Sydney ruckman Callum Sinclair says the team hopes Saturday’s win over Collingwood will give the team momentum in their bid to lock in a finals berth.
The Swans fronted the Magpies after falling to back-to-back losses to slip from the top eight for the first time since the completion of Round 5.
But the gripping two-point victory at the SCG, sealed by young Swan Tom McCartin through a miraculous goal with two minutes left on the clock, saw Sydney claw back a spot in the top eight.
Sinclair says the Swans hope the win over the Pies will reignite their charge to the finals.
“We’re hoping the win over Collingwood can spring a bit of momentum for the boys and hopefully we have a positive end to the year,” Sinclair said on the Sunday Footy Show.
“It’s going to give our group a lot of confidence going into the coming weeks, which are going to be crucial.
“As a playing group we’re very, very confident we can match it with the best in the competition. We haven’t played our best over the past five or six weeks but the footy world can change pretty quickly.”
Superstar forward Lance Franklin put the Swans on the front foot from the get-go, bursting on to a perfectly weighted Kieren Jack kick before slotting his first of six majors just over a minute in.
The seven-time All-Australian moved to 910 career goals in the Round 20 contest and now sits just five goals behind Hawthorn great Leigh Matthews on the all-time leaderboard.
He bagged his biggest haul of the season since booting eight goals against West Coast in Round 1 and polled 10 AFL Coaches’ Association votes in the process.
Sydney’s defence was also outstanding, with Dane Rampe (28 touches), Jarrad McVeigh (26) and Aliir Aliir (24) carrying the torch.
The back six absorbed plenty of heat in the final quarter as the Pies continually marched inside 50, laying the platform for the Swans to eventually edge the ball forward before McCartin snared the go-ahead goal.
The midfield battalion also fired, with George Hewett (25 possessions), Luke Parker (24) and captain Josh Kennedy (21) paving the way.
Kennedy copped a knock to the head midway through the third term but responded with a goal just moments later to level the scoreline.
Sinclair said it was a critical win.
“It was certainly a win that was a must for the Club,” Sinclair said.
“We just needed to get a bit of momentum going into the back end of the season. We had been a little bit disappointing over the past five or six weeks. It was a massive night for the Club and the boys are over the moon.”
The last-gasp win put the cherry on top for Sydney defender Alex Johnson, who played his first AFL match since the 2012 Grand Final.
The 26-year-old completed a remarkable comeback from five knee reconstructions, a total of 13 surgeries and a recurring knee infection in his first senior game in 2136 days.
Sinclair was full of praise for the returning Swan.
“I’ve never seen a bigger story than that,” Sinclair said.
“The footy world can be pretty harsh to you at times and no harsher than it has been to Alex. It was a massive night for the Club but a big night for him and his family and you couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. We’re so excited for him as a club.”
