Swans, Giants history due at ANZ, not SCG
Andrew Wu
SMH, August 29
The Sydney Swans’ SCG finals homecoming will have to wait, after the AFL’s dream of a September Sydney derby was realised in a frenetic few hours on Sunday.
Hawthorn’s heart-stopping victory against Collingwood means Greater Western Sydney will make their finals debut against crosstown rival the Swans in what is already being billed as the biggest game in the history of the code in NSW. The match-up will take the rivalry between the two clubs to another level.
Controversially, the match will be played at the neutral ANZ Stadium, a short walk from the Giants’ Homebush base, as part of the deal struck between the AFL and the venue last week. While the Swans have welcomed the return of finals back to the SCG, they are privately disappointed they have to ‘‘host’’ the Giants at a ground where they have not played all year.
The Giants have been hoping to play the Swans because it will allow them to stay in Sydney and get extra exposure in their home market. Although the highest crowd the two sides have drawn, 38,203, can easily be accommodated at the SCG, the larger ANZ Stadium was chosen because the AFL wants to maximise attendances.
On the outer ... now he's in like McGlynn
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, August 29
THREE weeks ago Ben McGlynn’s career was at the crossroads as he struggled to deal with being dropped to the reserves.
But a five-goal haul against Richmond on Saturday and a step up in defensive pressure has the former Hawk hitting form at the right time of the year.
As the Swans prepare for their seventh consecutive finals campaign the 31-year-old looked like he was going to be cheering from the sidelines when he was dropped after round 17 loss.
McGlynn admitted he struggled emotionally.
ANZ does Swans no favours
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, August 29
WHEN is a home ground not an advantage?
That’s the question Swans fans are asking after ANZ Stadium was confirmed as the venue for Sydney’s historic qualifying final against GWS on Saturday week.
Sydney haven’t played at the Olympic stadium this year and the Giants haven’t played there since 2013.
Despite the break the Swans should have a significant edge playing at ANZ. They have played 54 games there since 2002, including 10 finals, winning eight of those.
GWS have played there just three times and lost all of them to Sydney by an average margin of 51 points.
Franklin hitting form at the right time of the season
Adrian Warren
AAP, The Australian, August 29
LANCE Franklin looks to be hitting top form at the right time, as he prepares to return to the AFL’s biggest stage.
A mental health issue meant the gifted forward didn’t participate in Sydney’s disappointing 2015 finals campaign in which they lost both their games.
However, Franklin looks to be in good shape mentally and physically after playing in every home-and-away game for the first time in his three seasons with Sydney.
He has kicked 74 goals and provided he stays injury-free and in good form looks likely to finish with his second biggest season haul behind the 113 he booted for Hawthorn in 2008.
After kicking 34 goals in the first eight rounds Franklin had pundits predicting he would become the first man to boot 100 in a season since he achieved the feat back in 2008.
The goals didn’t exactly dry up for Buddy from that point, but 27 majors in his next 11 matches ensured the coveted century mark wouldn’t be attained in the home-and-away season.
But the code’s most flamboyant player turned on the fireworks again in the run to the finals, bettering his season-best game haul of five twice in the last three rounds.
Swans crowned minor premiers
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, August 28
THE SWANS have wrapped up the minor premiership in the most emphatic way possible demolishing Richmond by 113 points at the SCG.
It’s just the third time in the club’s history in Sydney they have finished in top spot after the home and away season, the previous two coming in 1996 and 2014.
The Swans were as good as the Tigers were bad, dominating every aspect of the game to cruise into their seventh consecutive finals series.
“It was a terrific performance,” Swans coach John Longmire said.
“You’re not quite sure with teams who aren’t playing in the finals because they can be really difficult and challenging. The way our players went about it was fantastic and didn’t give them a look in.”
Buddy ripper: slick Swans seal minor premiership
James Buckley
SMH, August 28
Lance Franklin exploded back to form on Saturday helping Sydney secure a second minor premiership in three years as Richmond's season of misery endured one last embarrassing 113-point flogging.
Franklin was unstoppable kicking seven while Ben McGylnn (5) and Gary Rohan (4) contributed heavily as the Swans collected their 17th win this season against an insipid Tigers outfit who looked for the most part as if they were only at the SCG to fulfil an inconvenient round 23 appointment.
They certainly didn't contribute in any way to making this a contest with even the competition's best defender Alex Rance a step or two off his usual lofty standards.
In fairness to the Richmond backman, no AFL defender past or present would have controlled Franklin as he returned to form with deadly force and impeccable timing.
He was superb, marking everything on the lead and finishing with deadly accuracy leaving the Tigers powerless to quashing his influence.
