Match thread: Swans v St Kilda.

[Sandridge]

Fox commentary team shattered.

They still haven't adjusted to the fact that it's now the AFL, not the VFL.

[Daisi]

Some good things from this season- Sheldrick getting games and getting better, Buller going well, Errol fit.. we'll have a great shot next year. I think this year is just for Collingwood, so I'd prefer us to have a longer pre season and prepare for a big run with everybody fit next year...

[imuninformedtwo]

Not our finest but gotta admire their willingness to persist given St Kilda had been up our bums all day.

Earlier in the year I was a bit into Grundy for his defensive, dull tap work. But he’s got more expansive and that tap to Gulden, and his snap, might well be play of the year. A thing of beauty.

Good games by Gus, the big man in the ruck, Lloyd and thought Melican held his nerve down back when a few others didn’t. Excellent last quarters by Wilbur, Rowie, Chad and Bice.

One thing I really like about Buller is he doesn’t hang back, get caught wrestling or playing for frees. He works to get to the front as much as possible and that play on the wing was exhibit A. He’s no star but a few of our forwards could learn from him on that count.

I hope McCartin is ok, but I suspect we will treat him cautiously and miss for a couple of weeks - regardless of his concussion status.

[mcs]

Well, it was tough. But JMac is asking for it when you run there. Just don’t do it.

If he was any further away he would have been on the bench. It is exactly why the rule is broken. It needs an element or 'intent' introduced back into it.

[Thunder Shaker]

Is that right?

Sydney's last few games against St Kilda:

2022: Sydney 13.10 (88) defeated St Kilda 11.8 (74) Docklands
2023: St Kilda 12.8 (80) defeated Sydney 9.12 (66) SCG
2024: St Kilda 13.6 (84) defeated Sydney 11.16 (82) Docklands
2025: Sydney 14.8 (92) defeated St Kilda 13.9 (87) Docklands

So yes, it's been a few years.

With that win, the only team we haven't beaten since the start of last season is Brisbane. Can we knock them off as well?

[Foreign Legion]

McCartin looked ok in the rooms - just a precaution I think

[Kafka's Ghost]

Some bewildering frees given to them plus the non holding the ball against Wilkie.

Fox commentary team shattered.

They were last week, too. I thought Dwayne Russell was going to break down and cry.

[Foreign Legion]

Yes for a South Australian Dwayne sure barracks against us. Bice was pretty good when he came on.

[Kafka's Ghost]

I like Buller, I think he is a prospect for the forward line. He seems to use the ball pretty well.

Totally agree, Daisi. He is a real competitor and his kicking has been first rate. Both goals were gems.

[liz]

That was tough to watch. A couple of our players - ones who should be our “next tier” after “the stars” - had shockers.

But kudos to Grundy who, yet again, was the most influential player on the ground. Kudos to Hayward who stood up on several telling occasions. Kudos to Lloyd for responding so well to his dropping. And kudos to Buller for learning to kick for goal. If he takes a mark within 40m of goal he should walk back and kick from 50m. He looks so much more fluent from that distance.

[dejavoodoo44]

If he was any further away he would have been on the bench. It is exactly why the rule is broken. It needs an element or 'intent' introduced back into it.

Yes, I'm not sure he ever went into the protected area? And even if he marginally encroached, I doubt if it had the slightest influence on what the St Kilda player was doing. And what makes those ones even more irksome, is that they rarely pay the 50 metre infringements that actually slow down the play. Firstly, there's the ones where an obvious free is paid, a player then runs past with ball in hand and decides to roost the ball down the line or have a shot anyway, and the umpires then invariably lets them get away it. Then there's the one's that really annoy me. That is, a player gives away a free and then spends the next 5 or 10 seconds, wrestling on the ground with the player who got the free. Strangely, that never seems to be interpreted as time wasting.

[Foreign Legion]

Yes Liz, Lloyd has taken it onboard and stepped up - must not be easy at that stage of your career. Buller presents well and kicks better than he does in the reserves!!

[Hotpotato]

What a weird win. Saints were the better team, however
Swannies willed a way to be in front at the end.

[UUaswan]

Centre clearance was heaps different to last week, I suspect Cox was worried about guys getting tagged out of it, Gulden in particular

Don't think Errol went to a centre bounce once where he went to half of them last week, vica versa with Rowy

Buller looked heaps better, Need Mclean permanently alongside him.

Francis or Hamling in defence that frees up Blakey who needs to stop running himself into trouble,he needs to stop calling for it if he is running to his right with no intention of using his right boot

Wish Campbell would have a ping from within distance, did well in transition to find Will but if its crowded he is better off having a shot, thats what he needs for his next level

[neilfws]

What a weird win. Saints were the better team, however Swannies willed a way to be in front at the end.

I'll take it! For the Grundy tap and Errol goal alone.

I was thinking about the phrase "deserved the win" this weekend, which doubtless some will be using with regard to the Saints. I don't like it, for the simple reason that if teams do everything right except the last bit - the winning - well, they could have done better.

Anyway, these close ones often come down to little moments and I think when the moment came today, near the end, the Swans did most things right in holding on to the lead.

I enjoyed Buller's game today. Might be a silver lining to the Amartey injury, getting to see what Buller can do over a few games. Hayward was very good too.