A battered and bruised Swans have smashed the Giants’ September dominance, winning a pulsating qualifying final by six points at the SCG.
The Swans pulled back a 21-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter inspired by outstanding performances from returning forward Tom Papley and midfielder Isaac Heeney to prevail 13.10 (88) to 12.10 (82).
The Swans entered the game with injury concerns to Braeden Campbell and Joel Amartey, while their captain Callum Mills had been battling illness.
It helped contribute to a stuttering first-half performance by the Swans where they were down by as much as 28 points.
For so much of the season, Heeney has been the inspiration for his side and he didn’t disappoint with three goals and a spectacular mark early in the third quarter, climbing onto Giants defender Jack Buckley’s broad shoulder to pluck a mark from the stars that helped spark his team into life.
Heeney stood exhausted in the SCG after the game, nursing a broken nose after a ferocious contest, but still couldn’t contain a wide smile at one of the most memorable nights in his decorated career.
“I just had it [the nose] re-straightened; this is the sixth time I’ve broken it,” Heeney said. “I’m nearly desensitised, I’ve had surgery on it a couple of times and [Dr Michael Taplin] straightened it up pretty good, he’s done it multiple times after a game, so I’m kind of used to it.”
The fourth-quarter comeback came through goals from Will Hayward, Papley, Jake Lloyd, Braeden Campbell, a third goal for the outstanding Heeney and Joel Amartey getting the match-winner in the dying minutes with only his second kick of the game to seal victory in front of a raucous SCG.
Coach John Longmire explained that Amartey had injured his ankle in training and was lucky to play the game, as was Mills.
“[Amartey] rolled his ankle on Thursday after training, so we probably thought he might have been missing,” Longmire said.
“Those are the stories you probably don’t know. He was just doing some extra marking on Thursday, and rolled his ankle, and didn’t think he was going to play.
“Millsy had gastro and was crook as a dog tonight, but every team in the final series has those [challenges], and sometimes you’ve got to find a way and get through it and just get the job done.”
In a tense game, Papley also found himself in the middle of the action off the field. Giants general manager of football Jason McCartney made contact with Papley after a melee started at the end of the first quarter triggered by the small forward and GWS captain Toby Greene.
Tom Papley celebrates kicking a goal with Swans teammate Oliver Florent.Credit: Getty Images
McCartney looked to be trying to remove his players from the confrontation when he walked across Papley and made fleeting contact with the Swans player.
The confrontation set the tone for a contest that frequently brims with tension and the Giants arrived at the SCG happy to upset the finals form book once again and did it with vigour for much of the contest.
In the lead-up to the game, the Swans’ midfield trio of Chad Warner, Heeney and Errol Gulden had dominated the headlines and the expectation was that they would continue their dominance of the Giants’ midfield after two commanding wins in the regular season.
After being held for most of the previous three quarters, Gulden and Warner led with 11 and 13 disposals respectively in the final term as they fought to keep their team in the contest. Warner was lost for words after one of the most memorable Sydney derbies yet.
“I’m still in shock,” Warner said. “I actually don’t even know what the hell happened out there, because I couldn’t even hear myself, the crowd was that loud, and we gave him a show tonight, that’s sure.”
“It’s amazing...it was probably one of the best ones I’ve had so far, I know we’re in the moment now, but I can’t remember that good as a comeback.”
For all the Swans’ undoubted midfield brilliance this season, there are more pressing weaknesses in their forward line and defensive unit that can and do creak under pressure.
Three-goal hero Isaac Heeney celebrates with fans.Credit: Getty Images
The Swans’ normally reliant key defender Lewis Melican cut a frustrated figure, unable to stop a dominant performance from Giants’ forwards Jesse Hogan and Aaron Cadman with three goals each.
The substitute and Sydney local Campbell came on to replace Justin McInerney and made a huge difference with his running and a vital goal in the fourth quarter.
Longmire paid credit to Campbell who had endured a groin injury and also the death of his grandfather during the leadup to the game.
“He trained on Tuesday, he was really restricted in his training,” Longmire said. “He has had a sore groin, he was able to get through, but barely on Tuesday, so we’re tossing up whether to play him or not.
“And he lost his granddad unfortunately on Thursday night, who he’s really close with, and we want him to still play because he’s been terrific the last few weeks.
“We had a couple of things going against him this week, as far as how he was feeling and what had happened to him.
“I saw him and Hannah, his sister, after the game on the ground there and that’s a pretty special moment for the family.”
The Swans tend to make life difficult for themselves, often leaving a mountain of points to climb, it just makes the ending all the more pulsating for their fans who have a reason to believe that a premiership this year is absolutely possible.
The Giants will now meet the winner of Brisbane and Carlton in the semi-final to be played next week in western Sydney and the Swans will have a week off, before returning to the SCG for a preliminary final against either Port Adelaide or Hawthorn.