THE SYDNEY Swans have defeated West Coast by five points at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night in another thrilling instalment of the greatest rivalry in recent years.
The Eagles trailed all night – by six points at quarter time, four at half time and 19 at the last change – before a Scott Selwood goal put them in front at the 20-minute mark of the final term.
But Swans youngster Kieren Jack went one better, snapping truly from 35m deep in time-on to wrest back the lead and seal the 16.10 (106) to 15.11 (101) victory.
It was an incredible finish to a desperately-fought clash in which the margin never exceeded 19 points.
Adam Goodes was back to his eye-catching best for the Swans with 26 possessions and three goals, Jude Bolton (25) worked tirelessly in the centre and Barry Hall was outstanding in attack with five goals and some important defensive efforts.
For the Eagles, Josh Kennedy (three goals) was a dangerous target all night, Quinten Lynch and Dean Cox were influential right around the ground and Andrew Embley (22 possessions) was prolific through the midfield.
The Swans made a habit of striking out to a three-goal lead early in each of the first two terms, and did it again in the third through Luke Ablett and Hall.
But where the first half featured long periods of stalemate in the midfield, this quarter was the epitome of free-scoring football.
McKinley and Goodes exchanged goals – the latter coming after Swan Darren Jolly sat Adam Selwood down with a good old-fashioned bump in the midfield – before Lynch snapped his second of the night from a boundary throw-in.
A tremendous series of repeat efforts from Hall was the catalyst for Jarred Moore’s first goal midway through the quarter, restoring the Swans’ three-goal lead.
But that work was quickly undone at the other end as Cox, sent to full-forward, and then the increasingly dangerous Kennedy kicked truly.
Jolly responded for the home side, only to see McKinley boot his third immediately afterwards following an interchange infringement by the Swans’ bench.
Undeterred, old hands Hall and O’Loughlin slotted two late majors – the former from 55m, the latter from the goal square – to give the Swans a 19-point break at the last change.
Cox’s second goal inside the first minute of the final quarter cut the gap to 13 points and another grind ensued with neither team willing to give an inch.
A snap from Eagles defender Brett Jones left the visitors just six points down and they were running high on confidence.
McKinley wasted a gilt-edged chance to level the scores a minute later when his attempted pass to an unmarked Cox in the goal square went astray, much to his ruckman’s disgust.
Hall made the Eagles pay with his fifth goal, sending the home crowd into raptures but McKinley atoned for his earlier error with his fourth of the night.
Scott Selwood gathered a loose ball from the ensuing restart to put the Eagles in front.
Adam Cockie and Lynch both missed set shots to extend the Eagles' lead and Swans youngster Jack made them pay, winning the loose ball and splitting the middle to put the Swans in front for one last time.
Earlier, the Swans started brightly, booting the game’s first three goals inside 12 minutes.
Jamie McNamara’s snap from a pack pulled one goal back for West Coast and McKinley added another from the boundary line two minutes later, slowing the Swans’ early momentum.
Hall’s determination to atone for his frustration against Geelong was evident in his manic defensive pressure, which led to Jude Bolton’s second goal.
Martin Mattner put the Swans three goals up after drifting forward but late majors to Cockie and Kennedy left the Eagles just six points adrift at quarter time.
That late surge proved just a blip as the Swans booted the first two goals of the second term before the game degenerated into a battle of the half-back lines.
The Eagles’ midfield lifted late in the term and goals to Lynch and Kennedy put them within a goal at the long break.
Sydney Swans 5.2 7.4 14.7 16.10 (106)
West Coast 4.2 6.6 11.6 15.11 (101)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Hall 5, Goodes 3, J. Bolton 2, Mattner, Ablett, Moore, Jolly, O’Loughlin, Jack
West Coast: McKinley 4, Kennedy 3, Lynch 2, Cox 2, McNamara, Cockie, Jones, S. Selwood
BEST
Sydney Swans: Goodes, Hall, J. Bolton, Shaw, O’Keefe, Jolly
West Coast: Kennedy, Embley, McKinley, Butler, Lynch, Cox
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Lewis Roberts-Thomson (hamstring)
West Coast: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Rosebury, Stewart
Official crowd: 33,079 at ANZ Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
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