Genius play keeps Sydney Swans’ slim hopes of making finals alive

It came down to the dying moments but Sydney’s hopes of taking part in September action remain alive thanks to one moment.

Sydney’s 2025 campaign has a slight pulse, with its slim finals hopes still alive after a hard-fought five-point win over a gallant St Kilda in an engrossing, physical encounter at Marvel Stadium.

The Saints led by as much as 18 points in the third quarter before Sydney launched a stirring comeback, which included three unanswered goals at the start of the fourth term.

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Saints ruck Rowan Marshall levelled the scores with a goal before Brodie Grundy and Errol Gulden teamed up to pull off an epic forward 50 stoppage play, with Grundy palming the ball perfectly into the lap of a running Gulden, who nailed the, ultimately match-winning, goal.

Gulden’s major sealed a five-point win, 14.8 (92) to St Kilda’s 13.9 (87), that keeps Sydney’s hopes of making the top eight alive … just.

Swan Jake Lloyd kicked a career-high three goals, while Will Hayward kicked two of his three goals in the final term to prove a match-winner.

“The Swans’ season has life! But only just,” Fox Footy commentator Dwayne Russell declared on the siren.

Will Hayward makes it a ONE POINT GAME 👀

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— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 13, 2025

Triple premiership Tiger Jack Riewoldt added: “It’s a brutal game sometimes – and it’s a beautiful game sometimes as well.

“That small glimmer of September is still there.”

Swans star Isaac Heeney was blunt in his summation of the game.

“It was a hard-fought game,” Heeney told Fox Footy. “They beat us around the contest, they bullied us in the tackling early and we couldn’t stick our tackles.

“It was a bit patchy for our liking, but they’re a good side and they’re up and about.

“It was good to win that arm-wrestle, fight back and hold it.”

The AFL was initially facing the prospect of having to leave the Marvel Stadium roof open for Sunday’s game, with venue staff just over 90 minutes before the bounce frantically working to fix a mechanical issue as one side of the roof was stopping short.

The roof, however, was eventually shut. If it hadn’t have been fixed, the roof would’ve had to have been left open, as it has to be either fully shut or fully open for a game.

The Swans got the job done in a hard-fought battle. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

THE 3-2-1 …

3. ‘SUPERB’ MOMENT HELPS SWANS DELIVER ‘HAMMER BLOW… BUT IT WASN’T A SET PLAY

Brodie Grundy insisted it wasn’t intentional, but his hit-out to set up Errol Gulden’s match-winning play looked out of a Swans playbook.

Trailing by one point, the Swans were running out of time. Enter Grundy and Gulden, who took control at a forward 50 stoppage.

Grundy not only won a clean hit-out, put it perfectly to the advantage of a sweeping Gulden, who burst away from Saint Jack Sinclair and nailed the match-winning goal.

“It was as much as the hit-out from Grundy as it was the goal from Gulden. The combination was absolutely superb,” Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy told Fox Footy.

“He ran onto his left foot and delivered the hammer blow.”

Asked if it was a set play, Grundy told Fox Footy post-game: “Nah, I just try to connect with the superstars in our team. Whether it’s Errol, Chad, Heens – we’re very blessed.

“Errol caught my eye. He’s a classy player and a quality finish.”

Gulden kicked the match-sealing goal after a brilliant tap from Brodie Grundy. Picture: Mark Stewart

It was a high scoring opening to the contest before the Swans were able to get on top with Lloyd getting an early sniff. He had two goals in the first term as part of four majors in a row for the visitors as they threatened to take control.

Two late first term goals to Saints skipper Jack Steele and Hugh Boxshall reduced the margin to eight points at the first change after a nine-goal quarter.

After such a frenetic opening, the second term was a stalemate until Cooper Sharman kicked his first goal at the 15-minute mark after being on the end of some Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera brilliance.

That sparked the Saints, with Max Hall kicking two goals in a minute to help the home side to a 10-point lead at the main break after keeping the Swans goalless for the term.

