The Swans have handed the West Coast Eagles their third-straight defeat with an emphatic 16.11 (107) to 5.15 (45) drubbing at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
Spurred on by a partisan crowd of 44, 235, the Swans had victory well in hand at the long break with a 39-point advantage after a dominant first-half display.
The undermanned Eagles simply had no answer for the in-form Swans who continued to employ a more direct approach with good effect on their way to a 62-point victory.
New recruit Martin Mattner continued his impressive start to the season with 25 touches but he was not alone – Ted Richards (23), Tadhg Kennelly (21), and Michael O’Loughlin (four goals) among the pick of an impressive bunch.
In contrast West Coast’s big guns had minimal impact – Daniel Kerr managing just 15 touches as he was well held by Kieran Jack – Ben McKinley’s four goals as well as the performance of Matt Rosa (23), the only bright spots on a dismal night for the 2006 Premiers.
The Swans’ emphatic display was tarnished, however, by a moment of madness from Barry Hall who was reported for striking Brent Staker with a fearsome blow to the jaw which left the 23-year-old badly shaken late in the first-term.
Staker played no further part in the match while Hall faces a lengthy vacation, although the Sydney spearhead would probably have been absent regardless, having injured his wrist during the last-quarter after slamming into the boundary hoardings and some metal bars behind it.
O’Loughlin was sharp early booting the first two majors as the hosts skipped away early in the contest.
The Swans continued to dominate with goals to Hall and former Adelaide Crow Mattner – his first major for the Sydney siders.
McKinley gave the Eagles’ faithful a glimmer of hope with a goal in the shadows of quarter-time to cut the deficit to 18 at the first break.
The Swans were full of running in the second quarter adding three goals to their tally with Jarrad McVeigh, Adam Goodes and Ryan O’Keefe all getting in on the action.
As he had done in the first-term, McKinley answered for the Eagles just before the break before Brett Kirk kicked his first to re-establish the Swans’ 39-point advantage at half-time.
The hosts had plenty of contributors in the first-half with Tadhg Kennelly (15 possessions), Mattner and Kirk (14 apiece) leading the way.
But the second-term belonged to Adam Goodes who grabbed eight touches and added a goal in a dominant display while, for West Coast, Rosa gathered 10-first-half possessions as Kerr was well held with just six.
Two-goals in the first-four minutes of the third saw the Swans extend their advantage to 51-points.
The Swans added to the Eagles misery with four unanswered goals to start the final quarter before McInley booted his fourth goal for the Eagles in the final minute.
SWANS: 4.2, 8.6,12.8, 16.11(107)
EAGLES: 1.2, 2.3, 4.5, 5.15(45)
GOALS: Swans: O’Loughlin 4, McVeigh 2, Barlow 2, Hall, Mattner, Goodes, O’Keefe, Kirk, J.Bolton, Jolly, Jack,
West Coast: McKinley 4, Armstrong,
BEST: Swans: Mattner, Kirk, Kennelly, Goodes, O’Loughlin.
West Coast: Matt Rosa, Ben McInley.
INJURIES: Swans:
West Coast: Brent Staker (jaw),
REPORTS: Barry Hall for striking Brent Staker in the 26th minute of the first quarter.
CHANGES: Luke Brennan in for Heath Grundy (foot).
UMPIRES: Donlon, Kennedy, Wenn.
CROWD: 44,235 at ANZ Stadium.
Source – Sportal.com.au
