Swans surge late to give Carlton the blues

Sydney has solidified its place inside the top-eight, seeing off a resilient Carlton to come away with a 22-point win at the SCG.

In a game full of momentum swings and with the game delicately poised at three-quarter time, the Swans surged ahead with a 4.4 to 1.3 final-term as they outworked the visitors late in the contest.

Isaac Heeney put on a matchwinning performance accumulating 22 disposals, 14 marks and booting three goals while Harry Cunningham (27 disposals, ten marks) was superb in defence.

Patrick Cripps (27 disposals, three goals) had his best-performance of the season and was well-supported by Sam Walsh (33 disposals) – but it wasn’t enough for the Blues who fell to 4-7.

After the Swans shot ahead through a first-minute Will Hayward goal, Carlton responded with four majors, capped off by a spectacular Eddie Betts goal to give the Blues an 18-point lead.

Sydney would then hit-back with four goals of their own to swing the lead back into their advantage with Lance Franklin’s late goal giving the Swans a slender lead at the first-break.

The pendulum would again swing in the way of the visitors who began to gain ascendancy in the contested ball (83-60 at halftime) while making it count early in the second-term with three of the opening four goals.

However, the quarter would in almost mirroring circumstances to the first as Heeney and Franklin booted late goals, cutting the Blues’ margin to a point at halftime.

In another seesawing tight third-quarter, neither side could maintain firm control as both teams traded two-goal swings before Heeney booted his third just before three-quarter time to give Sydney a three-point lead.

Carlton’s effort would wane in the final-quarter as Sydney put the foot down with a barnstorming final-term as Tom Papley booted two of his three goals to seal the result.

Carlton matched the Swans early but fell away in the final term. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source:Getty Images

Sydney late quarter surges

When the clock reached red time, the Swans found yet another gear.

In a game full of momentum swings, Carlton was finding their scores early in the first three quarters but would find themselves falling behind late as Sydney piled on the pressure during the final five minutes of each quarter.

Sydney kicked an accumulative total of 8.4 to 0.3 during red-time which ultimately played a telling role in the Swans running away with all four-points.

Buddy vs McKay

It was the battle of the key forwards and it lived right up to the billing.

At one end, the ever-emerging Coleman Medal leader Harry McKay was matched shot-for-shot by someone who has done it all before in Lance Franklin as they traded blows at either end in a compelling subplot throughout the game.

Both players booted three on the afternoon, but McKay could’ve extended his lead on top of the Coleman had it not been for inaccuracy – kicking 3.5.

Betts delivers early

Eddie Betts has done it again.

In an entertaining first-term, the crafty veteran did what he has done for his entire career pulling out yet another Sir Doug Nicholls Round special with a trademark miraculous goal.

After a deep ball inside 50, Betts gathered with one hand, took a few steps towards the boundary before snapping the ball back across his body from an almost impossible angle – giving the Blues an early lead.

SWANS 5.3, 8.4, 11.6, 15.10 (100)

BLUES 4.3, 8.5, 10.9, 11.12 (78)

D’URBANO’S BEST

SWANS: Heeney, Cunningham, Lloyd, Mills, Franklin, Kennedy

BLUES: Cripps, Walsh, McKay, Curnow, Docherty, Silvagni

GOALS

SWANS: Franklin 3, Heeney 3, Papley 3, Hayward 2, Kennedy 2, Parker, Wicks

BLUES: McKay 3, Cripps 3, Betts 2, Williams, Silvagni, De Koning

INJURIES

SWANS: nil

BLUES: Gibbons (hamstring)

VENUE: @ SCG

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

3: Isaac Heeney (SYD)

2: Patrick Cripps (CARL)

1: Harry Cunningham (SYD)

Crowd: 29,882

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