Swans edge out Pies in thriller
Sydney produce a courageous final-quarter effort to beat Collingwood by 11 points and regain fourth spot on the ladder.
PT1M28S 620 349SYDNEY 3.4 5.6 8.9 13.9 (87) COLLINGWOOD 2.3 4.7 8.14 10.16 (76)
Goals: Sydney: A Goodes 2, B Jack 2, G Rohan 2, S Reid 2, J Kennedy, J McVeigh, L Jetta, M Pyke, T Mitchell. Collingwood: B Reid, D Moore, D Swan, J Crisp, J de Goey, J Elliott, M Williams, S Pendlebury, T Cloke, T Varcoe.
Best: Sydney: Mitchell, Kennedy, Jack, McVeigh, Rohan, Hannebery. Collingwood: Swan, Sidebottom, Adams, Williams, Moore.
Umpires: Ben Ryan, Robert Findlay, Dean Margetts.
Official Crowd: 38,408 at SCG.
They say you learn the most about your character under extreme adversity. Sydney's moment of truth came early in the last quarter and what they produced in the following half hour showed they will not give up this year's flag without an almighty fight.
Getting the job done: Kieren Jack, Jarrad McVeigh and Lewis Jetta celebrate a Swans goal. Photo: Getty Images
Sydney are back in the top four and Collingwood's season is shot after the Swans showed all their trademark heart and courage to produce one of the most stirring victories of the year.
The Swans' 11-point win, however, has come at a huge cost after reigning best and fairest winner Luke Parker was carried off on a stretcher with what appears to be a serious leg injury.
Parker had his right leg caught in a tangle after a hard but fair tackle from Taylor Adams. The Swans midfielder was writhing in agony though it was unclear whether he had hurt his knee, lower leg or ankle.
Bad injury: Luke Parker of the Swans grimaces as he's tackled. Photo: Getty Images
The incident came moments after Isaac Heeney landed heavily in a marking contest and with Jeremy Laidler already subbed out, the Swans were left with just two fit men on the bench, one of whom was Heeney.
But just when all the odds were with the Magpies, the Swans tapped deep into their reserves. Goals to Sam Reid, Brandon Jack and Lewis Jetta turned probable defeat into an inspiring victory.
Senior Swans Dan Hannebery, Kieren Jack, Jarrad McVeigh and Josh Kennedy amassed massive numbers but it was Tom Mitchell who rose most, collecting a career-best 41 disposals.
My ball: Josh Kennedy of the Swans is tackled at the SCG. Photo: Getty Images
The Magpies, despite the best efforts of Dane Swan and Steele Sidebottom, bowed out but lost no admirers, however, they will be ruing a string of narrow defeats against some of the competition's elite.
The Swans, as they did in their last SCG appearance, started with energy and purpose. Led by a midfield desperate to atone after a torrid night in Geelong, the Swans were fierce at the contest, found space when they had the ball and were manic when they did not to win it back.
It took Sydney nine minutes for their first goal but by time on they were 20 points up. The lead, however, should have been far greater had Heeney, proving dangerous with his speed and strong marking, converted his early dominance to goals.
Good catch: Kieren Jack of the Swans takes a mark. Photo: Getty Images
A one-act affair beckoned but the Magpies, hitherto dictated to by their more experienced opponents, hung on. Jamie Elliott found space inside 50 to goal and moments later Travis Varcoe, after a mistake from McVeigh, screwed one in from the boundary line.
The Magpies' intensity lifted in the second term to a level more in keeping with a side playing for their season. An arm wrestle ensued. Every possession was hard earned and metres not easily gained.
Key forwards playing as well as Travis Cloke in such circumstances are priceless. He was leading Ted Richards a merry dance but fortunately for the Swans he was needed higher up the ground, otherwise he would have had more than one goal in the first half.
If the Swans thought they were under pressure, it was to increase again after half time. The Magpies were not just challenging, they had become the better side.
They hit the front through Darcy Moore, who was playing some game for one in his first season, and their belief grew further when Marley Williams goaled on the run.
Able to break the lines with fluency early, the Swans were now finding roadblocks. Their most meaningful incursions inside 50 were coming from centre breaks following Magpies goals.
Gary Rohan was proving their talisman - and he needed to be with Kurt Tippett splitting his time in the ruck and forward and Lance Franklin in the stands. Twice he marked hard on the lead in the third term and both times he goaled but consecutive goals were proving hard to come by.
When Pendlebury kicked the first of the last term to give his team the lead the odds were in the Pies' favour but the game was about to take a dramatic turn.
