Essendon missing ‘a bit of polish, bit of system’, says Scott, as Swans put the boot in

Sydney Swans 15.8 (98) d Essendon 8.11 (59)

Luke Parker of the Swans celebrates kicking a goal.Credit: Getty Images

Season done for Dons

For the second year in a row, Essendon’s season has petered out and ended with a whimper. In second spot for much of the first half of the year, and in the eight until the final week of July, the Dons are done. Barring a miracle, it will be another year without a finals victory. In front by seven points after a strong first half, the Bombers folded after half-time, sinking to a 39-point loss to Sydney.

The Swans are now all but guaranteed top spot on the ladder, their 10th minor premiership and first since 2016 when they lost the grand final to the Western Bulldogs. I’m still not convinced the Swans are back to their best from the middle of the season, but their performance in the second half was a big step forward. Whereas last week they played one quarter, this week they put together two.

Isaac Heeney is working back to his best form, and they did it tonight without Chad Warner. Their forward line remains a query. Joel Amartey, Hayden McLean and Logan McDonald had quiet nights, though Amartey got going late. Tom Papley’s energy and threat at ground level is missed.

Where to for the Bombers?

This match was a snapshot of why Essendon are where they are. They won the half they controlled by just points, and lost the half in which they were dominated by nearly eight goals. Put simply, they lack the class to make it count on the scoreboard, and do not have the maturity or organisation to stem the bleeding when the going gets tough.

How much this is related to system or personnel will be dissected over the off-season, but from the cheap seats it appears a combination of both. Their forward line lacks presence in the air and when the inconsistent Jake Stringer is not on song and has no X-factor when the ball hits the deck. Kyle Langford’s form has tapered, and Nate Caddy, while promising, is a first-year player who is years off hitting his prime.

The backline remains jittery despite the addition of Ben McKay, whose form has tapered after a strong first 15 games or so. He needs more support. Jayden Laverde is limited, and the Dons tried former forward Sam Weideman, whose future is unclear. Their midfield, apart from Zach Merrett, is short of class. Dylan Shiel remains AFL standard, but at age 31, is he part of their future? Jye Caldwell and Sam Durham have been big improvers. Much rests on their shoulders.

Jayden Laverde of the Bombers and Will Hayward of the Swans compete for the ball.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Parker beds down finals spot

Luke Parker has just about put to bed any talk he is not in Sydney’s best team. For the second week in a row, the Swans veteran ignited his team, lifting them out of their funk and, as their song says, onwards to victory. Parker made his name as a hard-nosed inside midfielder, but is no longer a fixture in their centre-square set-up.

Parker, though, is a threat forward with his strong hands and straight kicking. Moved into the guts after half-time, he booted two of his three goals when the Swans surged in the third term. He is a better extra midfield option than Taylor Adams and more of a threat inside 50 than Joel Amartey. His best might be behind him, but Parker still has an important role to play in the club’s quest for a sixth flag.

KEY STATS

That’s all we have for you tonight after Sydney’s win over Essendon at Marvel Stadium.

We will be back tomorrow afternoon with our AFL Saturday blog.

Please join us then.

Bye for now.

Bombers coach Brad Scott spoke to the media post game.

What were your thoughts on the game?

Disappointing not to make the most of more of that advantage in the first half with those inside 50s only up by a goal at halftime. It has been unfortunately a bit of a trend in our season that we have been... What I think is the hardest parts of the game in terms of giving yourself opportunity and creating opportunity in the contest. So to be +20 most of the night in contested possession and double inside 50s in the first half. Most facets dominate the game, outside of the scoreboard, against a really good team. You get the feeling that if you don’t take your opportunities, they will take theirs. Which they did. As hard as we work on it, the players are incredibly frustrated. Doing all the hard work and not having the ability to finish that work with our connection inside 50. And the ability to score and put a gap on the opposition. That is hard enough against anyone but against the best teams, it is going to come back to bite you and it did.

Sam Draper and Brody Grundy compete in the ruck.Credit: Getty Images

That connection inside 50 - is that a personnel issue? Is that something with your system?

