Sydney earn early bragging rights over GWS after 11-point win in final pre-season clash before Round 1
SYDNEY has won early bragging rights over GWS after an 11-point victory in Blacktown in their final hitout before Round 1 as Lance Franklin, Luke Parker, Lachie Whitfield and Stephen Coniglio all impressed.
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THE Swans have claimed early bragging right against their cross town rivals with a hard-fought 11 point win over the Giants in their JLT match at Blacktown.
Sydney jumped out to an early lead before GWS clawed their way back to put their noses in front early in the last quarter.
Lance Franklin had been held goal less by Phil Davis until midway through the last quarter but booted the last two of the match to seal the win.
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Kieren Jack finished well with three goals for the match and Sam Reid booted two and marked strongly.
“We played a really good brand of footy at times,” Swans coach John Longmire said.
“Jake Lloyd had a tight quad so he didn’t play the last term but he feels OK. It seems as this stage we got out of it OK.”
Lachie Whitfield was the best for GWS with another outstanding display in the backline picking up 28 disposals and drifting forward for a goal.
The No.1 draft pick looks to have solved at least one of the many question marks hanging over their set up for 2018 with the departure of Nathan Wilson (Fremantle) and the season ending injury to Zac Williams (achilles).
His ball-winning and distribution make him the perfect replacement.
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Jeremy Cameron kicked three goals and could easily have had four or five had he been more accurate. He looked to fit and well after a disappointing end to last year when he missed six of the last 10 matches with a succession of hamstring injuries.
Brett Deledio was disappointing in his first hit out of the pre-season with just eight possessions for the night playing mainly on the wing.
He will need to find some form in the NEAFL practice match next week if he is to have any chance of lining up against the Bulldogs in Round 1.
“He was a bit rusty early,” Leon Cameron said.
“We are weighing up what is the best approach, wing, forward or back. These jack of all trade players can go anywhere and trying to settle him in a position makes it hard. It’s a huge relief after a good 10 week block of training he gets through unscathed.”
The Giants also lost talented young small forward Lachie Tiziani to what looks like serious shoulder injury.
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Tiziani was forced off in the first quarter after a solid bump from Tom Papley and didn’t return.
Zac Langdon looked to be in trouble with his shoulder as well when he fell awkwardly in second quarter but returned after half time.
The better news for the Giants came in the earlier NEAFL match where Rory Lobb played well in a 60 minute hit out.
It was his only competitive match this pre-season after suffering groin problems for much of the last two months.
Key defender Aiden Corr also come through his first match practice in good shape.
Jacob Hopper (back) and Tom Scully (knee) were both rested but are expected to be ready for Round 1.
Ryan Griffen also sat out the match but looks increasingly unlikely to be ready for the season opener.
Originally published as Sydney earn early bragging rights over GWS after 11-point win in final pre-season clash before Round 1
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