The Sydney Swans VFL side have overpowered a competitive Southport Sharks side in a triumphant victory at Frankhauser Reserve on Saturday afternoon. The Swans beat the home side by 25 points, finishing 14.9.93 to Southport 10.8.68.

Peter Ladhams was instrumental in the victory, positioning himself flawlessly and scoring three majors in the first half. The versatile ruckman finished the game with 24 hit outs and 18 disposals.

Nic Shipley and Will Green also secured goals in the first quarter.

Caiden Cleary led the Swans disposal count finishing the game with 30 touches. Sheldrick, who recently returned from an ankle injury, wasn’t far behind with 23. Caleb Mitchell ended the game with 19, while Vickery and Shipley both secured 17 each.

The Swans maintained resilience throughout a tight second quarter. Ladham’s goals were complemented by a major from Joel Hamling, bringing the margin to just two points at half time.

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VFL Mini-Match, Round 18: Southport v Sydney

Extended highlights of the Sharks and Swans clash in VFL Round 18

The Swans came out firing in the third quarter with a dominant six goal effort. Shipley kicked his second of the game, with Hanily, Magor and McAndrew kicking a goal each. QBE Sydney Swans Academy product Hamish Morrison also kicked two.

This high-pressure effort saw the Swans finish the third quarter with a 32-point lead and despite attempts from Southport to close the margin in the fourth term, the Swans maintained composure with two late goals from Hanily and Lloyd to seal the upset win.

VFL head coach Damian Truslove praised the team for standing up against an experienced Southport home side.

“I think the difference this week was a four-quarter performance," Truslove told Sydney Swans Media.

“In previous games, other games this year we've had lapses for half a quarter or a quarter but we managed to stick to the system and our gameplay for four quarters."

Ladhams, Cleary, Mitchell and Shipley were clear standouts for the coach. Truslove noted their effort and leadership abilities across the four quarters. Heading into a bye next week, the coach is looking to take advantage of the momentum.

“We've got a bye next week, so we can take that opportunity to get in a really good training session."

It will also be a great opportunity for individuals to refine their craft ahead of the Round 20 clash with Collingwood.

“Straight after the bye we'll start focusing on Collingwood and put together a strong plan to be really competitive against them.”

The VFL side are back at home on Friday, August 9 on Tramway Oval. Head to Moore Park early before the AFL clash to watch them take on Collingwood from 2:05pm.