SYDNEY 4.2 7.3 12.8 18.10 (118)
ST KILDA 3.2 5.4 7.5 10.8 (68)
Goals: Sydney: L Franklin 4 D Hannebery 2 H Cunningham 2 T Papley 2 D Towers G Hewett G Rohan J Kennedy K Tippett N Newman S Reid W Hayward. St Kilda: N Riewoldt 3 J Gresham 2 T Membrey 2 B Acres D Roberton P McCartin
Best – Sydney: Hannebery, Kennedy, Lloyd, Newman, Mills, Parker, Papley. St Kilda: Billings, Acres, Ross, Roberton, Steven, Brown.
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Jacob Mollison, Andrew Mitchell.
Official Crowd: 29,778 at Etihad Stadium
The signs leading up to this game against St Kilda always looked promising for Sydney. The Swans had clearly found some form over the previous fortnight. Their record against the Saints was an imposing one, and their record at Etihad Stadium even better.
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Swans make it three straight
Buddy Franklin kicked four majors as the Swans turned it on to comfortably beat St Kilda.
But if anyone still had any doubts about Sydney's return to somewhere near the side we saw last year, they might have been dispelled as early as five or so minutes into the first term.
That was all it took for the Swans to kick the first two goals, the way they did it as important as the scores themselves, a Josh Kennedy intercept of an errant handball launching a chain that finished with a goal to Harry Cunningham, impressive youngster Will Hayward then converting from 45 metres out.
St Kilda's stemming of the bleeding started initially with a free kick and to be frank, a pretty soft 50-metre penalty to Dylan Roberton, Lance Franklin the frustrated perpetrator.
The Saints did, however, began to match Sydney for hardness, their next goal coming after Jack Newnes and the Swans' Callum Mills had knocked each other into next week with a shuddering, but totally legitimate collision, the spills ending up with a goal-bound Jade Gresham.
Only a minute later, Nick Riewoldt played the crumber instead of marking target, snapped around his body, and the Saints were in front.
It was game on in every sense, every possession in the clusters of players around the ball hard-won, an already tough game ramped up another notch or two, Newnes feeling the effects of that Mills bump and ruled out of the rest of the match, Mav Weller hobbling off around the same time.
This was one game where some turnovers could almost be excused such was the amount of pressure being applied, but it was Sydney that continued to capitalise on them more.
And it was the Swans who established the first clear break, dominating the middle stages of the second term for three straight goals to Kennedy, Cunningham and Sam Reid, and a consequent 18-point lead.
St Kilda's pressure lacked nothing, however. And it was that quality which forced a badly needed goal not long before half-time, Sydney hassled into a succession of errors and Tim Membrey marking and playing on to drag the gap back to 12 points.
The Saints went into the long break having doubled the swans for clearance wins, ahead on contested ball, tackles and the inside-50 count. But you had the sense they were clinging on rather than threatening. And the third term proved it.
St Kilda kept turning the ball over. And the Swans kept capitalising on it. Dean Towers, impressive off half-back, won a one-on-one after another ill-judged St Kilda pass, executed a one-two, and had the first goal of the second half.
Franklin worked off Nathan Brown after an inexplicable turnover by normally assured Saints defender Roberton and had another for the Swans. And Gary Rohan made it three turnover goals with a courageous intercept mark and conversion from the boundary, ironically after having dropped a couple of sitters.
Kurt Tippett, competitive in his return to the senior side, dobbed one from a very tight angle. And when Nic Newman, another newcomer to turn heads, baulked a couple of defenders wheeling on to his left and let fly from outside 50 metres, it was out to a 33-point gap and as good as game over.
You could tell only seconds into the last term that the jig was up for the Saints, the intensity gone, the turnovers still happening and heads visibly dropping.
The final nail in the coffin, if there needed to be one, summed it all up. Jake Carlisle sought to clear the lines after a mark. Instead, he gave it straight back to the Swans, Tom Papley pumping the ball into the teeth of goal for George Hewett to run in and finish things off.
It was cakewalk from there, Sydney slamming on another five to win by 50 points in the end. A team 15th on the ladder beating sixth by that much would normally turn plenty of heads, but did anyone really believe the Swans were a genuine 15th?
Particularly in this crazy season, where a 0-6 start has now become 3-6 and for the Swans a potential launching pad into the finals.
For the message was unmistakeable. The Sydney of the first part of 2017 is done and dusted. And the Swans of 2016 are back in town.
VOTES
(Rohan Connolly)
Dan Hannebery (Syd) .... 8
Josh Kennedy (Syd)........7
Jake Lloyd (Syd).............7
Nic Newman (Syd)..........6
Callum Mills (Syd)...........6