SUBSTITUTE Andrejs Everitt has kicked a stunning match-winning goal inside the final 90 seconds to give the Sydney Swans a six-point victory over Geelong at the SCG on Friday night.
Brought on for returning co-captain Adam Goodes in the final quarter, Everitt took a contested mark from an Alex Johnson entry into the forward 50 and slotted the goal of his life to give the Swans an extraordinary 12.8 (80) to 11.8 (74) win.
The Cats had fought back from a six-goal deficit in the first quarter to get their noses in front late in the fourth, but the home side found an extra gear and took top spot with its second heart-stopping victory in as many matches after outlasting Essendon in round 11.
"Winning the close games makes a massive difference," Swans coach John Longmire said afterwards.
"The bottom line is you have to be in front when the final siren goes. That's the most important statistic of all.
"For the players to be able to do that and kick some important goals in the last quarter was terrific.
"Can we get better? Yeah, we can get better and we have to get better. But I thought we did a lot of things right tonight."
The win takes the Swans to 9-3 for the season, and while the Cats showed plenty of heart, the reigning premiers still find themselves battling for a top eight spot with a 7-5 record.
Rhyce Shaw and Ted Richards were strong in defence for the Swans, with Ryan O'Keefe and Jude Bolton influential in the midfield in front of 27,400 fans.
Jimmy Bartel, Corey Enright and Joel Selwood were outstanding for the victors, while James Podsiadly and Paul Chapman kicked two goals, but they were left devastated after their comeback fell agonisingly short.
"We fought our way back which is a positive, but in the end we're
really disappointed we didn't win the game," Cats coach Chris Scott told reporters after the match.
"When you are in front with not long to go then yes, you would like to
think that you would win the game.
"We were good enough at the end, we weren't good enough at the start."
As has been their custom in recent weeks, the Swans bolted out of the blocks, putting on seven goals to one in another impressive first quarter.
Combined with victories over the Western Bulldogs and Essendon in the past three weeks, the Swans have kicked 21 goals to three in their last three opening quarters.
The home side underlined a stunning opening term when ruckman Mike Pyke out-marked Matthew Scarlett and kicked truly from 45m on a slight angle for a 35-point lead at the first break.
The Swans appeared to drop their intensity to start the second quarter, spilling marks and missing some targets as the Cats battled to find a way back into the contest.
The Cats controlled the footy, but weren't able to turn it into scoreboard pressure. It was one goal apiece in a tense term before a Joel Selwood major deep in time-on made it a 29-point halftime edge to the Swans.
Geelong kept coming in the third quarter, starting to dominate the clearances and smashing the Swans 20-8 in inside 50s for the term, but three goals to two meant the Cats still trailed by four goals at the last change.
Consecutive Chapman goals and majors to Enright and Tom Hawkins made them seem likely winners, but Everitt had the final say in one of the games of the season.
SYDNEY SWANS 7.0 8.2 10.6 12.8 (80)
GEELONG 1.1 3.3 6.6 11.8 (74)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Jack 2, McGlynn 2, Reid 2, Armstrong, Bolton, Everitt, Jetta, Kennedy, Pyke
Geelong: Chapman 2, Podsiadly 2, Enright, Hawkins, J.Hunt, T.Hunt, Motlop, Selwood, West
BEST
Sydney Swans: Jack, Hannebery, McGlynn, Mumford, Jetta, Bolton
Geelong: Selwood, Motlop, Podsiadly, Kelly, Chapman, J.Hunt
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Nil
Geelong: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Sydney Swans: Adam Goodes replaced by Andrejs Everitt in the fourth quarter
Geelong: Dawson Simpson replaced by Allen Christensen in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Margetts, McInerney
Official crowd: 27,400 at SCG
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
