At the end of round four, the Swans were languishing in 13th position with just one win and facing questions about whether their window of opportunity was still open. In response, the Swans have won their past six games to sit inside the top four with a 7-3 win-loss record. Thursday night’s performance, in crushing the second-placed Cats - who have beaten the Swans in their past three meetings – with extreme midfield pressure and a potent three-headed forward line, leaves no doubt about their premiership credentials and should send shockwaves through the League.
2. Geelong sets a few unwanted records
The stats make difficult reading for Cats fans. The half-time total of 1.3 (9) was the club's lowest first half effort since they posted 0.4 against Carlton at Princes Park in round 12, 1977. The 110-point losing margin was Chris Scott's worst loss since taking the reins in 2011 and the first time the Cats have been beaten by more than a hundred points under his leadership. Moreover, it was the club's seventh worst loss in its history and the biggest defeat against the Sydney Swans/South Melbourne. In terms of match stats, the Swans had 466 possessions, 107 more than Geelong's 359.
3. Franklin hits a career 600 goals as Swans forwards dominate
Lance Franklin got his milestone out of the way early, making no mistake from a free kick at the 25-minute mark of the opening term when held back in a marking contest. He finished the night with four goals, while teammate Kurt Tippett booted five in an awesome display. The pair also looked to be combining well in the cosy confines of the SCG. In the opening term, Tippett ran back to take a diving mark from a well weighted Franklin pass and kicked a goal. The former Crow returned the favour late in the match when he soccered the footy to a waiting Franklin in the goalsquare, who slotted the footy through for a goal in a manner that would make Ange Postecoglou proud.
4. Thursday football a hit with Sydney fans
Having visited Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, it was the Harbour City's turn to host the Thursday night caravan and 37,355 showed up at the SCG. The attendance was higher than the 31,060 that turned up to the same fixture at the SCG in 2013 and the biggest crowd at the SCG since 39,079 came for the 2005 semi-final against the Cats. Thursday night’s clash was the fourth of five Thursday fixtures in 2014, following Richmond v Carlton in round one, Brisbane Lions v Richmond in round five and Adelaide v Collingwood in round nine. The final Thursday game comes in round 19 when Fremantle hosts Carlton.
5. Indigenous Round gets underway
The AFL has a strong history of celebrating its indigenous talent, but that hit new heights in round 11. All teams will wear a specially designed jumper, with the Swans' strip on Thursday night designed by Adam Goodes' mother Lisa Sansbury. In the lead-up to the game, Swans coach John Longmire paid tribute to two of their most prominent indigenous representatives. "Mick O'Loughlin, there's probably no greater example in the history of this footy club in regards to the importance of indigenous players to this club," he said. "I remember when 'Goodesy' played his 300th down in Tasmania, there was a speech that Mick O'Loughlin did before the game as he presented the jumper to Goodesy. It was probably one of the great memories in footy to be able to listen to that. They're certainly looking forward to this week's game." Perhaps the only blemish for Goodes was an untidy third-quarter bump on Joel Selwood that may catch the attention of the Match Review Panel.
