DESPITE mounting a valiant second-halfcomeback, Sydney has been beaten by Geelong by 18 points –13.9 (87) to 10.9 (69) – at Skilled Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Swans were down by 11 points midway throughthe final term after scoring six unanswered goals starting late in the thirdquarter, but could not reel in the Cats, who enjoyed a 48-point lead early inthe third period after piling on nine unanswered goals.
Brett Kirk (33 disposals) and Adam Goodes(31 touches) worked tirelessly in the Sydneymidfield, but while their efforts sparked the late surge, they weren’t quiteenough to get their side over the line in a tense final term.
The Cats may have paid a high price for thewin, however, as Max Rooke limped off in the first quarter and watched the restof the match from the bench, while Jimmy Bartel was sent to hospital afterreceiving a heavy knock.
Luke Vogels was a late replacement forJarred Moore and he had an immediate impact, intercepting a Darren Milburnhandball to slam through Sydney’sfirst goal from point-blank range five minutes in.
Nick Davis was prominent early and gave hisside a seven-point lead midway through the term after Brad Ottens got into hisback 35 metres out, but the much-vaunted Cats defence took the honours for therest of the half.
The Swans’ forwards struggled in theabsence of Barry Hall, failing to register another major up to the main break,while the Geelongforward set-up with tall timber Cam Mooney, Steve Johnson and Nathan Ablettlooked eminently more dangerous.
Those three registered goals in the latterhalf of the first quarter and when Travis Varcoe caught Sean Dempster with theball and converted from close range, Sydneytrailed by 18 points at quarter-time.
The heavens opened in the second stanza,making conditions very tricky, but the Cats adapted quicker and extended theirlead with four unanswered goals.
Two of those resulted from 50-metrepenalties as the contest got a little spiteful, but while they were unable tokeep the scoreboard moving, the Swans at least stemmed the flow.
After Paul Chapman’s goal 11 minutes in,neither side scored another major before half-time when the home side enjoyed a41-point break.
Sydney appeared more willing to kick long to a contest in the forward lineafter the restart and the change in tack paid dividends with Ryan O’Keefeshaking Andrew Mackie to boot two goals and Tim Schmidt adding another.
Nick Malceski, Goodes and Kirk were allimportant as the Swans did better around the stoppages, but Geelong managed a couple of goals into thebreeze to keep their opponents at arm’s length.
Trailing by an even six goals as the lastterm got underway, Sydneyneeded the first and Luke Ablett delivered with a booming effort from outside50. When Kirk found Darren Jolly, who converted, the margin was back down to 23points.
Michael O’Loughlin had been well-held byMatthew Scarlett, but he sliced the deficit even further with his first andwhen Schmidt streamed inside 50 to slam through his second, the margin was just11 points with plenty of time left in the contest.
However, goals to Gary Ablett and Johnsontook the wind out of the Swans’ sails and effectively ended their chances of acome-from-behind win.
GEELONG: 5.1, 9.4, 11.8, 13.9 (87)
SYDNEY: 2.1, 2.5, 5.8, 10.9 (69)
Goals
Sydney: O'Keefe 2, Schmidt 2, Davis,Vogels, L. Ablett, Jolly, O'Loughlin, Fosdike
Geelong: Mooney 4, S. Johnson 3, G. Ablett 2, N. Ablett, Varcoe, Chapman,Corey
Best
Sydney: Kirk, Goodes, J. Bolton, L. Ablett, Barry
Geelong: G. Ablett, Enright, Chapman, S. Johnson, Milburn, Mackie, Mooney,Corey
Injuries
Geelong: Bartel (concussion), Rooke (hamstring)
Sydney: J Moore (hamstring) replaced in selected side by L Vogels
Reports
Nil
Umpires:McLaren, Chamberlain, Meredith
Officialcrowd: 23,040 at Skilled Stadium
