On the back of a five-day break, the Swans were quick to start the game, booting the opening three goals of the game – all coming from top-up players, with Thomas Head bagging two and Stephen Wray the other from a long set-shot from outside 50.
However, the Hills Eagles made the most of their forward 50 entries towards the end of the first quarter, kicking four out of five goals before a steadying Jesse White set-shot gave the Swans breathing space at the first break with a nine-point lead.
The Swans again shot out of the blocks in the second term, with goals to Andrejs Everitt and Jake Lloyd in the opening minutes of the term extending the lead before the Hills Eagles settled into the term and put some pressure on the Swans on the scoreboard.
Two consecutive goals in the second term to Tommy Walsh, as well as the opening goal of the third quarter, gave the Swans a comfortable buffer at the main break which they built on in the second half.
An inexperienced Swans backline combined with some strong defensive set-ups across the ground from the Eagles, saw the hosts struggle at times to sweep the ball through the middle of the ground as easily as they had done in previous round. But the superior fitness of the young Swans eventually shone through in the second half as they got the game on their terms and found more gaps as the game went on.
Head and Walsh were the main beneficiaries of the Swans work through the middle of the ground as they combined for nine goals, while Lloyd, Daniel Robinson and Everitt – before he left the game at half-time for senior emergency duties – finished as the team’s other multiple goalkickers.
The midfield unit of White, Craig Bird, Jed Lamb and Robinson dominated across the park, but were particularly effective from center stoppages where they won the bulk of centre clearances and pressured the visitor’s defence. Bird and Lamb gathered plenty of the ball, while White was again the dominant ruckman on the ground.
In the Swans’ defence, Alex Brown and Shane Biggs played important roles, with Brown’s intercept marking and spoils often keeping the ball in the attacking half, while Biggs showed good composure off the half-back line constantly hitting targets.
With the senior side on international duty next week, the Swans reserves will enjoy a bye before hosting the Brisbane Lions reserves at the SCG in a fortnight’s time.
Sydney Swans reserves 5.3 12.8 17.12 22.16 (148)
Sydney Hills Eagles 4.0 6.4 10.7 13.8 (86)
Goals: Walsh 5, Head 4, Everitt 2, Lloyd 2, Robinson 2, White 2, Wray, Towers, Lamb, Jack
