Unstoppable Sydney Swans too dominant despite Geelong Cats’ six-goal headstart in SCG thumping

The Sydney Swans gave themselves a handicap at the SCG after allowing the Cats the opening six goals on Sunday. However, as LACHLAN McKIRDY writes, it couldn’t stop the rampaging red and white.

Sydney's Isaac Heeney celebrates kicking a goal during the Round 13 AFL match between the Sydney Swans and Geelong Cats at the SCG on June 9, 2024. Photo by Phil Hillyard (Image Supplied for Editorial Use only – **NO ON SALES** – ©Phil Hillyard )

If the Swans had barely been challenged in 2024, their testing comeback win over Geelong on Sunday afternoon was all of their own making.

After giving up a 35-point lead in the first half, John Longmire’s side marched home to claim an 11th win for the year and extend their lead on top of the ladder to 10 points.

It was hardly a clinical performance from the premiership favourites, but their big names stood tall to lead them to a stirring victory in front of the third-highest SCG crowds in the club’s home-and-away history.

Like many of the fans trying to get into the ground on Sunday afternoon, the Swans missed the jump and handed the Cats an almighty advantage.

Sydney's Isaac Heeney celebrates kicking a goal during the Round 13 AFL match between the Sydney Swans and Geelong Cats at the SCG on June 9, 2024. Photo by Phil Hillyard (Image Supplied for Editorial Use only – **NO ON SALES** – ©Phil Hillyard )

It was 16 days since Sydney’s last game, and it showed, with sloppy ball use around the ground gifting Geelong early opportunities.

Gryan Miers, Jack Bowes, and Tom Hawkins kicked truly before Tyson Stengle’s remarkable dribble goal from the pocket turned the Cats’ hot start into an onslaught.

By quarter time, Geelong had kicked five unanswered goals to propel them to a 29-point lead. Their structures were nullifying the Swans’ best players and pressuring them into mistakes they hadn’t been making in 2024.

It was more of the same early in the second as Sydney struggled in transition. The hosts hit the post a couple of times before a goal to Shannon Neale opened up a game-high 35-point margin for the visitors and threatened to bring back memories of the Swans’ 2022 grand final nightmare.

Final crowd: 44,714

The third-highest home and away crowd ever at the SCG. #AFLSwansCatspic.twitter.com/50xFF13jQR

— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) June 9, 2024

Sydney had gone away from their elite transition movement and were too often trying for the miraculous. Their kicking efficiency was well below 50 per cent and they couldn’t find any points off turnovers.

However, the confidence of having only one loss for the season doesn’t disappear overnight, and their players continued to have the courage to rise to the occasion.

First, it was Logan McDonald who took a strong contested mark on the wing, before linking up in a nice handball chain to get his side forward. Joel Amartey then finally got the Swans on the board with a brilliant set shot on a tight angle.

Tom Hawkins and the Cats got off to a fast start. Picture: Brendon Thorne/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

However, the second quarter belonged to the competition’s most in-form player, Chad Warner. He lit up the SCG, attacking the ball at pace and nailing a long bomb from outside 50.

For 10 minutes, the Swans could do no wrong. Brodie Grundy had been dominating the stoppages for most of the day and his midfielders finally capitalised. Isaac Heeney kicked two goals on the back of their clearance work to bring the margin back to five points at the main break.

To their credit, the Cats didn’t let up. Stengle got his second early in the third term and they were still creating plenty of chances from Sydney turnovers.

However, the momentum was well and truly with the ladder leaders as Amartey kicked two more majors before the Tom Papley show brought the crowd to their feet with two massive goals from outside 50.

Tom Papley turned the game on its head with two goals in a few minutes on the edge of the three-quarter-time siren. Picture: Jason McCawley/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

It was only appropriate that Papley was the one to give the Swans their first lead of the day, celebrating in style to give them an 11-point lead into the final break.

The last quarter became a goal fest as defence went out the window. The Cats knew they had to score to win, but Sydney looked far more dangerous moving forward and opened up a 29-point lead after Papley’s third of the day.

The Cats tried to claw their way back into the game, slashing the Swans’ lead back to 12 points, but the energy of the Swans wouldn’t be denied. They continued to see out the game in style, bursting down the wings with gut-busting runs like it was the first quarter.

Warner, Gulden and Papley all kicked late goals to seal the game and send the fans home dreaming of September glory as they completed a 65-point turnaround.

This was a game where Sydney’s midfield ascendancy was the difference. They won the clearances by 13 and were far too strong with the contested ball (+19).

Geelong will head home proud of their effort, but this was another example of the scintillating Swans finding a way to win and proving too strong for any obstacle in their way.

Originally published as Unstoppable Sydney Swans too dominant despite Geelong Cats’ six-goal headstart in SCG thumping