It was one of those quarters where everything just came off.
The Sydney Swans went to the quarter-time break at the SCG yesterday with nine straight goals on the board, the club’s best start to a game since they piled on 10.5 (65) against Melbourne at the MCG in round 18, 1997.
As well as being the Swans’ sixth-largest quarter-time lead in 2268 matches, the opening quarter was also the team’s second-most accurate quarter ever, behind only a ten straight goal quarter in the third term against North Melbourne in round 18, 1984.
It was an amazing first quarter considering the wet conditions at the SCG.
“It was all about how we executed our game style,” Ryan O’Keefe - who soccered through the eighth goal on his right foot - said at today’s recovery session at Balmoral Beach.
“Kicking straight and putting on the forward pressure makes a big difference and it is probably one of the things that is underrated in a game, that scoreboard pressure.
“Obviously a good start is pretty handy and puts that scoreboard pressure on the opposition and the opposition might start doing stuff that they usually wouldn’t and it just builds that confidence in the team to be able to keep executing the game plan.
“When you can kick nine goals in the first quarter it helps other things tick along.”
Jude Bolton - who went on to record a career-best 41 possessions - started the run of goals for the Swans in the first minute when he gathered the ball from a Lewis Roberts-Thomson contest and snapped truly.
Click on the video player above to re-live all of the Swans’ goals from the first quarter
Trent Dennis-Lane was next to get in on the act when he swooped on a loose ball following a free kick to Roberts-Thomson and ran into an open goal. Minutes later Dennis-Lane made it back-to-back goals after Dan Hannebery found him with a spearing pass and he converted a set-shot from just on 50 metres out.
After Brian Lake spilled a high-ball forward from Josh Kennedy in the Swans goalsquare, Sam Reid reacted the quickest and soccered though his goal of the match with his left foot.
The fifth goal was from a brilliant build-up from deep in the Swans’ defence, with Rhyce Shaw and Alex Johnson linking up in the middle and Kieren Jack getting on the end of Shaw’s pass, stepping in onto his favoured left foot and goaling from just on 50.
Jack then made it back-to-back goals for himself when he roved a clever Mike Pyke tap from a contest and converted.
A snap from Kennedy and O’Keefe’s goal then followed, before Roberts-Thomson rounded out the nine-goal quarter with another snap which just dribbled inside the right-hand goal post.
