Sydney overcomes Gold Coast and wet weather to secure victory at Metricon Stadium

THE worst of Gold Coast weather was on show but also the best of its footballers as local Kurt Tippett starred for the Swans in their victory.

Luke Parker celebrates a goal with Lance Franklin. Picture: Adam Head

THE worst of Gold Coast weather was on show on Saturday night but also the best of its footballers as local Kurt Tippett starred for the Swans in their 38-point victory.

The Swans ruckman who is in career best form, dominated Tom Nicholls at the ball-ups winning 50 hit-outs.

The Swans lost George Hewett in the second quarter to concussion while Suns midfielder Jesse Lonergan sat out much of the second half with a knee injury.

And Tom Lynch, whose frustrations have come close to bubbling over for several weeks now, was reported for striking Jeremy Laidler late in the game.

However, it is unlikely to earn the Suns forward more than a fine.

Suns coach Rodney Eade was confident Lonergan would be right for next Sunday’s clash with Richmond.

But Eade said vice-captain Lynch showed poor leadership with his late infringement.

“Laidlaw stayed on and was OK, so I don’t think there was anything in it but, from our point of view, it was totally undisciplined for a leader,” Eade said.

The conditions were atrocious and the 4368 who turned up to watch were just as committed as the players.

The rain eased by the final quarter and it was only the then Swans were able to fully put the Suns away.

Isaac Heeney tackles Aaron Hall in the sloppy conditions. Picture: AAP

The game added to the ongoing debate about wet weather football — does it act as a leveller or increased the divide between the highly skilled and the rest.

It was certainly skills that delivered the Swans their ninth win of the season 11.13 (79) to 6.5 (49).

The game’s only multiple goal kickers Gary Rohan and Luke Parker defied the conditions to kick goals the Suns would not have been capable of.

Swans coach John Longmire said the conditions had turned the game into a lottery and just some moments of class from players like Rohan had proven crucial.

“It was just so wet, just a slogfest,” Longmire said.

“He (Rohan) did a couple of really good things for us at important times and that was crucial to be able to do that.

“Those things in those instances are important when it’s just such a slog.”

But in some ways, the conditions were just what Rodney Eade wanted.

The Suns had desperately needed to get back to basics after a seven-game losing streak and wet weather footy leaves players with little choice but to crack in.

Against one of the competition’s benchmarks for contested footy, the Suns more than held their own winning 197-192.

Matt Rosa in his return from four weeks out with a hamstring injury produced his best game for the Suns collecting 33 possessions. He had 22 of them at half time before tiring in the second half.

And Callum Ah Chee also turned heads.

Lance Franklin kicks through the torrential rain. Picture: AAP

Ah Chee is brave and the way he was able to mix it physically with the bigger bodies Swans was impressive.

But it was his clean hands in the dreadful weather of the first half, where most of his team mates were fumbling, that highlighted his undoubted class.

The torrential rain and sodden surface ensured the game was a slog, but it also led to some fascinating head to head duels.

Steven May and Buddy Franklin, Gary Ablett and Tom Mitchell and Dion Prestia and Daniel Hannebery all waged bruising four quarter battles.

Mitchell got more of the footy than Ablett to continue his stellar season.

But the Suns’ skipper produced a masterful defensive performance, frequently pushing back to help out his back six.

Mitchell had 33 touches, 20 of them contested and laid 14 tackles. Ablett had 26 and 13 tackles.

You couldn’t split Hannebery (36) and Prestia (38) who played his best game in a while and you couldn’t split Buddy and May.

SYDNEY 11.13 (79)

GOLD COAST 6.5 (41)

BEST

Sydney: Tippett, Kennedy, Mitchell, Hannebery, Rohan, Parker.

Gold Coast: Prestia, Rosa, Ablett, Ah Chee, Rischitelli, Miller.

GOALS

Sydney: G Rohan 2 L Parker 2 C Sinclair I Heeney J Lloyd J Rose K Jack L Franklin T Mitchell.

Gold Coast: A Sexton B Matera J Lonergan M Rosa R Davis T Lynch.

BEST

Sydney: T Mitchell K Tippett D Hannebery J Kennedy L Parker K Jack. Gold Coast: M Rosa G Ablett M Rischitelli D Prestia T Miller R Davis.

Umpires: Brett Rosebury, Robert O’Gorman, Brent Wallace.

Venue: Metricon Stadium.

VOTES

3. Kurt Tippett (Sydney)

2. Josh P. Kennedy (Sydney)

1. Tom Mitchell (Sydney)

Originally published as Sydney overcomes Gold Coast and wet weather to secure victory at Metricon Stadium