WARNING: This review contains the following:

Adult themes

Violence

Anger

Extreme bias towards the Sydney Swans

Love for Adam Goodes (an inexplicably unpopular view in Victoria)

SOUNDTRACK: 'Galvanize' by Chemical Brothers -

Don't hold back!
'Cuz you woke up in the mornin' with initiative to move
So I'll make it harder
Don't hold back!
'Cuz you think about it, so many people do,
Be cool, man, look smarter
Don't hold back!
And you shouldn't even care about those losers in the air
And the crooked stares
Don't hold back!
'Cuz there's a party over here, so you might as well be here
Where the people care
Don't hold back!

The world... (they're holding back...) the time has come to...
The world... (you're holding back...) the time has come to...
The world... (it's holding back...) the time has come to...

To galvanize!

Come on, come on, come on!

For eight long months, we've suffered, and tonight is a bloody good chance to right some wrongs. My team had a bad day on a big day last year. Trust me, I know, I was there. The Enemy also played one of the single best games that I have ever witnessed. Ever since, we've been branded, ridiculed and doubted. Criticism justified? Yes. Some. But I prefer to look back on a twenty-year body of work that encapsulates the Spirit of the Swans. It can be summed up in just three short words. The three words from which the Bloods culture was formed: HARD. DISCIPLINED. RELENTLESS.

Every team has the odd bad day right?

The Hawks of Hawthorn and the Swans of Sydney are now bitter rivals. We don't like them and they don't like us. So, let's stir things up.

The Bloods arrived at the MCG with a clear mindset. Tonight is all about attack. Attack on the footy, attack on the contest and attack on the man. Why not? This team, lauded for it's physicality has been recently scrutinised for it's lack there of. From the opening bounce, it's obvious that this element of our game will not be missing tonight.

Gazza sprints forward, marks and goals within the first minute. Good start. We surge the ball forward again, Tippo proves too much for Gibson, free kick, Goal. Great start. From the beginning of the 2015 season (yep, that's the season that we're currently playing), the Swans have showed a renewed steeliness and a will to not be beaten. When Jets throws Lewis to the ground, I'm happy. Kizza and Reidy involved in some push and shove pleases me even more. The message is clear: You won't be pushing us around tonight. Galvanize!

Benny McGlynn is ruffling feathers and scrapping with a scrapper, Sam Mitchell. When our little man goals, we push out to a three-goal lead. Taylor & Darcy sound surprised. I'm not. When Adam Goodes, one of the game's all-time greats, strolls into an open goal to the now predictable, mindless, disgraceful and disrespectful boos from this lot, I smile. Tippo snaps another after Buddy's taken high and we finish the term five-goals up. The Enemy haven't kicked one.

Back to Taylor & Darcy. Both esteemed graduates of the Absolute Gibberish School of Commentary, in fact both passing with honours, their call is incredibly one-sided. Just as this piece is. The other way. You've got to do what you've got to do I guess. But, when Cyril's tying up of his bootlaces receives orgasmic plauditry, it's time to hit the mute button.

The second and third quarters see The Enemy hit back, and eventually take the lead. The comeback was not unpredictable. They're a great footy team. But so are we. Remember? We're the team that all the 'experts' picked to win the flag last year. We're a better team this year, despite the continually unexplained trade ban enforced upon us, clearly designed to restrict improvement of our list. Equalistaion at it's best.

You can probably see by now that I'm angry. You're right. Grrrrr. But my boys help release the pressure valve that's been building since September, when they perform a classic Bloods fightback, reminiscent of another big day in 2012. Weren't so bad in that one, were we? Guts, determination, bravery and spirit are all on display. Macca, supreme leader, moves himself up forward, kicks a slider from outside fifty, outmuscles Suckling and kicks another from the goal square and sets up a rampaging Parksy who runs away from The Enemy and into an open goal. That's the sealer.

You may have heard by now that The Enemy had more scoring shots and more inside fifties that us but still lost. It's true. This is also true: if my aunty had bollocks, she'd be my uncle. Hanners has played another blinder, Joey and Parksy likewise. Benny's been a terrier and Jets and Reidy are improving in new roles each and every game. Buddy's been quiet, yet we still win. That's not supposed to happen. Finally, the great man, A.Goodes plays his best match for the year and is purring along like a finely tuned vintage machine that you'd insure with Shannon's.

A better win could not have been scripted tonight as The Bloods win just like we supporters love them to win. Playing footy in the true spirit of the Bloods culture. HARD. DISCIPLINED. RELENTLESS. Don't hold back.

Sydney 11.7 (73)

Hawthorn 9.15 (69)

Goals:

Sydney: Tippett 2, McGlynn 2, Reid 2, McVeigh 2, Rohan, Goodes, Parker

Hawthorn: Schoenmakers 2, Rioli 2, Breust, Ceglar, Langford, Gunston, Puopolo

Best:

Sydney: Hannebery, Jetta, Kennedy, McGlynn, Reid, Parker, McVeigh, Richards, Mitchell

Hawthorn: Mitchell, Rioli, Lewis, Frawley, Burgoyne, Smith

Umpires:

Meredith, Pannell, McInerney

Crowd:

63, 319 at MCG

Votes:

3 - D. Hannebery (Sydney)

2 - C. Rioli (Hawthorn)

1 - L. Jetta (Sydney)