and an incredible 60 tackles. The Bulldogs, as a team, had just 29 hits.
With Grundy in charge, Tim English was deployed at fullback, prompting Australian Football Legend Jason Dunstall to ask in a Kayo Sports commentary, “What message is (Bulldogs coach) Luke Beveridge sending by playing Tim English at fullback? It’s a vote of no confidence in the ruck”.
In his post-match press conference, Beveridge was full of praise for Grundy’s dominance.
“Our seniors have found Brodie Grundy to be very strong, almost domineering,” Beveridge admitted.
“If you go and look at his stats, you’d need 14 hands to count them, so it was a challenge.”
In Brisbane, the Swans ran out of air, but against the Bulldogs, they were allowed to roam free and wide. The Bulldogs also seemed happy to play pantomime villains in Sydney, falling to the ground at times after what appeared to be a bit of contact.
Injuries to forwards Logan McDonald and Joel Amartey forced the Swans to reorganize their forward line, with Hayden McLean getting the nod to replace Curnow.
They worked well together, McLean also finished with three goals in just his fifth AFL game of the year.
The 27-year-old player has waited patiently for his chances and taken everything he was given. With Amartey out for 10 weeks, McLean’s form is crucial for the Swans, especially given his ability to play as a substitute if required.
There was a lack of energy from both teams in the first quarter, not helped by the sight of empty seats at the SCG for Friday night football, with more than 35,000 fans in attendance.
If the Lions provided guidance on how to strangle the Swans with a high defensive press, the Bulldogs completely ignored it, allowing the hosts to roam the SCG as they pleased.
McLean scored the first goal for the Swans inside the first two minutes and Curnow got an early workout with three kicks in the quarter.
One of the Swans’ rare lights from Brisbane, Chad Warner, scored a goal against opponents who seemed set to showcase the midfielder’s attacking skills.
James Jordon was tasked with tagging Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli to try and reduce his influence, and it worked for Bontempelli to finish the quarter with just three disposals to his name.
The Bulldogs finished the first term not only without a goal, but also without energy and ideas on how to stop a Swans team that is desperate to stamp its credentials as a premiership contender.
Curnow’s fourth goal opened the second quarter. The Swans were able to play with such swagger and space that ruckman Brodie Grundy was confident enough to dummy a handpass after taking the bounce. Grundy ended up losing Sherrin, but it didn’t matter; The Swans had recovered their mojo after being beaten in Brisbane.
Seven minutes into the second quarter, the Bulldogs scored their first goal through Bailey Dale. The Swans’ Caiden Cleary kicked just his second goal of the season to restore a 34-point lead.
The Bulldogs turned up the pressure and intensity from their poor start and were rewarded with goals through Arty Jones and Ryley Sanders.
McLean’s second goal was a fine reward for a forward who has had to work patiently for much of the season in a sparsely attended VFL arena. McLean’s ability to apply defensive pressure from the forward line also frustrated Beveridge’s men.
Grundy finished the first half with 36 goals, emphasizing his dominance over Rory Lobb who finished with just 11. To give this context, Grundy is averaging 34 goals this season.
A careless shot from Errol Gulden on Cody Weightman gave the Bulldogs a free kick and an easy goal for Aaron Naughton to start the third quarter.
Isaac Heeney had a relatively quiet night by his standards, but grabbed his first goal with a sharp corner of the front pocket to shake the Swans from an early slumber. McLean’s third goal gave the Swans a 36-point lead.
Two late quarter goals from the Bulldogs’ Jordan Croft cut the lead to 24 points, setting up what would be an unlikely comeback.
Curnow kicked his fifth and sixth goals in the final quarter, killing the Bulldogs’ short-lived opposition and reminding the competition of its talent.
A good win against the Bulldogs was timed, but the Swans will also be fully aware of their opposition’s shortcomings.
The Swans’ forwards are back, but Fremantle’s strong defense will need to be raised to higher levels in Perth.
Ahead of the match review, hard-nosed Bulldog Matt Kennedy will be anxiously awaiting the outcome of his contact with Swan Caiden Cleary.
Bulldog guard Nick Coffield took a knee to the head midway through the final quarter and was taken off the field for a head injury evaluation.
Connor Budarick also left the field for the Bulldogs, with Beveridge confirming after the game that he was awaiting a scan on a lower leg injury.
“My understanding, it’s a lower leg injury, which is usually a simple term for a syndesmosis type injury,” Beveridge said.
“And what the extent of that might be, we won’t be able to tell you until we get it checked out by a radiographer, but we’ll get back to you when we know more.”
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