The Sydney Swans reserves have moved a game clear at the top of the NEAFL ladder with an 18-point win over the Gold Coast Suns reserves in Sunday’s curtain-raiser at Metricon Stadium.

A mismatch could have been on the cards heading into the game with the Swans claiming top spot on the NEAFL ladder last week after defeating the then-next best side in the competition NT Thunder by 67 points. At the other end, the Suns reserves sat lowly on the bottom of the ladder, winless for the season and defeated by UWS by nearly 190 points a fortnight ago.

But the hosts certainly came to play and took it right up to the Swans from the beginning of the match in both tackling and pressure on the ball-carrier, often leading to bombing to the spare Sun in the forward line or confusion coming out of the backline.

Despite several shots on goal in the sunny Gold Coast conditions, combined with a few uncharacteristic dropped marks inside forward 50, the Swans were held goalless in the first quarter and trailed by four points at the first change.

It wasn’t until Toby Nankervis went back and slotted a long set-shot from just on the 50-metre arc in the opening stages of the second quarter that the Swans posted their first major of the contest. A goal from open play to top-up player Dan Preen shortly after put the visitors in front for the first time and it looked like the Swans were about to work their way on top.

But as the Suns did for most of the match, they fought back with the next two goals and looked to be heading to the major break with the lead, but back-to-back goals from Tim Membrey and another to Nankervis in red-time put the side in white and red up by three goals.

After a tight third term, it was red-time again where the Swans pulled away with two classy goals to George Hewett – the first from a mark after drifting inside the forward 50, the second following a blind turning after feigning to go to his left side and converting from 40 metres out with his right foot – and marks and set-shot goals to premiership players Ryan O’Keefe and Mike Pyke.

After collecting 23 disposals, midfielder Tom Mitchell injured his right ankle in a one-on-one marking contest deep in the Swans defence at the beginning of the third term and was forced to the bench and didn’t take any further part in the match.

Pleasingly for the Swans, ruckman Pyke got through the full four quarters in his first match since injuring his hamstring in the round seven win over Brisbane. As well as his goal, Pyke collected 12 disposals, five marks and a game-high 47 hit-outs as the dominant big man on the ground.

After putting in his best game for the year last weekend against the Thunder, Jordan Lockyer stepped up another level against the Suns. Playing mainly between the two 50-metre arcs, Lockyer picked up a game-high 31 touches, took six marks and maturely directed traffic for the defence.

His partner off half-back Zak Jones picked up 29 disposals, while Dan Robinson (27) and Brandon Jack (27) were the next best ball-winners for the Swans.

With the Suns keeping the margin at around the two-goal mark, Membrey sealed the game with his third goal late in the final quarter and despite some inaccuracy, kicking five behinds, he again finished as the leading scorer on the ground.

With the NSW/ACT Rams playing the Calder Cannons as the curtain-raiser to the Sydney Swans and Port Adelaide AFL match at the SCG, the Swans reserves will be in action at Drummoyne Oval from 10am next Saturday against a much improved Sydney University outfit who have recorded six wins already for the season.  

Sydney Swans reserves      0.5   5.9   9.9   12.12 84
Gold Coast Suns reserves  1.3   3.3   4.8     9.12 66

Goals: Membrey 3, Nankervis 2, Hewett 2, O’Keefe 2, Pyke, Rohan, Preen