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ROUND 1 - ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Sydney Swans 3.3 7.5 9.8 13.10 (88)
St Kilda Saints 5.0 9.0 13.4 15.6 (96)
New season, new faces, same result.
The ?new look? Sydney Swans took to the field at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night with six new players but the result was anything but new as the Swans lost to St Kilda in Round 1 for the third straight year.
Swans? debutants Shane Mumford, Mark Seaby, Ben McGlynn, Josh Kennedy and Daniel Bradshaw along with first round draft pick Lewis Jetta and a returning Tadhg Kennelly all confessed to being nervous about learning the words to the club song but they?ll have another week to practice after the Swans went down by eight points in a dour struggle which showed glimpses of brilliance by both sides.
The tone of the game was set quickly as Saint Koschitzke took out Malceski within the first minute. The Swans controlled the play early and after relatively easy misses by Jack and Moore, Goodes got the Swans on the board with the first goal of the new season and this was quickly followed by a long goal from O?Keefe. White missed two easy grabs but the Swans were keeping the Saints quiet, especially Grundy on Riewoldt ? an unusual match up with his regular opponent Craig Bolton minding Milne instead.
A free kick gave the Saints their first goal through Koschitzke and sloppy turnovers from Kennelly and White gave the Saints control of the game and the next two goals to Gram and Milne. The Saints hit the lead and the Swans never saw the front of the score board again. Another free kick gave Riewoldt his second goal and some lax Swans defence saw Dal Santo stroll in to an open goal. A 50m penalty gave Malceski an easy shot on goal and sent the Swans into quarter time nine points down. (3. 3. 21 to 5. 0. 30)
The Saints? intensity lifted in the second quarter but it was a Kirk snap which got the Swans back within three points. Kennelly showed the effects of his time in Ireland, finding plenty of possession and looking quick but unusually misreading the play and missing targets. The rest of the Swans? defence looked like they?d spent the last year away from football too as mistimed spoils and missing defenders gave Riewoldt and Koschitzke another two quick goals. Bradshaw had his first shot on goal in the red and white from a free kick but missed before a brilliant Goodes effort saw him soccer the ball high through the centre of the big sticks for an amazing goal.
McGlynn took over Jack?s tagging role, picking up Montagna and leaving Jack to attack although he squandered an opportunity in an open goal. The Saints? intense forward pressure and the lack of any Swans? tackling lead to many turnovers and Schneider kicked truly before Goodes replied with a long goal from 60m out. Peake gave the Saints their ninth goal straight before another brilliant soccer pass from the boundary by Goodes set up Bradshaw for his first goal for the Swans, leaving them seven points down as they headed into half time. (7. 5. 47 to 9. 0. 54)
The third quarter continued much like second as Roberts-Thomson and Grundy went to ground after another Kennelly turnover to give Riewoldt his third goal. Moore set up a goal for Jack to keep the Swans in touch as O?Keefe?s pressure forced Milne to miss before the new Swans in Jetta, Kennedy and Bradshaw combined for a White goal. More turnovers from the Swans resulted in a goal to Geary before both Montagna and Koschitzke missed, although O?Keefe couldn?t capitalise as he too missed from a free kick in the forward 50m.
Seaby was leading the hit outs with 22 to King?s 10 although Gilbert dominated for the Saints as the loose man in defence taking 8 marks across the backline, many uncontested as his opponent Mattner moved into defence. McQualter snapped truly and fumbles from Jude Bolton and O?Keefe compounded the Swans? woes as Mumford also missed before Gram was awarded a free kick for holding with four seconds to go. He didn?t miss the opportunity to send the Saints into three quarter time with a 20 point lead. (9. 8. 62 ? 13. 4. 82)
An animated Paul Roos blasted his defenders at three quarter time and the Swans came our firing as Goodes set up another goal with a quick snap by the dominant McVeigh followed quickly by a goal to Moore and another to Mattner, again set up by Goodes who was credited with eight score assists to go with his own three goals. The umpires then began to control the game with two frees to Riewoldt yielding one goal and one miss. A contentious 50m penalty against Mattner gave the Saints another before a beautiful Mumford tap straight to O?Keefe went wide although Mattner atoned with another goal of his own to put the Swans in with a chance.
Kennelly is feeling the effects today of being back in a contact sport as Dawson crunched him from behind while he took a mark on the forward 50m line. The mark was not paid and thus no 50m penalty awarded and missed shots by McGlynn, Goodes and O?Keefe rounded out the match as the Swans just couldn?t get over the line. The Swans had more scoring shots and the new ruck duo of Seaby and Mumford comfortably won the hit outs although it wasn?t enough as the new Swans were rusty and didn?t quite gel as a team, eventually losing by only eight in another classically tough encounter against the Saints. (13. 10. 88 to 15. 6. 96)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Goodes 3, Mattner 2, O?Keefe, Malceski, Kirk, Bradshaw, White, Jack, McVeigh, Moore
St Kilda: Riewoldt 4, Koschitzke 2, Gram 2, Dal Santo, Milne, Schneider, Geary, Peake, McQualter, Goddard
BEST
Sydney Swans: Goodes, McVeigh, O?Keefe, Seaby, Shaw, Malceski
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Gram, Montagna, Gilbert, Dal Santo, McQualter
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Kennelly (concussion)
St Kilda: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, McBurney, Grun
Official crowd: 31,330
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jack missed at the 4 minute mark, Moore missed at the 5 minute mark, O'keefe missed at the 6 minute mark, Goodes nailed one at the 7minute mark. ROK got one at the 11 minute mark, then a gap until Mal gets one (from 50m penalty) at the 28 minute mark.
Saints reply with 5 goals straight. Nine point gamel 30 plays 21.
It is rare for teams to kick that accurately, it aint that easy.
Saints were fortunate to win this one.