It is unfair to say it is personnel. You haphazardly kick it in and hope someone marks it. There are multiple ways to score. If you contrast it with the way Sydney scored, sort of some long-range set shots, build the ball up, kicked accurately. A whole range of things. It is not just a one off for us, unfortunately. Not sitting here saying that it was just this week that there was an issue but it has been an issue for too long. It is a clear focus for us to get right. As I said, the harder part of the game is to compete against the best teams and give yourself opportunity and that is not often you’re playing against a team that has been on top of the ladder all year pretty much. And you double their inside 50s. +20 in contested possession at halftime and seven points in front or whatever we were.

Do you feel your entries and where you got your chances were from more difficult positions?

I think the balance of that was not too bad. Sydney definitely resourced the defensive 50 really well as they should and most good teams do. A little bit of our decision-making but overall it is... We have to look at our system because we are generating enough opportunities but not capitalising on it.

Bryan and Draper, does that give you an answer for next season about ruck combinations?

No, we still think Peter Wright is an important player. He has to focus on what his best footy looks like and I still have a lot of belief in Peter. Nick Bryan was terrific with Grundy. And obviously, a very good ruckman and I thought he gave us first use and he and Draper in the first half in particular were fantastic.

The results have been similar to last year late in the season so how do you feel you played this season compared to last?

I get the correlation. I am not going to bother arguing against it. I look at it in terms of where we are at. Again, the foundation of what we’re doing is really solid. We were incapable of competing against the best when it mattered last year if you want the comparison. Right now, it is a bit of polish, bit of system, a bit of class that is the difference between us and the best. It is not the efforts in the contest. And Sydney are very good contested team. We pretty much dominated that part of the game tonight but they were better than us in their ability to move the ball and connect inside 50.

Swans coach John Longmire spoke to the media post game.

What do you take from that win after a scrappy first half?

Outstanding. I do not think the first half will go down in history books but that makes it even better. And more satisfying in a lot of ways. Some games we have been able to win and we have done it with really strong dominant performances from early and when things are working pretty well and your system is up and going and you sit back and say that is a really good game. Probably last week’s battle, we had our ability to hang in and come back and tonight was even more pleasing because we probably had five or six good players in the first half. And then, those guys kept going and then everyone just jumped and jumped on board and we were within striking distance. Sometimes getting into the grind in the first half and stepping into that space, a real grind of footy, when you are in that contest and getting beaten in the key statistics like the repeats in this and that. It was going against us but our ability to be able to embrace that and stay with it and stay with it and stay with it and defend. And then go. And everyone got going. We started winning contests and I thought that was the most pleasing aspect.

Swans coach John Longmire.Credit: Getty Images

From the second half, you have what finals coming up...?

I take a lot out of the first half. That is my point. You take a lot out of the first half. It is not always about great footy and you are not going to play super footy every game. Every club is not going to do it for the whole game. When you hit the scoreboard and it looks great and things are working and your game is going. I take just as much out of the first half strangely enough. That is the grind. That is what was pleasing about it.

Is it different things going wrong in the first quarter? Do you notice the same things?

Let’s focus on the first quarters. The first 15 minutes last week we were pretty good, kicked a couple of goals quickly and they did the same. Our first quarter last week was pretty good except for that. We will keep working on it.

What does it mean to the group to secure the finals?

It is an outstanding effort, so I know we will work on the first quarters but it is a tough competition. If we are sitting here last year, would we have taken it or not? The position we are in and even the last couple of weeks I have been so pleased with how we have gone about it. Putting the overalls on and getting to work. You are not going to be playing at your best all the time. You have to find a way. Sometimes that is the best thing to do.

Sydney veteran Luke Parker spoke to Seven post game.

Luke Parker, congratulations, a massive contributor tonight. How do you sum it up?

Incredible win. Our backs were against the wall in the first half and defence. The boys stood up in the first half and had about 40 inside 50s. They stood up and the momentum went our way. Fantastic.

Luke Parker of the Swans kicks the ball.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

How much do you love this? Three goals tonight, you have missed a lot of footy throughout the year through injury and then unavailability with suspension but you have settled back in so beautifully.

I’m enjoying every moment. Taking each week as it comes. When you miss a fair chunk of footy this year, you get excited for the time of year and you want the team to be in good form so it is nice to secure the top spot.

I also want to give a quick shout-out to Dyson Heppell. He’s been a champion of the Essendon Football Club for so long and I played with him when I was 16 or 18. Incredible. Well done on your career.

