AFL Melbourne v Sydney 2022: All the news, analysis and reaction from thriller

Two weeks ago, the reigning premiers looked home and hosed. But a pair of Melbourne losses to contenders has injected new life into the flag chase.

Sam Landsberger

@samlandsberger

7 min read

June 5, 2022 - 8:43AM

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The premiership race looked vapid for the first 10 rounds.

Suddenly, it has sprung to life.

Fremantle and Sydney’s contrasting counter-attacks on the mighty Melbourne have muted the worshippers who claimed the reigning champs were unconquerable.

If they can overpower the Dees on the MCG, then why not Brisbane Lions? Or Geelong? Or Carlton?

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Heck, the Lions could leap the Demons into pole position on the ladder by Sunday night.

The Dockers were without Nat Fyfe and down by 30 points. They defeated the Dees by 38 points.

The Swans were without Lance Franklin and sunk 26 points behind. They saluted by 12 points.

Clean centre clearances are clearly the simplest way to land blows on Melbourne, because the Sherrin surges forward to one-on-one contests before the AFL’s stingiest defensive system has time to set up.

The Swans used the same key as Fremantle did to undo the Dees.

That was the route Fremantle fashioned to finish Melbourne’s 17-game winning streak last week. In the third quarter the Dees lost centre clearance 9-1 and the scoreboard spun.

That’s also why Tom Liberatore, the AFL’s No.1 clearance player last year, was squeezed out of the centre square in the grand final rematch in round 1.

Liberatore attended 30 centre bounces in last year’s decider, but won only four clearances as Christian Petracca and Jack Viney burst the ball forward with purpose.

After trailing the Dogs by 19 points in the third quarter, the Dees booted 7.2 (44) from 11 centre clearances as Libba lost his bite.

The Dogs knew a settled engine room would suffer the same feat and so out Libba went, replaced by Bailey Smith, to try and throw Melbourne’s centre stars off kilter.

Fittingly, Sam Reid finally opened Sydney’s account courtesy of a clean centre bounce takeaway.

But on Saturday night the Swans shed new light on how to douse these Demons at the MCG.

They did it through suffocating Melbourne all over the ground.

Eight Swans laid five or more tackles for a team total of 73.

Young gun Logan McDonald helped fill the Buddy void for the Swans. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

The Swans switched off an entire scoring source – the Demons did not score a single goal on turnover, compared to Sydney’s eight.

Melbourne entered the match averaging 55.1 points from turnovers this year.

Instead stoppages supplied the Dees’ scores, and that’s seldom a sustainable method in modern football.

Sydney’s pressure rating of 228 in the second quarter sizzled so much more than the AFL average of 180 and its contest work was crisper.

It dissolved the Dees’ DNA.

Melbourne was limited to just 11 marks in the second term, rendering the home team powerless to turn down the scorching temperature in which that quarter was played.

The Dees looked helpless. They struggled to slow the game down by spotting a teammate in space, let alone to catch their breath.

They entered the match with the worst set-shot accuracy in the AFL, and after the first quarter they rarely got chances to correct that.

A frustrated Adam Tomlinson laments the Demons’ fade out. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

Ten consecutive inside-50s all failed to register a score in the second quarter as brothers Tom and Paddy McCartin spoiled both the Sherrin and Melbourne’s forward connection.

Paddy was pivotal.

The man drafted the pick before Christian Petracca led the game for intercept marks (three) and spoils (five) at the last change.

He also won both of his defensive one-on-one contests.

Tom’s contested mark at fullback after a piercing Petracca centre clearance in the last quarter – when the Swans shot within a point – was telling.

Max Gawn was then grabbed by Errol Gulden.

Suddenly, the Demons looked fallible. Scarily, the cygnets stood tall.

Gulden and Logan McDonald, as well as Tom Papley, landed the knockout blows while midfielders Chad Warner and Justin McInerney play with a sense of adventure.

Jake Lever (two marks, three kicks) looked more Peter Parker than soaring superhero without Steven May launching from the neighbouring airstrips in the Dees backline.

Harrison Petty hurt himself, too, as the rock-solid backline became rattled.

Port Adelaide kicked a paltry four goals from 48 entries (8.3 per cent) against the Dees in round 3.

Gun Swans’ forward Isaac Heeney celebrates. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

On Saturday night the Swans kicked 10 goals from 52 entries (19.2 per cent), more than double the Power’s efficiency.

At halftime the Demons had leaked 14.12 (96) from their past four quarters, all played at the MCG and without May.

For a defence as strong as Johnny Depp’s, the alarm bells were flashing.

Adam Tomlinson deserved his recall but was torn apart by Sam Reid, who had 10 tackles, four contested marks and kicked three goals.

Thank goodness May will return next week, most likely taking Tomlinson’s ticket to Queen’s Birthday.

It was Melbourne’s first back-to-back losses since its 2020 September hopes blew away in blustery Cairns.

Lose to Collingwood and it’ll be the longest streak since seven defeats to seal the 2019 season.

