Sydney Swans thrash Port Adelaide by 67 points at the SCG

SYDNEY  6.5      9.10      14.14      14.16     (100)
PORT ADELAIDE  0.0      2.3      3.6      4.9     (33)
GOALS - Sydney: Rohan 2,  Heeney 2, Franklin 2, X Richards 2, Hannebery, Rampe,  Towers, Kennedy, Mitchell,  Papley.  Port Adelaide:  Butcher, Impey,  Krakouer, Gray.
UMPIRES Donlon, Findlay, Bannister.
CROWD 30,204 at SCG.

On paper, Saturday afternoon's clash looked a potential banana skin for the Sydney Swans up against Port Adelaide's unique ruck configuration and tall forward line at a slippery SCG.

In reality the Swans ramped their game up to the next level, a September level almost, and dished out a sublimely orchestrated 67-point thrashing of a very disappointing Power.

The ruck contest never really materialised with Sam Naismith​ and Toby Nankervis rotating with precision to negate Jackson Trengove's potential influence.

Let's not forget this inexperienced duo is number three and four on the Swans depth chart for ruckmen, with Kurt Tippett and Callum Sinclair still on the injured list.

"We came in today knowing that [Jackson] Trengove has been fantastic in the ruck for Port Adelaide, we thought our boys were really good today," Swans coach John Longmire said.

"A couple of young ruckmen doing a good job for us and our midfielders really noticed that." 

Naismith and Nankervis combined for 46 hitouts to Trengove's 13, meaning Sydney's midfielders had first use of the football throughout allowing their engine room led by Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy and Dan Hannebery​ to constantly punch their way inside 50.

The count in that particular stat finished a staggering 69 to 36 in Sydney's favour. When the ball spilled free in their attacking third, the Swans tackled relentlessly giving Port no time to reorganise.

And on those rare occasions when Port did manage to escape their defensive bunker with ball in hand, Aliir Aliir​ proved an impenetrable last line of defence. Not only would he parry the Port thrusts, but return fire and kickstart the Swans next attacking raid.

The Swans are second on the ladder, for now, and this percentage boost could prove crucial in securing a home final, potentially against cross-town rival Greater Western Sydney. And who would want to face them?

This was an ominous warning for Sydney's looming September rivals. The Swans have mastered wet and dry tracks this season and their gameplan transcends the congestion of the SCG to the league's bigger grounds, as was demonstrated in last weekend's thumping of Fremantle at Domain Stadium.

Just like last week, the bounty was shared amongst 10 different goalkickers with Lance Franklin, Xavier Richards, Gary Rohan and Isaac Heeney helping themselves to multiple six pointers.

Sydney ran through a banner thanking the record 56,523 members who have signed on to support the club this season.

Grey, fickle skies and a rain-sodden SCG kept many of the faithful away but the 30,204 who braved the conditions did so with plenty of cheer and savoured a performance they deserved.

Sydney handled the conditions as well as Port floundered in them, the Power putting in one of their worst performances of the season in what was meant to be a celebration of Justin Westhoff's 200th AFL game.

"They rightly own their position and as bad as it sounds we rightly own our position outside the eight," Port coach Ken Hinkley said.

"Their midfield, their grunt inside was elite."

The writing was on the wall early for Port Adelaide as Sydney raced to a 41-point quarter-time lead, while keeping its hapless opponents scoreless. Tellingly, five of the Swans' six first quarter goals came from open play in the greasy conditions.

During one three-minute period midway through the first term, Tom Mitchell, Rohan and Heeney all snapped superbly over their right shoulders to run up the scoreboard.

Things improved slightly for Port in the second term with Robbie Gray and John Butcher collecting majors, but Sydney still managed three of their own as Naismith and Nankervis took full control in the ruck.

More followed in the second half, the Swans nailing five more majors in the third quarter and missing a few more they should have kicked.

The visitors actually won the last quarter with Nathan Krakouer kicking the only goal of the final term, although the Swans' cue had long ago been folded in half and stuck in the rack.

By now the sun had even made a few sporadic appearances. Sydney are certainly shining, as per normal, at the right time of year.

Port Adelaide is not a bad football team, the Swans are just a very, very good one.

VOTES
(James Buckley)
Luke Parker 8 (Sydney)
Josh Kennedy 8 (Sydney)
Isaac Heeney 8 (Sydney)
Tom Mitchell 8 (Sydney)
Aliir Aliir 8 (Sydney)