“The Saints are sniffing a big win and they’re running like winners. Lots of time to go, but something has to turnaround (for Sydney),” Healy said.

The Saints got three goals up in the third term and settled for a 13-point lead at the final change.

With Hayward hitting the scoreboard in the final term, the Swans were able to prevail after a topsy turvy final stanza.

— with NCA NewsWire

2. ‘GOOD AND BAD’ OF IN-DEMAND SAINTS STAR WHO ‘THROWS SOMETHING BACK AT SWANS’

St Kilda legend Leigh Montagna told Fox Footy’s First Crack last week that re-signing Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was the Saints’ biggest contract priority since Tony Lockett – and after Sunday’s performance, it’s hard to argue with Joey.

We saw the best – and, albeit, the worst at times – of the in-demand star, who burned off the James Jordon tag during an electric first-half display.

Saints coach Ross Lyon revealed to Fox Footy pre-game he’d given Wanganeen-Milera “a licence to go wherever he wants”, adding his coaching staff were “optimistic about how that unfolds”.

At the start of the third quarter, Jordon had been relieved of his tagging duties, with Swans skipper Callum Mills instead tasked with running with Wanganeen-Milera, who’d racked up 15 disposals in the first half.

Wanganeen-Milera ran Jordon ragged early, taking him to centre-half forward — he took two contested marks — then the midfield — he had three clearances.

But Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy in the first quarter was questioning whether the Saints were getting the best out of Wanganeen-Milera.

“The question the Saints will be asking themselves is: ‘What are we giving up by having Wanganeen-Milera not playing across that half-back line?’” Healy asked on Fox Footy.

NAS sold the candy TWICE before Sheldrick ran him down 😤

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“If he kicks some goals in the front half, the answer is ‘nothing’. But if he doesn’t, you’re giving up plenty.”

But Wanganeen-Milera continued to push through the Jordon attention and had an impact in all three areas of the ground.

There were a few ordinary kicking clangers, but he also pulled off some brilliant passes that set up Saints scores.

“You get the good and the bad sometimes with Nasiah,” triple premiership Tiger Jack Riewoldt told Fox Footy. “He misses the easy kicks, but makes the hard looks so simple.

“One thing he does is he gets involved once then he remains on the same wave of the ball and gets involved again.

“He just gives them something different – and this is something James Jordon hasn’t tagged before. He’s a player that just has this exhilarating speed to put four or five metres into you very quickly and you can’t catch up.

“He’s been able to break the James Jordon tag and throw something back at the Sydney Swans.”

Wanganeen-Milera, who remains unsigned beyond this season, finished with 24 disposals and a game-high 721m gained.

1. ‘SHAME’: HORROR, GRUESOME INJURY TO SAINTS STAR

As far as gruesome injuries go, this was right up there.

Dan Butler was subbed out of Sunday’s game late in the second quarter after suffering a sickening elbow injury.

(Here’s your warning: If you’re not squeamish, below is an incredible photograph by Morgan Hancock of Butler’s injury. Otherwise stop reading.)

Butler and debutant Max Heath applied pressure on Swan Sam Wicks, which led to a loose ball gather for Max Hall and a classy goal.

Dan Butler of the Saints winces in pain with an elbow injury. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

But amid Butler’s defensive effort, his arm became awkwardly tangled.

The small forward fell to the ground in agony before Saints medicos raced out to assist him off the ground.

When an injury incident isn’t replayed on the TV broadcast, you know it’s serious.

“It’s a shame for Butler, because he was starting to really show some form,” Healy told Fox Footy.

Sydney’s win was soured by key defender Tom McCartin being unable to finish the game after a high hit from debutant Heath.

McCartin – who has a history of concussion – taken high by debutant Max Heath in the final term.

He took no further part as a “precaution,” with Heath set to come under the scrutiny of the MRO.

Originally published as Genius play keeps Sydney Swans’ slim hopes of making finals alive