Sinclair sparks Swans to win over Blues

SYDNEY 3.5 5.7 10.9 13.13 (91)
CARLTON 3.1 6.2 6.6 9.7 (61)

Sydney are still far from the finished product in 2018, but the Swans now boast eight wins and have clambered up to third spot in the AFL after Friday's hard-fought win over Carlton.

Led by ruckman Callum Sinclair, the Swans ground out a 30-point win, doing the damage in the third term as bottom-placed Carlton's plucky challenge in front of 27,011 at the chilly SCG started to wane.

A five-goals-to-nothing third quarter did the damage to Carlton, who had led by a point at the major break after causing plenty of problems for Sydney early in the contest.

Sinclair was the best player on the ground, rucking against Carlton big man Matthew Kreuzer throughout but also galloping around to every square inch of the ground providing both an attacking target and defensive outpost.

He finished with 26 hit-outs, 22 disposals, seven marks and two goals.

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"He's been pretty good shouldering a big load and [he's] going all right at the moment," Swans coach John Longmire said.

"He's a pretty naturally fit bloke, he gets around the ground well and has been competing well. He's grown a bit of confidence and knowing that he's got an important role in the team and fulfilling that most weeks.

"The responsibility's firmly on his shoulders and so far he's been pretty good."

The Swans needed a big man to step up given so much of Carlton coach Brendon Bolton's game plan revolved around containing Lance Franklin. Still fresh in Bolton's mind was Franklin's 10-goal haul at the same venue against Carlton in round 23 last year.

Bolton's plan was largely effective – Sam Rowe had the job on Franklin, while Liam Jones spent lengthy periods patrolling the space 20 metres in front of the Swans' star man.

The tactic worked fairly well throughout, although Franklin still managed three goals. It also meant the rest of Sydney's small forward line had more room in which to roam.

"Jones was terrific, he intercepted the ball well, they held up most of the time and I think the last few weeks he's built some consistency," Bolton said.

"I feel we're on the right track. We were right in the game, particularly even into the third quarter, some set shots really hurt us that quarter.

"We kicked four points in the third when the game was right on and at that point in the game we had enough inside 50s. They kicked five goals, three in that quarter.

"There's a little bit to learn from that but we were in the fight for most of the game."

Isaac Heeney and Will Hayward were successful targets throughout for the Swans, while Luke Parker spent plenty of time in attack. All three rewarded Longmire with two goals apiece.

Perhaps most pleasing for Longmire would have been the spread of contributions from the lesser known reaches of his playing list on what was a pretty dour episode of Friday night football.

George Hewett was given the job of shadowing Carlton danger man Patrick Cripps and gave the visiting midfielder no breathing room, restricting him to 17 disposals.

Heath Grundy and Nick Smith were pillars of strength in defence, taking 17 marks between them and not allowing Carlton to just bomb the ball long into their forward line.

And Heeney complemented Franklin very well up forward, showing strong hands all night and kicking a pair of second-quarter goals during an otherwise uninspiring first half.

Captain Josh Kennedy was solid in the middle without racking up the huge numbers he is capable of, doing his best work in the final quarter, while 200-gamer Dan Hannebery struggled to find the footy.

That the Swans were able to think their way through this game without typical contributions from Franklin, Kennedy and Hannebery should fill the side with confidence, even if their opposition wasn't the strongest on paper.

"Our hit and our intensity was up and down a little bit," Longmire said.

"You really noticed it when we were really having a go and then we just relaxed a little bit. It was probably a little bit of polish at times, we kicked five goals 10 on turnovers, you flip that around and you're pretty efficient with the ball."

The game started in comical fashion when the Swans' theme song momentarily blared through the speakers with just six and a half minutes gone on the clock. Sydney were down by seven points at the time, and Carlton's first half suggested there was no guarantee that Swans song would even be played come full-time.

Jones started strongly in his efforts to disturb Franklin, and one of his intercept marks in the opening term drew a 50m penalty from the Sydney big man.

The Carlton defender speared in a low pass to Patrick Kerr, who went back and kicked the opener.

Charlie Curnow then unloaded from 55m with full effect as the Blues' short passing game continued to reap rewards but Sydney eventually steadied.

Kieren Jack banged one through form the arc then Franklin grabbed his first from 20m out when Rowe was penalised. Franklin's third goal late in the game also came from an infringement from Rowe.

Carlton continued to dig in during the second term, and every time Sydney threatened to break clear and take control, the plucky visitors hit back.

But they faltered in the second half, and only managed three majors after the main break.

GOALS: SYDNEY – Franklin 3, Heeney 2, Parker 2, Sinclair 2, Hayward 2, Jack, McVeigh. CARLTON – Silvagni 2, C Curnow 2, Kerr, Lang, Wright, Dow, E Curnow

BEST: SYDNEY – Sinclair, Parker, Hewett, Grundy, Smith, Heeney. CARLTON – Kerridge, Jones, E Curnow, Simpson, Silvagni, C Curnow
INJURIES: SYDNEY – N/A. CARLTON – Cripps (Thigh)

CROWD: 27,011 at the SCG
UMPIRES: Nick Foot, Robert O'Gorman, Jacob Mollison

VOTES – James Buckley
Callum Sinclair (Sydney) 8, Luke Parker (Sydney) 7, George Hewett (Sydney) 7, Sam Kerridge, (Carlton) 7, Isaac Heeney (Sydney) 7

James Buckley writes on AFL for The Sydney Morning Herald.

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