Ed Langdon looks dejected after the Swans swamped Melbourne. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

The Dees who have dropped off

Ben Brown has now endured 14 consecutive goalless quarters. It’s too long for a player picked to produce them and Brown offers little service elsewhere.

The spearhead had just one kick against Fremantle and two kicks against Sydney as Dane Rampe left Brown feeling blue.

Understudy Sam Weideman has fallen behind journeyman Mitch Brown in the selection queue, although Weideman did respond with three goals and 10 marks for Casey.

Jayden Hunt has had eight disposals in the two losses, maxing out with one disposal per quarter against Sydney.

Lever loves May and must’ve hated starting June without him. Christian Salem will be better for the run, getting through his first match in three months.

You wonder whether Angus Brayshaw will remain behind the ball with Salem slotting back in.

Not even the Max factor could save the Dees. Picture: Getty Images

But don’t blame these boys

Max Gawn was monumental in defeat. It was an inspiring response from a captain to the club’s first loss since the Dees were more September daydreamers than certified worldbeaters.

Gawn had his fingerprints on everything. In the first half there were sweeping handballs, snapped goals and spiked stoppages.

Gawn won clearances and won territory. He clunked six contested marks and palmed 11 hit-outs to advantage.

Gawn was a goliath and that performance will give Sydney goosebumps if the clubs meet again in September.

Similarly, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney were critical. Oliver’s 12 disposals in the third quarter should’ve translated to greater scoreboard dominance given the momentum he seized for Melbourne.

Bailey Fritsch, too, hasn’t lost his forward line funk while as for Christian Petracca, minutes into the second quarter he had surpassed last week’s career-low return of 10 disposals.

Swans serve it up to premiers in epic comeback

—Marc McGowan

Comeback-specialist Sydney has inflicted reigning premier Melbourne’s second-straight defeat in a Saturday night stunner at the MCG.

The Demons were charging towards an 18th win in a row when they shot five goals ahead of Fremantle in the second quarter seven days ago before they spectacularly imploded.

This time Simon Goodwin’s men were 26 points up in the first term – and they still boasted a 13-point lead early in the final quarter when captain Max Gawn slotted his third goal.

But just like the Swans did to Richmond, they rallied again to kick the final four goals to beat Melbourne by 12 points and entrench themselves in the top eight.

Tom Papley goes off after slotting the sealer. Picture: Michael Klein

It was Sydney’s sixth victory in its last eight trips to the home of football and was achieved without superstar forward Lance Franklin.

Sam Reid and second-year sensation Logan McDonald stood up to kick three goals apiece, while All-Australian Tom Papley sealed the upset with an outstanding left-foot finish in the dying minutes.

Reid kept the Swans in the match early and laid 10 tackles to round out a vintage performance.

Isaac Heeney recovered from a lean start to be a key part of the win, as were co-captain Callum Mills and Errol Gulden, whose booming finish from beyond 50m gave them the lead for good.

Logan McDonald celebrates a last quarter goal. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Demons wasted Gawn’s latest dominant display, with the 209cm leviathan finishing with 28 disposals, nine marks, five clearances and three goals.

But outside of Bayley Fritsch, Melbourne looked anaemic in attack, with Ben Brown goalless for the third game in a row.

Tom McDonald was a late withdrawal and would have been handy at either end, as the Dees’ defence looked gettable again without fullback Steven May.

Brownlow Medal fancy Clayton Oliver shook a close tag from James Rowbottom to win 20 of his 30 disposals after halftime, but the relentless Swans had more contributors by night’s end.

Gulden goes BANG!

Swans in front ðŸ”¥#AFLDeesSwans pic.twitter.com/kkdI3zjJtc
— AFL (@AFL) June 4, 2022

Max Gawn dominated, especially in the final term when the game was on the line. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Where to play Heeney?

Experts and fans alike were clamouring to label Sydney star Isaac Heeney a consensus top-10 player after a scintillating start to the season.

Heeney slotted at least three goals in four of the first seven rounds but his opportunities have dried up in recent weeks.

The 26-year-old started forward but had little influence until the second half, when he largely impacted the match away from attack, although he kicked a crucial goal early in the fourth term.

Heeney is one of the AFL’s biggest stars but figuring out how to best maximise his talents remains a work-in-progress.

Just unreal stuff from the Dees ðŸ¤¤#AFLDeesSwans pic.twitter.com/3KYV6q8To5
— AFL (@AFL) June 4, 2022

In the wars

Melbourne was already vulnerable without All-Australian defender Steven May but it didn’t help that Harry Petty twice left the field with injuries in the opening half.

Petty battled through last week’s defeat to Fremantle with a knee concern before ankle and shoulder issues interrupted his first two quarters against the Swans.

The premiership backman copped a heavy hit to his right shoulder from Joel Amartey and went to the bench with his injured arm hanging by his side – but back he came out again.

Sydney dined out on May’s concussion absence and Petty’s problems to snare eight marks inside 50 by halftime, with inclusion Adam Tomlinson struggling to contain Sam Reid, in particular.

Swingman Tom McDonald (ankle) going out of the selected side for the second-straight week hurt the Demons, too.