Josh Kennedy said yesterday’s 52-point win over the West Coast Eagles was the result of a complete team performance.
Speaking to SwansTV after yesterday’s big win in Perth, the midfielder said every member of the Sydney team played their role to help notch up the Swans’ 12th win of the season.
“I think one of the real strengths of ours has been, both in this game and games in the past, that we’ve been able to change the momentum when teams have got a bit of a roll on and really peg them back,” Kennedy told SwansTV.
“We stuck to our structures and kept hitting in and eventually it turned and when it did it turned quickly.
“We had a total team effort. Everyone played their role and brought what they needed to (bring) to the table for us to win and it was a good win.”
Kennedy said the performance of the Swans midfield, which smashed the Eagles in contested possessions 179-149, was key to the team’s success.
“It’s a real focus for us (in the midfield) to bring your best to the table and for those guys, including myself, to bring that inside grunt and trying to get the ball out to the runners like Jetta and those guys on the outside,” he said.
“To our credit, everyone did that and it turned into a good win.”
The Swans inside midfielders, including Kennedy (27 disposals, 19 contested possessions), produced outstanding results in yesterday’s clash, with Dan Hannebery (42 disposals, 14 contested possessions), Ryan O’Keefe (39 disposals, 20 contested possessions) and Kieren Jack (29 disposals, 22 contested possessions) leading the charge.
O’Keefe, who joined coach John Longmire at the after-match press conference, agreed with Kennedy’s sentiment that team work played a big role in the Swans’ success in the West.
“We just knew that (West Coast) were going to fight to the end so we just made sure we cracked in and I just had to do my job, and my job was to really hit in at the stoppages,” O’Keefe said after the game.
“It was lucky that I had some really good support and ruck support and good guys around me.
“It’s all about the team, we don’t worry about individuals.”
It wasn’t just the inside players who contributed to the Swans’ sixth consecutive win, with hard runners Lewis Jetta and Ben McGlynn also playing starring roles.
Jetta, who for the ninth time this season kicked three goals or more, contributed four goals to the Swans’ tally for the match.
Jetta - who hails from Western Australia - said he was thrilled to be able to play his role for the Swans.
“It’s amazing how much we won by,” he said.
“I think it was a good effort by all the boys and the feeling after the game was just unbelievable.
“I was happy and I just want to play my role for the team … the four goals were a bonus and I think it comes down to my hard work and two-way running.”
Jetta said he was proud of the Swans’ ability to get on top of the Eagles, who got off to a flying start in the first term.
“(West Coast) did come out firing but we backed our structures and were able to get ourselves back in it and then after that it was just a bit of a shootout and we just backed ourselves and were able to kick it up a notch.
“It was just an amazing effort by all the boys.”
The Swans will now turn their attention to next Sunday, when they host St Kilda at the SCG.
