Sydney get off the canvas to hurt the TigersRohan Connolly
The Age
17 June 2017SYDNEY 0.4 3.5 7.6 12.8 (80)
RICHMOND 5.3 7.6 9.7 10.11 (71)
GOALS:
Sydney - Reid 2, Hewett, Rohan, Heeney, Kennedy, Lloyd, K Jack, Franklin, Parker, Papley, Hayward.
Richmond - Martin 2, Riewoldt 2, Bolton 2, Castagna, Edwards, Lloyd, Cotchin.
BEST:
Sydney - Lloyd, Newman, Jones, Mills, Heeney, Papley.
Richmond - Rance, Houli, Cotchin, Ellis, Grimes, Martin.
UMPIRES: Jacob Mollison, Mathew Nicholls, Robert O'Gorman, Nathan Williamson.
CROWD: 58,721 at MCG.
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As a perennial power of the past two decades, Sydney have had plenty of wins which have reaped bigger rewards than Saturday's thrilling comeback effort against Richmond at the MCG. But in the context of a single season, the Swans haven't had a lot which have been more important.
With just four wins from 11 games and already two games outside the eight, it was as good as curtains as far as another finals appearance went if the Swans went under.
Which was why, six goals in arrears approaching half-time, you might not merely have started writing Sydney's obituary, but had it all but finished, so distant seemed the prospect of a revival.
But it happened. A team with its key players down most of the day, getting smashed early on for contested ball, and with just three goals on the board at half-time, dragged itself up off the canvas and, courtesy of Gary Rohan's snap with only eight seconds left on the clock, delivered the KO.
It was a phenomenal effort. That Sydney hadn't long been put away was due to the sterling efforts of the likes of Jake Lloyd, Nic Newman, Zak Jones and Isaac Heeney.
They'd offered at least some resistance when Richmond completely dominated the opening term, so thoroughly that no matter how the Swans chipped away at the lead, the gap looked insurmountable.
Jack Riewoldt had the first goal up in under three minutes, Shai Bolton finally jagged his first goal in AFL football after that costly overrule against GWS a few weeks back, then Trent Cotchin nailed Callum Sinclair in a tackle and converted the spoils.
Sydney's frustration was palpable as Lance Franklin delivered a hefty bump on Richmond's Connor Menadue, sparking a fiery exchange between players of both sides on the boundary line.
The Swans held their own in that, at least, and did end up with the final two goals of the half to George Hewett and, after the siren, Sam Reid. The margin was back to 25 points, though it felt like more.
But that built to something approaching danger for the Tigers during the third term when Sydney's last three goals oft the quarter reduced the margin to just 12 points.
And by the finish, it was all about whether Richmond could hang on long enough to even escape with the win, the Swans coming like a tide in the last term.
Sydney kicked eight of the last nine goals of this game, as skipper Josh Kennedy and midfield cohorts Dan Hannebery and Luke Parker, unusually subdued all day, suddenly found some life.
Even then, with Riewoldt booting a steadier and Alex Rance, whose duel with Lance Franklin was compelling viewing, rising to new levels in the final term as he repelled attack after attack, it seemed the Swans might just fall short and bid farewell to season 2017.
But for Sydney, the cream certainly rose to the top when it mattered. No sooner had Riewoldt given his side some breathing space than Kennedy, from the next centre bounce, banged a long bomb through from about 55 metres.
Experience told again when Kieren Jack executed a lovely balk and left-foot banana on the run to give Sydney the lead for the first time since the opening seconds of the game. The Swans survived a couple of final frantic Richmond attacks.
And having been smashed for contested ball much of the early going, they won those that really mattered in the final moments, a final throw-in with 21 seconds left on the clock taken away by the Swans, Kennedy dishing off to Rohan, and the red-head sealing the deal.
Richmond was overrun in the finish, a couple of turnovers like Shaun Grigg's misdirected chip which allowed Reid in for the first goal of the last quarter were costly.
But unlike a couple of those other heartbreakingly narrow losses this season, this one couldn't be sheeted home to this clanger or that as much as an opponent which, with its finals life on the line, and hanging by the fingernails with a sheer drop below, somehow managed to drag itself back to solid ground.
This wasn't just a win, it was a victory which symbolically said more than any other rare high point Sydney have had so far this season. And where that takes the Swans now will be interesting indeed to watch.
VotesAlex Rance (Rich) 8
Jake Lloyd (Syd) 7
Nic Newman (Syd) 7
Bachar Houli (Rich) 7
Trent Cotchin (Rich) 7
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-report/richmond-v-sydney-swans-sydney-get-off-the-canvas-to-hurt-the-tigers-20170617-gwt55q.html
