The Swans responded strongly after last week’s loss to the Brisbane Lions, with superstar recruit Charlie Curnow kicking six goals to lead his new side to a 35-point win over the Western Bulldogs at the SCG, 13.12 (90) to 7.13 (55).
The Bulldogs’ backman will be relieved to see the back of Curno for now.
Given he kicked seven the last time they met in round seven and his run on Friday night moved him to the top of the Coleman Medal leaderboard.
Brodie Grundy, meanwhile, looked completely unstoppable, finishing with 17 disposals, five tackles, six clearances and 60 hit-outs. The Bulldogs had just 29 hitouts as a team.
As Grundy dominated, Tim English was deployed deep in defence, prompting Australian Football Hall of Fame legend Jason Dunstall to ask on Q Sports commentary, “What’s the message? Is Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge sending Tim English to fullback? This is a vote of no confidence in the rack.”
In his post-match press conference, Beveridge praised Grundy’s dominance.
“Our guys just found Brody Grundy forceful, like he just dominated,” Beveridge admitted.
“If you go and look at his hitout stats, you’d need 14 hands to count them, so it was a challenge.”
In Brisbane, the Swans suffocated, but against the Bulldogs, they found space to roam free and wide. The Bulldogs also played pantomime villains in Sydney, sometimes falling dramatically to the ground after minimal contact.
Injuries to tall Logan McDonald and Joel Amartey forced the Swans to reshuffle their forward line, with Hayden McLean selected to partner Curno.
They worked perfectly together, with McLean also finishing with three goals in just his fifth AFL game of the year.
The 27-year-old waited patiently for his opportunities and took each one he was given. With Emery out for 10 weeks with an Achilles strain, McLean’s form is vital for the Swans, especially given his ability to deputise in the ruck when needed.
The first quarter lacked intensity from both teams, and the rare sight of empty seats at the SCG for Friday Night Football, which holds just over 35,000 fans, worsened the atmosphere.
If the Lions provided the blueprint for how to suffocate the Swans with a superior defensive press, the Bulldogs entirely ignored it, allowing the home side to roam around the SCG at will.
McLean volleyed the Swans’ first goal in the first two minutes and Curnow kicked three in the quarter to get the early goal practice.
One of the Swans’ rare bright lights from Brisbane, Chad Warner, scored against an opposition designed to showcase the midfielder’s full attacking skills.
James Jordan was tasked with tagging superstar Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontamelli to try and limit his influence, and Bontamelli managed to finish the quarter with just three disposals to his name.
The Bulldogs finished the first term not only goalless but also bereft of energy and ideas on how to stop a Swans team sealing its credentials as a premiership contender.
Curno’s fourth goal opened the second quarter. Swans were so deft and able to play with space that ruckman Brodie Grundy was confident enough to dummy a hand pass after the bounce. Grundy lost Shireen, but it didn’t matter. The Swans had regained their mojo after the thrashing in Brisbane.
Seven minutes into the second quarter, the Bulldogs scored their first goal through Bailey Dale. Swans’ Caiden Cleary kicked his second goal of the season to re-establish a 34-point lead.
The Bulldogs lifted their pressure and intensity from a weak start, and goals from Artie Jones and Riley Sanders rewarded them.
McLean’s second goal was the perfect reward for a forward who has had to persevere through a sparsely attended season in the VFL’s suburban grounds. McLean’s ability to apply defensive pressure from the forward line also frustrated Beveridge’s men.
Grundy finished the first half with 36 strikeouts, eclipsing his dominance over Rory Loeb, who finished with just 11.
A wasted, reckless push by Errol Gulden on Cody Weightman gave the Bulldogs a free kick and an unchallenged goal to Aaron Naughton, opening the third quarter.
Isaac Heaney had a relatively quiet night by his standards, but he shook the Swans from their slumber by squeezing home his first goal from a tight angle in the forward pocket. McLean’s third goal gave the Swans a 36-point lead.
Two late goals from the Bulldogs’ Jordan Croft cut the lead to 24 points, which would have been the least likely of a comeback.
Curno scored his fifth and sixth goals in the final quarter, wearing down the Bulldogs’ speedy resistance and reminding him of the competition’s talent.
A comfortable win against the Bulldogs was timely, but the Swans will also be very aware of their opposition’s limitations.
The Swans’ attacking swagger is back, but they will need to take it to even greater heights in Perth against a much tougher Fremantle defence.
On the match review front, hard-nosed bulldog Matt Kennedy will be eagerly awaiting the outcome of an incident where he made too much contact with Swan Caden Cleary.
Bulldogs defenceman Nick Cofield took an accidental knee to the middle of the head during the final period and was carted off the field to be evaluated for a head injury.
Connor Budarick also left the field for the Bulldogs, with Beveridge confirming after the game that he was awaiting scans on a lower leg injury.
“In my understanding, it’s a lower leg injury, which is a generic term for a syndesmosis-type injury,” Beveridge said.
“And what it might be, we won’t be able to tell you until we go over it with the radiographer, but we’ll get back to you when we know anything else.”