Sydney Swans 15.8 (98) d Essendon 8.11 (59)

Luke Parker of the Swans celebrates kicking a goal.Credit: Getty Images

Season done for Dons

For the second year in a row, Essendon’s season has petered out and ended with a whimper. In second spot for much of the first half of the year, and in the eight until the final week of July, the Dons are done. Barring a miracle, it will be another year without a finals victory. In front by seven points after a strong first half, the Bombers folded after half-time, sinking to a 39-point loss to Sydney.

The Swans are now all but guaranteed top spot on the ladder, their 10th minor premiership and first since 2016 when they lost the grand final to the Western Bulldogs. I’m still not convinced the Swans are back to their best from the middle of the season, but their performance in the second half was a big step forward. Whereas last week they played one quarter, this week they put together two.

Isaac Heeney is working back to his best form, and they did it tonight without Chad Warner. Their forward line remains a query. Joel Amartey, Hayden McLean and Logan McDonald had quiet nights, though Amartey got going late. Tom Papley’s energy and threat at ground level is missed.

Where to for the Bombers?

This match was a snapshot of why Essendon are where they are. They won the half they controlled by just points, and lost the half in which they were dominated by nearly eight goals. Put simply, they lack the class to make it count on the scoreboard, and do not have the maturity or organisation to stem the bleeding when the going gets tough.

How much this is related to system or personnel will be dissected over the off-season, but from the cheap seats it appears a combination of both. Their forward line lacks presence in the air and when the inconsistent Jake Stringer is not on song and has no X-factor when the ball hits the deck. Kyle Langford’s form has tapered, and Nate Caddy, while promising, is a first-year player who is years off hitting his prime.

The backline remains jittery despite the addition of Ben McKay, whose form has tapered after a strong first 15 games or so. He needs more support. Jayden Laverde is limited, and the Dons tried former forward Sam Weideman, whose future is unclear. Their midfield, apart from Zach Merrett, is short of class. Dylan Shiel remains AFL standard, but at age 31, is he part of their future? Jye Caldwell and Sam Durham have been big improvers. Much rests on their shoulders.

Jayden Laverde of the Bombers and Will Hayward of the Swans compete for the ball.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Parker beds down finals spot

Luke Parker has just about put to bed any talk he is not in Sydney’s best team. For the second week in a row, the Swans veteran ignited his team, lifting them out of their funk and, as their song says, onwards to victory. Parker made his name as a hard-nosed inside midfielder, but is no longer a fixture in their centre-square set-up.

Parker, though, is a threat forward with his strong hands and straight kicking. Moved into the guts after half-time, he booted two of his three goals when the Swans surged in the third term. He is a better extra midfield option than Taylor Adams and more of a threat inside 50 than Joel Amartey. His best might be behind him, but Parker still has an important role to play in the club’s quest for a sixth flag.

KEY STATS

Swans star Isaac Heeney spoke to Seven post game.

Back to back wins to lockdown a top-two spot - must feel good?

It is good. The start was a bit better but a bit disjointed early. Fitness is key at the moment.

Isaac Heeney.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

What are we going to do about these starts?

Some decent contest work again from Essendon and we have been slow there. We need to be stronger than that. The second half was a lot better, we had to back to dirty footy. It helps.

What about your second half? Five touches to half-time, Jye Caldwell giving you attention, how do you set yourself a massive second half and ultimately help your team get it?

He is a tough fella, he is fast and he is a good footballer. I was a bit crook, so I will keep my distance. A bit lethargic early. I just know my run is always there. Got to stick to that. The contact helps. It was nice to respond.

You potentially have locked down a top two spot, you don’t need to leave the SCG, you happy with the position you are in?

Absolutely, you have to look at the positives. That six-week period was a challenging one. We are better for it, I believe. We will be back to some of our better footy which is nice. We have to stay strong and know that our system holds up and play with confidence. We will not look too far ahead but it is nice to know that hopefully a couple of games of the SCG.

The Swans have first place locked in, unless Port Adelaide has two enormous wins, and Essendon’s finals hopes are dashed with a round left in the season.

Sydney’s fightback in the second half was a sign, they hope, that they are now back to their best after a shaky end to the regular season.

Will Hayward of the Swans celebrates kicking a goal.Credit: Getty Images

Nic Martin has kicked his third goal - his first two came in the first term.

The cheer was pretty tepid. The Essendon fans are deep in their feelings as they contemplate another year without finals.

Swans 98, Dons 59 with two mins to go.