Swans to make call on rucking duties ahead of finals
Andrew Wu
SMH, August 21
Sydney are facing a major call on their ruck stocks heading into the finals – but it won't be Kurt Tippett making way.
The Swans posted one of their best home-and-away victories during the John Longmire era against Adelaide but there remains areas for improvement.
One department is in the ruck where the Crows' Sam Jacobs starred to strengthen his claims for All Australian selection.
Jacobs was instrumental in the Crows' fightback after quarter-time, raising questions about the Swans' ruck combination.
D-day appears imminent with big man Sam Naismith expected to be available after missing the past three weeks due to injury.
The beanpole ruck had been the Swans' No. 1 big man until he hurt his hip against Hawthorn, allowing Tippett and Callum Sinclair to share the ruck duties.
Naismith is not as proficient around the ground as Tippett and Sinclair but his tap work is considered the best of the three.
After a strong performance against Fremantle, Tippett was solid against stronger opposition with 14 possessions, a goal and three tackles. He played the entire game, which should help him build match fitness.
"He enjoys that continuity and playing a lot of football in the seniors, you can sense his confidence building each week," midfielder Luke Parker told ABC Grandstand.
"That follow-up is something he thrives on, the tackle, the hit, the pressure. Once he gets that going then his game goes to another level."
Road warrior Swans flagging title intent
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, August 20
SYDNEY’S thrilling three-point win over the top-of-the-ladder Crows at Adelaide Oval still hasn’t convinced bookmakers they are the team to beat for the flag — but their premiership case is getting stronger.
John Longmire’s men have beaten every other team in the top five — Adelaide, Geelong, GWS and Richmond — all at their home grounds with the wins over the Crows, Cats and Giants being achieved during the past six weeks.
The Swans’ turnaround has been nothing short of amazing.
They have won 13 of their past 15 matches since round seven, with the only hiccups coming against Hawthorn (rounds 10 and 19), who look highly likely to miss the finals for the first time since 2009.
In doing so they have become the first team to start a season 0-6 and still qualify for the finals. No team has ever played finals from 0-5.
It’s built a resilience and game style suited to a knockout competition, which again served them well when they trailed by nine points with less than 10 minutes to go against the Crows.
“It certainly wasn’t a blessing when I was sitting at 0-6,” Longmire said. “I don’t know (if the bad start helped us).
“We just knew if we played a really strong brand of footy for four quarters that we are more than competitive.
“We weren’t in those first six weeks and we have to finish off the season really strongly next week back at the SCG and then we will reset.”
Buddy does it again as Swans continue surge
James Buckley
SMH, August 20
Lance Franklin did it again on Friday to help Sydney down ladder leaders Adelaide, proving once more that he is ready to win his first AFL premiership with the Swans.
Buddy finished with three majors in the nailbiting win over the Crows, his third a genuine contender for goal of the season after he gathered the ball almost on the half-back flank before charging down the boundary line and threading it through.
Adelaide defender Daniel Talia chased gamely as Franklin almost messed up his second running bounce, but the superstar Swan still managed to finish from 40 metres out, hard up against the boundary line.
"It wasn't bad," Swans coach John Longmire said of the spectacular goal.
"He did a couple of really good things. Last quarter I thought he was big as well."
Franklin's heroics set up a 13th win from Sydney's last 15 matches and kept alive their top-four hopes as the club's remarkable turnaround continues to gather momentum.
Adelaide had more scoring shots, more disposals, more contested possessions and twice as many free kicks, but still found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreline.
Swans issue big challenge
Andrew Capel
The Advertiser, Herald Sun, August 19
DO not hand the premiership cup to Adelaide just yet.
While dual North Melbourne premiership player David King during the week declared the Crows were “the most powerful and complete team in the competition’’, their thrilling three-point home loss to Sydney has thrown the flag race wide open.
And it has left Adelaide with some thinking to do before Sunday’s clash against West Coast in Perth and its September finals campaign.
The Crows will claim their second McClelland Trophy as the AFL minor premier if they beat the Eagles but the Swans loom as a major flag threat after they fought back from nine points behind with six minutes left at Adelaide Oval to pinch a crucial win.
Sam Reid and Tom Papley kicked two goals in the last six minutes to clinch the win for Sydney after it lost a 29-point second-quarter lead and looked to be gone in the final term.
The victory, described by triple Coleman Medallist Lance Franklin as one of the best he had played in, was a testament to the Swans’ ability to stand up under pressure.
And it continued their dominance of the Crows.
The Swans, who knocked Adelaide out of last year’s finals, have now won six of their past seven matches against the Crows.
Adelaide coach Don Pyke said Friday night’s match would be a good indicator of how much his side had improved from last year’s six-goal finals loss.
