The GIANTS suffered their first loss of the VFL season on Friday after falling to the Swans by 22 points in a tough and scrappy VFL edition of the Sydney Derby at the SCG.
Played prior to the AFL clash between the clubs, the GIANTS trailed by two to three goals for most of the contest but managed to get their noses in front in the third term before the Swans ultimately kicked away late to run out (96) to 10.14 (74) winners at home.
The GIANTS were gutsy throughout Friday’s contest and when Max Gruzewski kicked the opening goal of the final term they’d cut the lead to just four points to set up what could have been a grandstand finish.
That wasn’t to be however as the Swans responded in strong fashion, kicking three unanswered goals in a nine-minute stretch in the middle of the last term to steady the ship and hand the GIANTS their first VFL defeat of the season.
There were several strong performances from both AFL and VFL-listed GIANTS at the SCG despite the loss, with Jack Ough (28 disposals, 15 contested possessions, four tackles, four clearances) continuing his strong push for an AFL debut, Kieren Briggs (16 disposals, 21 hit-outs, 10 clearances, seven tackles, one goal) filling the stat sheet in his first VFL game in almost three years, and Harry Oliver (29 disposals, five marks) strong behind the ball in his first game of the season.
Star VFL recruits Harvey Hooper (27 disposals, two goals) and James Bell (24 disposals, 15 contested possessions, eight clearances) were also brilliant once again as they continued their red-hot starts to their time in orange and charcoal, with Hooper kicking a goal of the year contender in the second term after selling candy before finishing with a checkside goal on the run.
Up forward Max Gruzewski (19 disposals, 10 marks, one goal) was a strong target ahead of the footy, as was skipper Ryan Hebron (two goals), while exciting draftee Riley Hamilton (10 disposals, two goals) showed off his bag of his tricks with a high-flying mark and brilliant crumbing goal as he continues to impress.
Fellow youngster Joey Delana (11 disposals, four tackles, one goal) also had his moments, while Callum Brown (one goal) only played the first half due to being a carry-over emergency for the AFL clash.
Conor Stone (20 disposals), James Leake (15 disposals), and draftee Oskar Taylor (19 disposals, eight intercepts) were solid down back, while undersized defender Nick Kelly (nine intercepts, three contested marks) gave his all deep in defence often against taller opponents.
Louie Montgomery (17 disposals) was also a valuable contributor.
The GIANTS were slow out of the blocks in a scrappy opening term on Friday despite Delana kicking the first major of the game to give them the early lead in enemy territory.
While both sides found it tough to connect inside 50 early - with just two combined goals kicked for most of the first term – the Swans found their radar late with back-to-back goals in red time to take a 3.0 (18) to 1.2 (8) lead into the first break.
As the skill level from both sides lifted in the second term it was the Swans who made it count on the scoreboard in the early goings of the quarter with more back-to-back unanswered goals to help them jump out to a game-high 23-point lead.
After some much-needed brilliance from Hooper, with his goal of the year contender, the sides traded blows with five more majors between them to see out the half, with Hamilton and Brown both hitting the scoreboard before Hebron nailed a tough set shot from the boundary after the half-time siren to cut the Swans’ margin to 14 at the main break.
While Hebron continued to lead from the front to start the second half, kicking his second goal early in the third term, the Swans responded immediately to push the lead back out to 14 points.
While the Swans continued to keep the GIANTS at an arm’s length, the orange tsunami began to bubble midway through the third term as Hooper and Hamilton both kicked their second majors to give the GIANTS their first lead since early in the opening term.
The lead was short-lived however at Hayden McLean kicked his third goal of the day three minutes later before the Swans added two more in quick succession to turn their two-point deficit into a 16-point lead in the blink of an eye.
The GIANTS refused to go away as Briggs continued his strong outing with a set shot goal after the three-quarter-time siren to trim the margin to 11 at the last change.
While Gruzewski’s early major in the fourth made it a four-point game, it would be the closest the GIANTS would get as the crosstown rival finished off strongly to claim a VFL Sydney Derby win at home.
The GIANTS’ VFL side will now look to respond next Sunday morning when they face the Kangaroos at Tom Wills Oval at GIANTS HQ.
VFL ROUND 4
GIANTS 1.2 5.5 9.9 10.14 (74)
Swans 3.0 8.1 12.2 15.6 (96)
GOALKICKERS
GIANTS: Ryan Hebron 2, Riley Hamilton 2, Harvey Hooper 2, Joey Delana, Callum Brown, Kieren Briggs, Max Gruzewski
Swans: Hayden McLean 4, Billy Cootee 3, Liam Hetherton 3, Tom Ryan, Caiden Cleary, James Tidemann, Charlie Peters, Peter Ladhams
