Source : the age
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Sydney 20.12 (132) d Carlton 10.9 (69)
If the opening round was designed by the AFL to attract new audiences in NSW, Sydney’s 63-point demolition of Carlton at the SCG provided the perfect advert.
In the first half, the Swans were beaten in the contest and on the scoreboard in an ill-tempered game. But a new-look Sydney side emerged in the third quarter, adding an incredible 75 points to put the game to bed. Former Carlton favourite Charlie Curnow added two goals in that period, while Justin McInerney booted three.
Charlie Curnow with former skipper Patrick Cripps after the SCG clash.Credit: AFL Photos
Curnow’s profile demanded centre stage, and he ended the game with three majors, but he was helped by an outstanding supporting cast, including Joel Amartey (three) and Matt Roberts (two).
So much focus had been Curnow ahead of the game, with coach Dean Cox admitting the superstar forward had experienced some nerves. On the field, Curnow’s teammates showed some early jitters of their own, unable to cleanly handpass or find targets by foot. A strong SCG crowd arrived looking forward to seeing a Swans team capable of challenging for a premiership. They got a feast of fumbles.
Speaking after the clash, Cox said his side hadn’t put on a “great show” in the first half.
“We understood the responsibility from the opportunity that the AFL gave us to put on a show and the first half wasn’t a great show, but when we played the way we wanted to in that third quarter, the crowd of 40,000 – they were as loud as I’ve heard in a long time.”
Sydney finished the half 10 points down but were lucky it wasn’t worse. The Blues had been smarter and had dominated the midfield. Nobody typified the Swans travails more than Isaac Heeney, restricted to three disposals and also taking a nasty knee to the head from former teammate Ollie Florent, sending him to the changing room to be reviewed by the doctors for a head injury assessment. Match review officer Michael Christian will surely review the incident in the aftermath, too.
Heeney later played down the incident with his business partner and former teammate.
“We nickname each other ‘Brickheads’,” Heeney explained to this masthead.
“We just go at each other like a couple of idiots. No, I love him.
“We had a chat after it… it was all fun and games. Obviously we got on top, so that was nice.
“He got the best of me, actually, when he threw me to the ground, but no, it was good.”
Heeney was the last man out to start the second half, and it looked like the Swans were facing more of the same, with Carlton’s Ashton Moir kicking a major and Marc Pittonet getting his second goal of the game to stretch out to their biggest lead of the game of 22 points.
The spotlight was beaming on Curnow throughout the game, with flashpoints frequently bubbling up between both teams. It was the lesser-heralded McInerney who provided the kindling to spark a stunning Swans comeback with two quick-fire goals in three minutes.
It had taken a full half of football, but finally the Swans had woken from their slumber, with Logan McDonald getting his first goal of the season after missing all of last year through injury.
Heeney then gave the Swans a one-point lead with his first goal and epitomised the changed team that was finally finding the football and using it intelligently. Heeney was finally finding the Sherrin, with 13 touches for the quarter. His superstar midfield partner Errol Gulden was also finding the football to devastating effect after a particularly slow start.
Curnow had been held quiet, frustrated by Jacob Weitering, but his first goal brought the biggest cheer of the night from the SCG and sparked a shoving contest between both teams. Amartey’s second goal, from 55 metres out, was the Swans’ sixth goal in a row and again Carlton charged in to remonstrate, to little avail.
A major to Carlton’s Elijah Hollands (who’d only clinched his list spot in recent weeks) and Pittonet’s second were cancelled out by Roberts booting just the fifth goal of his whole career and McInerney getting his third of the night.
Errol Gulden was among Sydney’s best in the season opener.Credit: Getty Images
After Pittonet got his third, Roberts slotted his second and Heeney joined him with a double. For the third time, Carlton charged in recklessly as the celebrations started, leading to a needless free kick. The frustration was apparent for the Blues as they seemed powerless to stop the game being completely flipped on its head in the third term.
A Tom Papley major and Curnow’s second made it 12 in the third quarter for the Swans and put the game beyond reach for Carlton.
Swans coach Dean Cox and spearhead Charlie Curnow share a laugh after the game.Credit: AFL Photos
In the final term the Swans extended their lead through goals from Brodie Grundy, Chad Warner, Amartey, Angus Sheldrick, James Rowbottom, and Curnow getting his third goal of the night.
