ALMOST total dominance in the ruck was the catalyst for a boilover at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Saturday night, where the Swans handed Hawthorn a 38-point defeat.

Helped by the late withdrawal of Robert Campbell and mid-week suspension of Simon Taylor, Darren Jolly and Jesse White tallied up an AFL record 73 hit-outs, a major contributor to the 38-point upset victory over the reigning premier.

After conceding five of the first six goals, the Swans steadied in the second term and produced their best football in the third, booting eight goals to four to take control of the contest.

Despite Barry Hall leaving the field with a groin injury midway through the final term, the Swans were good enough to hold an out-of-sorts Hawthorn at bay, as Norm Smith Medallist Luke Hodge battled to overcome a head knock and Stuart Dew a leg problem.

Hall and Adam Goodes both kicked four goals, Nick Malceski and Jarrad McVeigh starred and Craig Bolton kept Lance Franklin to just two majors.

Jolly and White totally dominated against Brent Renouf, with key forward Jarryd Roughead and Franklin forced to help out their young ruckman, causing further disturbance to the visiting team’s structure.

Roughead still managed three goals, Xavier Ellis battled manfully all night, and the early signs were ominous for the Swans as Mark Williams began his 100th game with two goals in as many minutes.

Another major to Stokes had the Hawks three goals up and the home fans were having flashbacks to the round-one defeat against St Kilda.  

But the Swans steadied and finally scrambled their first major after 16 minutes through McVeigh.

Franklin was being well held by Craig Bolton, but Jarryd Roughead broke free of another 100th-gamer, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, and threaded a curling effort from the boundary, before Williams added his third from 50m on the run.

Unable to find a leading forward, the Swans opted for the long bomb approach and it paid immediate dividends.

Hall and Goodes both marked speculative ‘rainmakers’ and converted late in the term, leaving the Swans two goals down at the first change.  

The second term proved a far more even contest as both team split the first four goals, including Franklin’s first major.

But, as the Swans began to win the midfield battle, the game’s balance of power shifted.

Malceski’s first goal cut the margin to just five points and Jolly levelled the scores with 22 minutes gone after yet another long, high kick into attack.

A  Jarryd Morton goal looked set to give the Hawks an eight-point lead at the long break, but the impressive Jesse White had other ideas, slotting a set shot from 55m after the siren.

He was duly mobbed by his teammates as the Swans headed to the rooms just two points down.

The third quarter began in the same fashion as the second, with four goals again split.

Malceski, who kicked the fourth of those, was becoming one of the game’s most influential players, despite his modest possession count.

Having booted two majors, he set up Craig Bird a minute later and the young Swan kicked truly to put the home side in front for the first time.

Hall slotted his third soon afterwards and the Swans suddenly boasted an 11-point lead.

The tireless Roughead halved that margin with his third goal, and the Hawks could have regained the lead, but for errant snaps from Stokes and Cyril Rioli.

With White lifting in the ruck, the Swans responded with a withering burst of goals through Jarred Moore, O’Keefe, Malceski and Hall.

A clever effort from second-gamer Garry Moss did little to stem the tide and the home team held a 21-point lead at the last change.  

Franklin bobbed up with the first goal of the final term to give the travelling fans some hope, but a two-goal burst from Goodes quelled any Hawthorn revival.

The margin blew out as the sides traded goals to see out the term, a major to hard working captain Brett Kirk capping a great night for the home team.

Injuries
Sydney Swans: Barry Hall (groin), Jared Crouch (knee), Craig Bird (knee)
Hawthorn: Nil.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.