Callum Sinclair and Isaac Heeney lead Sydney to fighting 30-point win against Carlton
AT the end of last season Callum Sinclair was the third choice ruckman behind Sam Naismith and Kurt Tippett. Now he might be ready to lead the Swans to a premiership.
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A MASSIVE game from Callum Sinclair has helped deliver the Swans their eighth win of the season and secure the Marn Grook Trophy to kick off the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous round.
Sinclair finished with 22 disposals including 12 contested, seven marks, two goals and 26 hit outs.
At the end of last season Sinclair was the third choice ruckman behind Sam Naismith and Kurt Tippett. But the sudden retirement of Tippett and a season ending knee injury to Naismith thrust the former Eagle into the top job.
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He has had his struggles with the bigger ruckmen like Nic Naitanui and Brodie Grundy but against Matthew Kreuzer he well and truly took the honours.
“He’s been good shouldering a big load,” Swans coach John Longmire said.
“He played on a good player tonight. He’s a naturally fit bloke and gets around the ground well and he’s picked up a bit of confidence.”
Lance Franklin finished with a game high three goals for the night which was a good result given Carlton’s extra numbers in defence.
The Coleman Medallist has feasted on the Blues in recent seasons kicking 26 goals in his last five outings including 10 in round 23 last year.
George Hewett did an outstanding job on Blues midfield gun Patrick Cripps, containing him to just 17 disposals for the night, almost half his season average of 29. Hewett clearly shaded the young star with 20 possessions including 12 contested.
The Swans had clearly earmarked the Carlton youngster for extra attention, going to him before the first bounce and throughout the match.
Isaac Heeney was outstanding in the middle and claimed his first Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal. Luke Parker gave plenty of drive out of the midfield as did Jarrad McVeigh, who is having resurgence at the tender age of 33.
The Swans have lost three of their five games at home and early on they looked in danger of a fourth when the Blues led by a point at the long break.
Their defensive set up worked a treat early on with Sam Rowe getting the job on Franklin and Liam Jones playing mostly as a spare. Jones took four intercept marks in the opening term to keep the Swans explosive forward line contained.
“I thought Jones was terrific,” Carlton coach Brendan Bolton said.
“He intercepted the ball well, the last few weeks he’s built some consistency.”
The Blues will rue bad misses from deliberate shots by Matthew Wright, Sam Kerridge and Pat Kerr when the game was in the balance in the third.
In the same period the Swans nailed their chances, kicking five unanswered goals to set up a 27 point lead at the last break and effectively put the game out of reach.
After an extended stay in the VFL, Jack Silvagni looked a different man playing forward and providing a strong leading target inside forward 50 in the first half.
He faded in the second half and finished with two goals for the night and could have had more had he kicked straight.
Both sides were left scratching their heads with some of the umpiring decisions. Forty-nine free kicks were paid for the night with many appearing to be plucked from nowhere.
Dan Hannebery celebrated his 200th game, becoming the youngest in Swans history to achieve the mark. His 27 years and 97 days edged Tony Morwood by just three days.
It was an unusually quiet night for the midfielder, picking up just 12 disposals.
SYDNEY 3.5 5.7 10.9 13.13 (91)
CARLTON 3.1 6.2 6.6 9.7 (61)
CORDY’S BEST
Swans: Sinclair, Heeney, Parker, McVeigh, Smith, Hewett, Lloyd
Blues: Kerridge, Simpson, E Curnow, Jones
GOALS
Swans: Franklin 3, Sinclair 2, Heeney 2, Parker 2, Hayward 2, McVeigh, Jack.
Blues: C Curnow 2, Silvagni 2, Lang, E Curnow, Wright, Dow, Kerr
INJURIES
Nil
REPORTS
Nil
UMPIRES
Foot, O’Gorman, Mollison
CROWD
27,351 at SCG
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Originally published as Callum Sinclair and Isaac Heeney lead Sydney to fighting 30-point win against Carlton
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