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Swans dig deep to open 2004 account
7:44:02 PM Sun 4 April, 2004
Karen Collins
Sportal/exclusive to sydneyswans.com.au
The Sydney Swans withstood several fightbacks to overrun Fremantle by 31-points -15.12 (102) to 10.11 (71) - in greasy conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Led by Barry Hall (five goals), Jared Crouch (20 disposals, one goal), Ben Mathews (28 disposals) and Ryan O?Keefe (18 disposals, two goals), Sydney took control midway through the third term and never looked back.
?I thought we were very good today,? coach Paul Roos said after the match.
?Difficult conditions, good opposition, probably at times we got ourselves in a little bit of trouble and got caught with the footy but generally we probably controlled the game fairly well throughout.?
Roos made special mention after the match at the effort of Crouch and Tadhg Kennelly (18 possessions, one goal) - who 10 days before the match was having knee surgery.
?I thought ?Crouchie? was absolutely fantastic and was clearly our best player. Defensively on (Jeff) Farmer, his run, his spoiling, his aggression at the contest, I thought he was terrific.
?And Tadhg Kennelly just shows how important he is to us as a player. We didn?t have him last week and just his run at halfback and ?Crouchie? kicked a goal so two half-backs kicking goals makes you a lot more difficult to stop.?
In the opening term both sides wrestled to make use of their possessions and just when the visitors looked to dominate Brett Kirk, Paul Bevan and Barry Hall booted goals for an 11-point lead.
Hall, Mathews and O?Keefe combined for Hall?s third goal, and Hall handballed to Tadhg Kennelly who nailed a six pointer from 45 metres to increase the Swans? advantage early in the second quarter.
Shortly after full-forward Michael O?Loughlin limped off with a hamstring twinge, Matthew Pavlich kicked two quick goals to draw the margin back to two majors at the halftime.
The visitors had all the momentum midway through the third term out-scoring Sydney three goals to one drawing them within two points, but then the red and whites then kicked into gear.
A Jason Saddington handball allowed O?Keefe to goal from 50 metres and then Crouch struck on the run from 45 metres. When Barry Hall booted his fourth of the match and Jude Bolton chipped in with a six pointer of his own, Sydney led by 24 points at the final term.
?Late in that third the forward pressure really picked up and our forwards started to really throw themselves at the footy,? Roos said.
In the final term Hall and O?Keefe again combined, this time for O?Keefe?s second goal, before Adam Schneider - in his return from a hamstring injury - goaled and Hall kicked his fifth to extend the lead to 42 points.
Fremantle forward Troy Simmonds chipped in with two goals late, but the damage was done as Sydney registered its first win of the season.
SYDNEY: 5.1, 7.6, 12.9, 15.12 (102)
FREMANTLE: 3.2, 5.6, 8.9, 10.11 (71)
GOALS: Sydney: Hall 5, Bevan 2, O?Keefe 2, Maxfield, Kirk, Kennelly, Crouch, J.Bolton, Schneider
Fremantle: Pavlich 3, Longmuir 2, Waterhouse 2, Simmonds 2, Farmer
BEST: Sydney: Fosdike, Hall, Matthews, Kennelly, O?Keefe, Crouch Fremantle: Hasleby, Bell, Pavlich, Waterhouse
INJURIES: Sydney:. O?Loughlin (hamstring) Fremantle: Headland (ankle) replaced in starting side by Dunn, Polak (knee) replaced in starting side by Cunningham.
REPORTS: Nil.
UMPIRES: Rowe, Head, Goldspink.
CROWD: 21,366 at SCG.
7:44:02 PM Sun 4 April, 2004
Karen Collins
Sportal/exclusive to sydneyswans.com.au
The Sydney Swans withstood several fightbacks to overrun Fremantle by 31-points -15.12 (102) to 10.11 (71) - in greasy conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Led by Barry Hall (five goals), Jared Crouch (20 disposals, one goal), Ben Mathews (28 disposals) and Ryan O?Keefe (18 disposals, two goals), Sydney took control midway through the third term and never looked back.
?I thought we were very good today,? coach Paul Roos said after the match.
?Difficult conditions, good opposition, probably at times we got ourselves in a little bit of trouble and got caught with the footy but generally we probably controlled the game fairly well throughout.?
Roos made special mention after the match at the effort of Crouch and Tadhg Kennelly (18 possessions, one goal) - who 10 days before the match was having knee surgery.
?I thought ?Crouchie? was absolutely fantastic and was clearly our best player. Defensively on (Jeff) Farmer, his run, his spoiling, his aggression at the contest, I thought he was terrific.
?And Tadhg Kennelly just shows how important he is to us as a player. We didn?t have him last week and just his run at halfback and ?Crouchie? kicked a goal so two half-backs kicking goals makes you a lot more difficult to stop.?
In the opening term both sides wrestled to make use of their possessions and just when the visitors looked to dominate Brett Kirk, Paul Bevan and Barry Hall booted goals for an 11-point lead.
Hall, Mathews and O?Keefe combined for Hall?s third goal, and Hall handballed to Tadhg Kennelly who nailed a six pointer from 45 metres to increase the Swans? advantage early in the second quarter.
Shortly after full-forward Michael O?Loughlin limped off with a hamstring twinge, Matthew Pavlich kicked two quick goals to draw the margin back to two majors at the halftime.
The visitors had all the momentum midway through the third term out-scoring Sydney three goals to one drawing them within two points, but then the red and whites then kicked into gear.
A Jason Saddington handball allowed O?Keefe to goal from 50 metres and then Crouch struck on the run from 45 metres. When Barry Hall booted his fourth of the match and Jude Bolton chipped in with a six pointer of his own, Sydney led by 24 points at the final term.
?Late in that third the forward pressure really picked up and our forwards started to really throw themselves at the footy,? Roos said.
In the final term Hall and O?Keefe again combined, this time for O?Keefe?s second goal, before Adam Schneider - in his return from a hamstring injury - goaled and Hall kicked his fifth to extend the lead to 42 points.
Fremantle forward Troy Simmonds chipped in with two goals late, but the damage was done as Sydney registered its first win of the season.
SYDNEY: 5.1, 7.6, 12.9, 15.12 (102)
FREMANTLE: 3.2, 5.6, 8.9, 10.11 (71)
GOALS: Sydney: Hall 5, Bevan 2, O?Keefe 2, Maxfield, Kirk, Kennelly, Crouch, J.Bolton, Schneider
Fremantle: Pavlich 3, Longmuir 2, Waterhouse 2, Simmonds 2, Farmer
BEST: Sydney: Fosdike, Hall, Matthews, Kennelly, O?Keefe, Crouch Fremantle: Hasleby, Bell, Pavlich, Waterhouse
INJURIES: Sydney:. O?Loughlin (hamstring) Fremantle: Headland (ankle) replaced in starting side by Dunn, Polak (knee) replaced in starting side by Cunningham.
REPORTS: Nil.
UMPIRES: Rowe, Head, Goldspink.
CROWD: 21,366 at SCG.
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