Sydney Swans juggernaut and star Buddy Franklin are steamrolling towards a fragile Geelong
GEELONG has lost its past two finals and on Friday night meets a Sydney team at the top of its game. It’s a huge challenge, but not an impossible one, writes MARK ROBINSON.
Mark Robinson
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THE up and comers met the champs and it was dog ugly.
Essendon was embarrassing and out of their depth and the only positive is coach John Worsfold can use it as a learning experience.
He has to. How else can they respond other than to own it, assess it and use it to improve for next year.
Down by 11 points at quarter-time, they trailed by 61 points at halftime.
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It was a whitewash underpinned by epic finals pressure from the bruisers in Harbour Town.
The Bombers were embarrassed, but the manner in which Sydney played, it would’ve embarrassed every team in the competition.
Ten consecutive goals through the first and second quarters ended the contest.
Who would be more worried?
The Bombers and their game plan going into next season, or Geelong — who plays Sydney at the MCG on Friday night?
Next year is a world away, so we move on the from the Bombers.
The Cats have lost their past two finals, one of them to Sydney, partly because they have failed to deal with the heat from the opposition.
They succumbed to the Swans in last year’s preliminary final and again against the Tigers on Friday night.
It’s third time unlucky for Chris Scott’s team.
They will met a team on top of their game. The Swans systematically took time and space away from Essendon and their forward line exploded around Essendon’s fragility, especially in the air.
Essendon had more disposals than Sydney in the first half, yet were slapped around by the Swans.
Contested marks were 18-4 to Sydney in the first two quarters.
Marks inside 50m were 11-3 to the Swans’.
Mistakes were 200-plus Essendon’s way.
At one stage Essendon kicked out of bounds on the full three times in five minutes. It was four times for the quarter.
They seemed overwhelmed by the intensity. Certainly, the Swans brought a brand of footy which was not expected because that’s how the Swans play.
It’s been said the Swans are the best team in the competition and they meet a team being questioned about their ability to play finals football.
On Sunday, as the weekend transitions to analysis and recovery, it appears to be a huge challenge for Geelong.
Huge, but not insurmountable.
Still, they have plenty to address, starting with their own state of mind and personnel and then on to Sydney’s strengths and weaknesses, which are exactly what?
The Bombers were supposed expose them on the outside and through the corridor, but Sydney batted them away.
The Cats will want to do the same, at the same time, while confronting and handling Sydney’s pressure.
There’s plenty to address.
Sydney’s Lance Franklin has a corkie, but he kicked three goals in four minutes at the start of the second quarter, so it’s not a corkie which will keep sidelined.
Callum Sinclair minced Michael Hurley early, Sam Reid plays third tall, and the bevy of mids and flankers, who swarmed over the Bombers, give the Swans a potency few teams possess.
At one stage on Saturday, the Swans had 20 inside-50s for nine goals. Their efficiency was frightening.
So much was made of Richmond’s pressure with low-profile forwards against the Cats on Friday night, but the fact is the Swans bring the same pressure and more talent.
Time and again the Swans dispossessed the Bombers with real and perceived pressure, which is a major part of the finals blueprint.
Absolutely, the query won’t be on the Swans next week, the query will be on the Cats.
They have failed their past two offerings in September and meet arguably the most imposing team remaining.
It would be a hell of victory if they could rescue their campaign.
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