A DEVASTATING first half by the Sydney Swans has bankrolled a commanding 65-point win against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The Swans led by a stunning 78 points late in the second quarter and, despite some second-half resistance by the home team, were easy winners, 17.14 (116) to 7.9 (51).

Coming into the match off successive wins over North Melbourne and Adelaide, Lions supporters could scarcely believe their eyes in the first two quarters, as the Swans dominated in every facet of the match.

They led by 37 points at quarter-time and were unlucky to not be further in front as they annihilated the Lions with inside 50s (21-2), clearances (14-2) and possessions (110-52). They also won the opening-term free-kick count, 7-0.

The second quarter only got better for the visitors as they turned the pressure into goals, kicking another seven to one.

It was one-way traffic the entire first half as the Swans' forward press hemmed the Lions into their own half, with any clearing kicks being rebounded by defenders Marty Mattner (25 disposals, 10 marks), Nick Malceski (23, nine marks) and Ted Richards (22, 11 marks).

It was the Swans 10th win (with one draw) against the Lions in their past 13 meetings and their fifth in the past seven at the Gabba.

Adam Goodes has polled Brownlow Medal votes in five of past nine matches against the Lions and again put on a clinic.

He only had 19 disposals, but they were all class.

The dual Brownlow medallist got the ball rolling in the second minute of the match when he brilliantly roved a pack, stepped around Daniel Merrett and snapped truly with his left foot.

In the second quarter he continued to have the better of Joel Patfull, setting up goals for Trent Dennis-Lane with a deft left-foot pass and Josh Kennedy with some brilliant footwork and a neat handpass.

Lewis Roberts-Thomson played forward, kicking a career high three goals - taking his career tally to 19 in 137 matches - including a clever baulk and step around Merrett in the third quarter.

FIRST QUARTER
Any momentum the Lions gained from consecutive wins was lost under a Sydney Swans onslaught in the first quarter. The Swans peppered their inside 50, recording 21 entries while restricting the Lions to just two. At the end of the quarter, the Lions were lucky to be trailing by 37 points as the Swans kicked seven behinds. Jude Bolton and Ryan O’Keefe both shone in the first quarter for the visiting team, while defender Lewis Roberts-Thomson played up forward and kicked his 17th career goal.

Sydney Swans 6.7 (43) Brisbane Lions 1.0 (6)

SECOND QUARTER
The Swans continued where they left off in the first break, kicking seven goals to the Lions one. Roberts-Thomson, his presence hardly needed in defence,  spent time in the ruck and up forward and kicked another goal, while Goodes was among a number of Swans vying for best on ground for the quarter, setting up a number of goals and taking two contested marks against Joel Patfull.  Bryce Retzlaff kicked the Lions' only goal for the quarter on the siren but it was little consolation to the battered home side.

Sydney Swans 13.8 (86) Brisbane Lions 2.2 (14)

THIRD QUARTER
Sydney Swans took their foot off the pedal as the Lions kicked the first two goals of the quarter, before a reply from Swans half-forward Ben McGlynn, his second for the match. From there, both teams played dour, defensive football, with the sting well and truly out of the game.  Roberts-Thomson and Retzlaff traded goals at the end of the quarter, with the Swans taking a 61-point lead into the final break.

Sydney Swans 15.9 (99) Brisbane Lions 5.8 (38)

FOURTH QUARTER
Jonathan Brown opened the scoring for the Lions with his first goal of the game, as both teams ran through the motions to the game's conclusion. Goodes snatched a loose ball in the Swans' 50 and snapped around his body for his second, before Todd Banfield showed plenty of speed down the wing and booted a goal from beyond 50m for the Lions. Goodes, Jude Bolton, Martin Mattner and Ryan O’Keefe were among the Swans' best, while Matthew Leuenberger and Banfield battled hard for the Lions.

Sydney Swans     6.7  13.8   15.9   17.14 (116)
Brisbane Lions   1.0   2.2     5.8     7.9 (51)


GOALS
Sydney Swans: Roberts-Thomson 3, Goodes 2, Mattner 2, McGlynn 2, Seaby, Dennis-Lane, Reid, Johnson, O'Keefe, McVeigh, Kennedy, Bird
Brisbane Lions: Retzlaff 2, Banfield 2, Clark, Black, Brown

BEST
Sydney Swans: Goodes, Bolton, Bird, O'Keefe, Malceski, McVeigh, Roberts-Thomson
Brisbane Lions: Leuenberger, Redden, Polkinghorne, Hanley, Merrett

INJURIES
Sydney Swans: nil
Brisbane Lions: nil

SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane Lions: Rohan Bewick replaced by Jesse O'Brien in the third quarter
Sydney Swans:  Trent Dennis-Lane replaced by Andrejs Everitt in the last quarter.

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Nicholls, Kamolins, Findlay

Official crowd: 22,150 at the Gabba

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL