WERRIBEE 4.8 (32)
SYDNEY 16.6 (102)

Sydney left Werribee’s season teetering on the brink at the one-third point with a devastating first half setting up a 70-point thrashing at Avalon Airport Oval.

The Swans went in with 17 AFL-listed players, and despite Sam Reid and Ryan Clarke being held over, they held the Tigers for the first 10 minutes before carving them up with their tall timber and precision ball movement, kicking 12 goals to two in to lead by 62 points at half-time.

Werribee managed to stem the flow in the second half, holding the Swans to just four more goals and even winning the last quarter to take something out of a game that saw it beaten in disposals (-52), hitouts (-29) and inside-50s (-26), thanks largely to another star turn from Liston medallist Tom Gribble (33 disposals, eight clearances, seven inside-50s, six rebounds, six tackles), while Bior Malual (24, nine marks), Shaun Mannagh (21, five clearances, 10 tackles, one goal) and Michael Sodomaco (22) all battled hard.

Tom Hickey played the full game in his return from a knee injury and dominated with 23 disposals, four marks, 26 hitouts, six clearances and a goal, while Colin O’Riordan was near impassable at half-back with 32 and six marks and Lewis Taylor (29, seven marks, five clearances, one goal), James Bell (29, five marks, seven clearances, five inside-50s, one goal), Dylan Stephens (27, six marks, five inside-50s, five rebounds) and Matt Roberts (23, six marks, nine inside-50s) carved Werribee up through the middle.

Joel Amartey (16, six marks, four goals) and Callum Sinclair (15, four marks, 17 hitouts, three goals) took full advantage up forward, kicking all seven of their goals in the first half when the game was on the line, with the only worry being a back injury to Marc Sheather that took him out of action before half-time.

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