Emulating the same dash, dare and finish on show against Fremantle will go a long way to strengthening the Sydney Swans’ push for a top-two spot, according to midfielder Josh Kennedy.
Sydney took full advantage of Subiaco Oval’s wide expanses on Sunday to run all over the Dockers and record a 90-point win in front of 32,401 fans.
The win boosted Sydney’s percentage to 140.0, now the second best in the competition behind GWS.
Inaccurate early, the visitors adapted quicker and better to a strong cross-ground breeze that stuck around for most of the Round 19 clash to pinpoint targets not only around the ground but also up forward.
Sydney were dangerous in the air, taking 12 marks inside 50 to Fremantle’s four, but also superior at the fall of the ball with both strengths delivering 10 individual goal-kickers including seven players who finished with two goals or more.
Kennedy, judged best-on-ground following his career-high 45-disposal and three-goals afternoon, was a beneficiary of Sydney’s efficiency and said more of the same should serve the team well in the final four rounds of the season.
“I thought we really used the ball well, changing angles and using the corridor which went a long way to having multiple goal-kickers,” he said.
“Hopefully it’s something we can keep working on and it can be a feature going forward.”
Isaac Heeney topped the list with four goals in the 20-year-old’s best game for a number of weeks. Xavier Richards chipped in with two goals while ruckman Sam Naismith booted the first goal of his short but promising AFL career.
Those performances capped off a strong showing by the Swans’ younger brigade of which Kennedy says continues to impress and will be also crucial to the side’s finals fortunes.
“It’s been such a positive feature of the side all season, to have seven debutants this season is fantastic for the club and supporters,” he said.
“It’s an exciting future, and a really exciting present as we all know as we’re sitting in the top four.
“If we can keep playing like that, hopefully we can finish in there and have a real crack.”
The Swans will be looking for a third-straight win when Port Adelaide travel to Sydney for a Round 20 clash back at the SCG.