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Jason's blunder kills off Swans
By James MacSmith
March 28, 2004
The Sun-Herald
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Jared Crouch leaps above fellow Swan Jason Saddington. Picture: ANDY ZAKELI
A brave Swans side showed it will again be a premiership force in 2004 with a sensational first-up performance last night, losing a cliffhanger against triple premiers Brisbane.
Sydney were the better side for most of the first half, and led by three goals at half-time, but the Lions came over the top of them in the third term to lead by eight points at the last change.
In a seesawing high-intensity final term the lead changed six times before the home side secured the two-point win.
Jason Ball missed a very gettable goal in the dying minutes from a set shot after taking a strong mark 35 metres out.
The miss delivered the Swans a bitter pill on top of their preliminary final loss to the Lions last year.
A Blake Caracella goal in the 25th minute proved the difference between the two sides, who are developing a formidable rivalry.
Brisbane's confidence grew as the game wore on and the Swans' poor disposal in the third term cost them.
The Swans opened the game with great impetus via sharpshooter Nick Davis, who kicked three goals in the first quarter and four for the first half, before being taken off with a groin injury incurred after kicking his fourth major. He didn't return to the game.
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Sydney's patience with the football was again a feature of their play.
The three premiership flags unfurled before the game were like red rags to the Sydney bull early on, and the visitors started the season as if there hadn't been a break since the last one.
They dominated much of the first half thanks to a red-hot performance from evergreen midfielder Paul Williams.
The Swans led by 18 points at the first break, and by 19 at the main change. But the Lions showed once again why they are such a great side, and had turned the deficit around at three-quarter time to lead by a point thanks to a late behind from Jared Brennan that put them ahead for the first time.
Davis's absence had a telling effect on Sydney, for whom
both Paul Bevan and Jarrad McVeigh had strong debuts.
The Swans midfield dominated their more illustrious rivals for most of the first quarter as Williams gathered 10 possessions, and Davis benefited most.
The former Magpie, who kicked 32 goals last year, scored three times in the opening term to help the visitors to an 18-point quarter-time lead, 4.3 (27) to 1.3 (9).
Davis showed he had retained his accuracy of last year by adding another midway through the second term, but hurt his groin in the process.
After the stinging criticism from Jason Akermanis of his arch foe Jared Crouch during the week, Lions coach Leigh Matthews tried to match Akermanis against Sydney captain Stuart Maxfield, but that experiment only lasted the opening five minutes of the game.
Tagger Crouch was heavily involved in the first half and was booed heavily by the near sell-out crowd every time he touched the ball.
The home side kicked the first two goals of the second quarter through Justin Leppitsch and Martin Pike before Williams landed a booming goal from 65 metres out on the fly.
Then, after a combination of handballs across the half-forward line, Davis kicked his fourth. A behind a minute later stretched Sydney's lead to 21 points, the greatest margin of the first half.
Time-on in the second term brought a shoot-out between the keen rivals as the premiers picked up their intensity. Simon Black goaled for the Lions in the 22nd minute, before a cool McVeigh kicked his first AFL goal on his debut.
Fellow boom youngster Brennan then replied before Barry Hall kicked his first goal after two previous minor scores and Sydney led 8.7 (55) to 5.6 (36) at half-time.
By James MacSmith
March 28, 2004
The Sun-Herald
Print this article
Email to a friend
Jared Crouch leaps above fellow Swan Jason Saddington. Picture: ANDY ZAKELI
A brave Swans side showed it will again be a premiership force in 2004 with a sensational first-up performance last night, losing a cliffhanger against triple premiers Brisbane.
Sydney were the better side for most of the first half, and led by three goals at half-time, but the Lions came over the top of them in the third term to lead by eight points at the last change.
In a seesawing high-intensity final term the lead changed six times before the home side secured the two-point win.
Jason Ball missed a very gettable goal in the dying minutes from a set shot after taking a strong mark 35 metres out.
The miss delivered the Swans a bitter pill on top of their preliminary final loss to the Lions last year.
A Blake Caracella goal in the 25th minute proved the difference between the two sides, who are developing a formidable rivalry.
Brisbane's confidence grew as the game wore on and the Swans' poor disposal in the third term cost them.
The Swans opened the game with great impetus via sharpshooter Nick Davis, who kicked three goals in the first quarter and four for the first half, before being taken off with a groin injury incurred after kicking his fourth major. He didn't return to the game.
advertisement
advertisement
Sydney's patience with the football was again a feature of their play.
The three premiership flags unfurled before the game were like red rags to the Sydney bull early on, and the visitors started the season as if there hadn't been a break since the last one.
They dominated much of the first half thanks to a red-hot performance from evergreen midfielder Paul Williams.
The Swans led by 18 points at the first break, and by 19 at the main change. But the Lions showed once again why they are such a great side, and had turned the deficit around at three-quarter time to lead by a point thanks to a late behind from Jared Brennan that put them ahead for the first time.
Davis's absence had a telling effect on Sydney, for whom
both Paul Bevan and Jarrad McVeigh had strong debuts.
The Swans midfield dominated their more illustrious rivals for most of the first quarter as Williams gathered 10 possessions, and Davis benefited most.
The former Magpie, who kicked 32 goals last year, scored three times in the opening term to help the visitors to an 18-point quarter-time lead, 4.3 (27) to 1.3 (9).
Davis showed he had retained his accuracy of last year by adding another midway through the second term, but hurt his groin in the process.
After the stinging criticism from Jason Akermanis of his arch foe Jared Crouch during the week, Lions coach Leigh Matthews tried to match Akermanis against Sydney captain Stuart Maxfield, but that experiment only lasted the opening five minutes of the game.
Tagger Crouch was heavily involved in the first half and was booed heavily by the near sell-out crowd every time he touched the ball.
The home side kicked the first two goals of the second quarter through Justin Leppitsch and Martin Pike before Williams landed a booming goal from 65 metres out on the fly.
Then, after a combination of handballs across the half-forward line, Davis kicked his fourth. A behind a minute later stretched Sydney's lead to 21 points, the greatest margin of the first half.
Time-on in the second term brought a shoot-out between the keen rivals as the premiers picked up their intensity. Simon Black goaled for the Lions in the 22nd minute, before a cool McVeigh kicked his first AFL goal on his debut.
Fellow boom youngster Brennan then replied before Barry Hall kicked his first goal after two previous minor scores and Sydney led 8.7 (55) to 5.6 (36) at half-time.
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