1. Rampe’s rant rules him off Clarko’s Christmas card list
Dane Rampe will have been hoping for a more muted reception from the on-field umpire’s microphone after a cheeky dig was picked up early in the game. Midway through the first quarter the Swans backman was caught giving umpire Nick Foot a spray after an arguable free kick was given against him. "Clarko will be happy with that. Did you have a coffee with him too?" was the testy sledge from the rascally Rampe, referring to Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson's recent meeting with AFL boss Gillon McLachlan. Rampe’s rampage might just be the one liner of the year yet.
2. Sinclair cops a warning for his Swan dive
He may have been one of the Swans best on ground, booting two goals and engineering Sydney’s kick ahead deep in the third but there was no escaping the umpires ire for Callum Sinclair after he was reprimanded for some Hollywood-esque overacting. Having won a free after Matthew Kreuzer was caught holding at the start of the third quarter, Sinclair tried to milk it even further with a flop to the deck. Although it went unpunished, it didn’t go unnoticed, with umpire Jacob Mollison warning the firebrand Swan.
3. Jack’s back as sideline stint works well for Silvagni
After a month languishing on the outer, forward-turned-midfielder Jack Silvagni repaid his recall to the Blues senior side with an outstanding first-half performance against the Swans. The 20-year-old hadn’t played since round six, but after flourishing in a new role through the middle in recent weeks for the Northern Blues (Carlton’s VFL team), Silvagni registered one of the best games of his short career. Two goals from 14 disposals saw the son of Blues legend Stephen Silvagni play as if a weight had been lifted from his young shoulders.
4. Cripps kept quiet by huge Hewett display
One of the game's best inside midfielders, Patrick Cripps, was kept awfully quiet on a night he’d rather forget at the SCG. Coming into the game, the Blue was ranked 20th in the Schick AFL Player Ratings and big things were expected. But it was Swans young gun George Hewett who had something to say, smashing the Carlton playmaker out of the contest. Another man who had probably hoped for a more memorable evening was Sydney’s Dan Hannebery in his 200th game. The youngest Swan ever to notch a double century, ‘Hanners’ may have got the banners at the start of the game, but he won’t be looking back at this one with the fondest of memories.
5. Friday night Blues for Carlton
This loss for Carlton means the Blues have now lost their last 12 Friday night games. They haven’t won since the second half of 2014, and have lost seven times by more than 50 points. To deepen the wound, the Blues are also the lowest scoring team by average points per game this season. They last kicked 100 points in a game in round 11, 2016. If their Friday night woes and their scoreboard troubles continue, Brendon Bolton will definitely be looking bluer than most.
