1. Marquee midfielders struck down before the bounce
Gold Coast superstar Gary Ablett failed to make the trip to Sydney after being ruled out with a hamstring injury during the week, and the Swans lost their own gun with captain Josh Kennedy a late withdrawal when the final teams came out. The skipper had struggled with a quad problem all week but coach John Longmire said that even as late as Friday night, he'd expected Kennedy to be fit to face the Suns. Given the pair have two Brownlow medals, three premierships, eight best and fairests, five AFLPA MVP awards, and 13 All Australian selections between them, it's fair to say the round 16 clash was robbed of some serious star power. It was no surprise that the visitors felt the absence of their man more, especially with the likes of Aaron Hall, Michael Barlow and Pearce Hanley already missing, with Dan Hannebery, Luke Parker and Isaac Heeney showing just how deep the Swans midfield runs.
2. Swans maintain their dominance over the Suns
Gold Coast had never beaten Sydney in seven previous attempts but they turned up looking like they were in the form to make history… for one quarter anyway. The visitors kicked five goals to four in the first term and led by five points at the first change, but may as well have jumped on a plane home after that. Gold Coast kicked their fifth goal at the 32-minute mark of the opening quarter, but didn't add to that in the second, and didn't score a single point in the third, before finally nailing a goal 14 minutes into the last. In between, Sydney had piled on 12 straight to end the contest. The Swans have now won eight of their past nine matches after starting the season 0-6, and their incredible march towards a finals berth continued with a dominant display.
3. Buddy fails to cash in against the Suns again
Heading into the round Franklin had only kicked 16 goals in 6 games against Gold Coast, and when Steven May went to him at the opening bounce the Swans superstar knew he was in for another difficult night. The big forward kicked two goals in the first term to take back the lead in the Coleman medal race from Greater Western Sydney's Jeremy Cameron who had kicked a solitary major against Hawthorn earlier in the day, and snagged another in the third. Franklin left the ground briefly in the first half to get treatment for a wrist problem, but it didn't seem to affect his performance. If it wasn't for some wayward finishing Franklin would have trumped his career-best haul of five goals against the Suns, in round nine 2013, but he instead had to be content with 3.4 from 19 touches, and seven marks.
4. Tom Lynch versus Dane Rampe a classic battle
It was a treat for the 32,987 fans at the SCG when Lynch and Rampe, both starting 18 members of last year's All Australian side, began the game opposed to one another. Lynch played a huge role in Gold Coast's bright start when he kicked three goals in the first term, but Rampe, who was giving away plenty of height and kilos, was also important with eight possessions and six marks for his team. The Gold Coast co-captain's form mirrored that of his side however, as he gathered just five more touches for the match and failed to hit the scoreboard. Meanwhile, Rampe continued his strong form in defence to finish with an incredible 13 marks, 25 disposals and six rebound 50s, as the home side asserted its authority over the listless Suns. The key position guns are two of the competition's best at different ends of the ground, and look to be set for many more epic contests in the years to come.
5. Trent McKenzie's long-awaited 100th game was a fizzer
The Suns defender had been stranded on 99 games since he last played in round 14 last season against Hawthorn, but finally got his chance to bring up his century against the Swans. The first Gold Coast player to notch 50 appearances for the club might have been the feel-good story of the round after his battles with injury and form in recent months, but Sydney forward Gary Rohan ruined his night and made the milestone a nightmare. The speedy Swan kicked two goals in the opening term, with one of those coming from a towering mark taken over McKenzie in the goal square, and added two more before half-time. To add insult to the Sun's tough night, Rohan booted a career-high fifth in the third quarter thanks to a free kick paid against Ryan Davis, while McKenzie was having a breather on the bench. He can take a positive out of the match in that Rohan didn't kick any on him after half-time, but a 67-point defeat means it was a miserable 100th game for the Sun.
