Sydney wins a lacklustre game
Sydney and Brisbane play out a colourless affair at the Gabba, with the Swans coming good at the end.
PT1M26S 620 349Sydney 1.2 5.3 8.6 10.10 (70) Brisbane Lions 2.3 3.3 7.5 7.7 (49)
Goals: Sydney: Franklin 3, Tippett 3, Jetta, Jack, Robinson, McVeigh. Brisbane Lions: Zorko 3, Beams 2, Hanley, Adcock.
Best: Sydney: Kennedy, Hannebery, Tippett, McVeigh, Rampe, Franklin. Brisbane Lions: Zorko, Merrett, Hanley, Rockliff, Beams, Paparone.
Injuries: Brisbane Lions: Gardiner (shoulder).
Umpires: O'Gorman, Findlay, Ryan.
Crowd: 16,936 at The Gabba.
The game started at six minutes into the third quarter. It had been, frankly, a non-event to that point, idling to a conclusion as inevitable as Sydney's appearance in September finals and the Lions' absence from it.
Taking off: Jed Adcock of the Lions and Nick Smith of the Swans collide in general play. Photo: Getty Images
Not that the margin was imposing – just 19 points in the Swans' favour – and not that the Swans were playing well, either: in the first quarter, they'd scored one goal and been thrashed in general play.
But the Lions had been unable to make much of their dominance, and the Swans had restored some semblance of order in the second quarter, opening a gap on the scoreboard, at least. The gulf in class between the two teams wasn't so obvious.
Then Dayne Zorko, the only Lion to that point to have provided any kind of offensive threat, drilled a goal from 50 metres on the run to lift the spirits of a hitherto lifeless crowd.
Lance Franklin celebrates a goal against the Brisbane Lions. Photo: Getty Images
Pearce Hanley, in his 100th game, accepted a free kick and curled in a snap from the boundary line. Suddenly the margin was seven points. The Swans, becoming ragged, gave away two 50 penalties for Dayne Beams to all but square the ledger.
Jed Adcock, playing up forward and not seeing much of the footy, found himself on the end of a chain of possessions and put the home side in front. How did this happen? How was it even allowed to happen?
Really, the Swans had been playing the game like a cartoon heavyweight boxer holding a flyweight at bay with one hand, as if they didn't expect their opponent to land any punches, only to feel the sting of a flurry of blows.
It took Lance Franklin, whose presence had barely registered to that point, to wake up: first sneaking out the back to even the scores, then a mark and straight kick, then – 30 seconds into the final quarter – bouncing a ball over Daniel Rich for his third.
The Swans did enough, and not much more, from there. It was a repeat, in many ways, of the Swans' tepid victory over a depleted Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium in Round 10, banking the four points and very little else.
Tippett joined Franklin on the scoresheet with three goals, Dane Rampe took a swag of intercept marks in defence playing without an opponent for much of the match, and Josh Kennedy for a while looked like giving the 50-possession barrier a nudge.
But those are just numbers. The Swans were able to block up the Lions' run through the middle of the ground, but at the end of the day, a game of nearly 800 possessions combined delivered just 17 goals.
There were innumerable kicks backwards, and kicks that went both backwards and out of bounds. Slippery conditions and dropped marks provided another argument against playing this game at twilight.
Oh, and Adam Goodes was booed, again, because booing Goodes is now officially a thing. Talking about it probably only perpetuates it. Let's say the same for a truly wretched game.
