The Sydney Swans reserves have continued their early season win streak, racing away to a ten-goal victory over GWS at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.

With the temperature hovering at just 4 degrees at the first bounce, the two undefeated teams in the NEAFL’s Eastern conference were true to the old adage of kicking the dew off the grass.

The cold weather took its toll early, however, when the Swans were left with just three rotations on the bench after Matt Spangher limped off with a left hamstring injury in the first ten minutes.

The first half was a tight affair with plenty of congestion around the ball and not many quality entries into the forward 50, but the Swans slowly got on top in the second half, kicking 10 goals to one to run away with the win.  

Luke Parker and Dylan McNeil were dynamic in the midfield, with Parker bobbing up everywhere, including an outstanding mark inside the forward 50 in the final quarter. His overall game was typified by a diving smother on his GWS opponent with only five minutes remaining when the game was well and truly won. McNeil’s run was important to the team, especially in the first half, and he capped his game off with a nice roving goal at the beginning of the last term.

Jesse White and Paul Bevan went back to the reserves side, and did well to get on the scoreboard in the first half when goals were hard to come by - White’s first goal came after a strong pack mark in the second quarter. As the game opened up in the second half, White pushed out more from centre half forward and linked up well with the over-lapping runners, he also added two more goals to finish with three.

Lewis Roberts-Thomson played in a variety of positions throughout the game, and did everything expected. He crashed packs, brought the ball to ground, and was the catalyst for the Swans’ best transition of the game at the end of the third quarter.

After a long kick out of defence, Roberts-Thomson spoiled his opponent, kept his feet and won a contested ball at ground level, fired out a handpass to the by-passing Byron Sumner who pin-pointed Trent Dennis-Lane who ran into an open goal.

Lewis Johnston was brilliant again off the half back line, while Chris McKaigue often showed poise beyond his experience on the last line of defence. Mark Seaby was again dominant in the ruck, and showed some finesse around the ground and was unlucky not to finish with a goal. 

QBE Sydney Swans Academy player Eric Moody chipped in with two goals in his first game in the reserves, while his brother Andrew played on and off the bench.

The Sydney Swans reserves remain undefeated after four games, and will play another ‘first’ next weekend, when they take on Gold Coast Suns reserves at the SCG at 1.50pm.   

Sydney Swans 1.2   3.7   6.11   12.15 (87)
GWS Giants    1.3   2.6     3.9      3.9 (27)

Sydney Swans
Goal Kickers: J. WHITE 3, B. HAREN 2, E. MOODY 2, T. DENNIS-LANE 2, L. PARKER , P. BEVAN , D. MCNEIL
Best Players: L. PARKER, L. JOHNSTON, C. MCKAIGUE, M. THOMPSON, L. ROBERTS-THOMSON, D. MCNEIL