And while they controlled the second half they were unable to seal the deal and allowed Sydney, which started the season 0-6, to keep its top-four hopes alive.
The Crows finished with 51 more disposals, 21 more contested possessions and 21 more inside 50s than the Swans but still lost.
This was partly due to poor conversion, with Sydney kicking 13.5 to 11.14 as Adelaide butchered opportunities in front of the sticks.
Swans are fairytale favourites
Andrew Faulkner
The Australian, August 19
Football hearts had the Swans winning the premiership before last night. Now even the hardest heads agree — the Swans are outright favourites for the flag and what a fairytale it would be.
After losing their first six games they were not so much Swans as ex-parrots. But after plucking the Crows by three points 13.5 (83) to 11.14 (80) in their own nest, the Swans have a wing on the cup.
In a game that lived up to the considerable hype, Sydney surrendered a 29-point lead before launching their own comeback to pinch the game in the last six minutes.
Goals to Sam Reid — after a contentious 50m penalty given to Callum Mills — and Tom Papley snuck the visitors home in a classic after the Crows led by nine points before a home crowd of 51,466. Both sides emerge from a bruising contest with flag credentials fully-franked.
In the Swans’ case, Lance Franklin fully-franked. He added another chapter to his storied career to effectively be the difference last night. First he kicked one of his now trademark running goals after running from behind the wing to the left forward pocket.
He followed the goal-of-the-year contender with a tap that was every bit as deft as the Paddy Ryder flick that won Port a game here three weeks ago. To take the game to new levels of ridiculousness, Gary Rohan gathered the Franklin tap to goal from 70m before being flattened by Jake Lever.
The Swans have now won 13 of their past 15 games and if things fall their way they’ll finish in the top four.
Sydney Swans into top four after epic victory
Adam Santarossa
AAP, Herald Sun, August 19
STAR Lance Franklin kicked three goals as Sydney pipped ladder-leaders Adelaide by three points to confirm their status as the hottest team in the AFL.
Franklin was a dominant force as the Swans prevailed 13.5 (83) to 11.14 (80) in a Friday night thriller at Adelaide Oval.
Franklin and teammate Josh Kennedy (31 disposals, one goal) inspired Sydney’s 11th win in 12 games — they’re now fourth, though Richmond are favoured to steal that spot back by beating Fremantle on Sunday.
Adelaide remain top and assured of an initial home final but were jumped at the start: Sydney kicked the first four goals — two from Franklin, matched against Adelaide ‘s fifth-gamer Alex Keath.
The Crows’ plight became severe when slipping 29 points down early in the second term but they climbed from the canvas to reduce their halftime deficit to only eight points.
And when Crow Mitch McGovern’s third goal was followed by an accurate Tom Lynch snap some four minutes into the third term, Adelaide held the lead.
Sydney linchpin Franklin then replied with a goal of the year contender — he took the ball on a wing some 100 metres from goal, bounced ahead of a flagging Daniel Talia, and threaded from 30m on a tight angle.
Sydney Swans stun the Adelaide Crows again
Ashley Porter
SMH, August 19
Sydney snared a stunning three-point away win over Adelaide, and may have denied them the minor premiership.
It hauls the Swans into the top four – for now – but they may be without Zak Jones for the remaining home-and-away game with Carlton at the SCG next Saturday after he was reported for rough conduct (late contact) on Adelaide's Brad Crouch just two minutes into the last quarter.
The Swans snatched the lead with two late goals from the 21 minute mark of the last quarter, and while the Crows cost themselves with turnovers Sydney was magnificent in maintaining possession and denying their opponents chances.
The visitors set up the thrilling victory with a brilliant opening quarter – and magnificent kicking for goal under pressure. Adelaide was helped by a free kick tally – including six to Rory Sloane who was virtually held and bashed – plus an enormous lift in winning the hard contests at the stoppages.
The result tells us Sydney remains as strong as ever to win another flag – and the Crows are certainly not out of the fight. It was a terrific lead-in to the finals series.
Sydney are now on the cusp of completing one of the greatest recoveries in an AFL season. After losing their opening six games, the Swans are now into the top four – albeit possibly temporarily. The Crows must now beat the West Coast Eagles at Subiaco on Sunday week to guarantee the minor premiership having won it only once, in 2005, when they finished fourth.
To show how good Sydney can be, and how well Adelaide recovered from very ordinary football, the first quarter needs to be explained. Sydney threw all their might at the Crows. They bullied Rory Sloane, bustled the other onballers, and embarrassed their opposition with clean handling of the ball while forcing their opposition into fumbles and lost possessions far too easily.