Cox spoke about the occasion of Curnow coming up against the side he played 149 games with – his milestone coming in his first game in Sydney colours.
“I think everyone understands the narrative behind it and the expectation when you get a great player like Charlie to your football club,” Cox said of the blockbuster off-season move to land the star forward.
“We’ve had some unbelievable key forwards and I suppose the hype that does surround that… I was more worried about if he missed [his first shot on goal], all the boys are waiting to give him a high-five and say congratulations rather than trying to set up and win the ball back if was a kick-in… but the most important part was, I thought he competed well all night.”
By night’s end, Curnow couldn’t stop smiling; he had not only survived an awkward and tough reunion with friends and former long-time teammates at Carlton, he had also thrived. Whether he remains the missing piece of the puzzle for the Swans in their quest for a first premiership since 2012 remains to be seen, but he has evidently made himself at home in Sydney.
That’s all we have for you tonight as we leave the action from the SCG – the Swans coming away big winners.
These statistics paint the picture of just how the Swans turned up the heat in the second half.
We’ll be back with you tomorrow night for the Suns’ clash with the Cats on the Gold Coast.
Until then, goodbye for now.
Carlton coach Michael Voss said the Blues did not talk about former star forward Charlie Curnow in their pre-match preparation for the Swans clash at the SCG.
Voss said there was more at stake for the Carlton line-up than to become fixated on Curnow, who kicked three goals against his old club in the second half in Sydney’s 63-point win.
Carlton coach Michael Voss said the Blues could not match stride with Sydney after half-time.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Curnow even said his former teammates gave him the silent treatment during the match, which he called “weird”.
“Do you make it about one person, or do you make it want to make it about our team and our club?” Voss said.
“So, it didn’t come up in conversation for us, pre-game. We were sort of locked in with the way we wanted to play, and I think we saw that.”
Voss said the Blues were able to bounce off some strong pre-season form to post a 10-point lead at half-time.
“I really liked the way we were moving the football, you know, making some good opportunities forward of centre. So the game was looking really healthy for us,” he said.
But they could not keep pace when the Swans dialled up the pressure around the ball after half-time.
“We lost some pretty important territory in our stoppages,” Voss said. “Their centre square bounce was too good.
“Their best players got going and had a significant influence on the game in the second half.
“And our intensity dropped. We kicked the first two goals after half-time, and we were thinking the game’s in pretty good shape.
“For the next, you know, 20-odd minutes, it was watching the ball go through the opposition’s goals, and no matter what we did, we couldn’t stop it.”
Voss said he did not have a clear view of the incident involving recruit Oliver Florent, who collected Sydney star Isaac Heeney across the head with his knee.
Heeney was taken from the field and assessed but was cleared of concussion.
“I didn’t see that particular incident. I saw the knee, and I saw Heeney walk off, that’s all I saw,” Voss said.
The Blues could be without defender Adam Saad for next Thursday night’s clash with Richmond after he left the field with a hamstring strain.
Sydney coach Dean Cox revealed the Swans purposely managed Tom Papley’s game time in their win over Carlton so that he can build into the season.
Papley spent most of the first half on the bench as the Swans struggled to combat Carlton’s midfield dominance through Sam Walsh, Cooper Lord and Jagga Smith. Sydney trailed at the long break by 10 points.
Tom Papley kicks a second-half goal for the Swans.Credit: Getty Images
While Papley did not play a huge hand in Sydney’s second-half resurgence, as the Swans kicked 18 goals to Carlton’s six, he did manage to run the game out strongly.
“We knew Tom has had a limited pre-season, in relation to match play,” Cox said.
“So, like the old sub, if it was still around, he probably would have been the sub, or subbed out. We needed to make sure that we could get a certain amount of minutes – he played 68 last week, it was about 75 tonight.
“We’ve got a nine-day break now until Brisbane, so he can get some training sessions in and then build from there.
“So that was just a plan, we needed to make sure that we had Tom at the end of the game, rather than him sitting on the bench, and he can’t go back on.”
Cox was also full of praise for the Swans’ less-celebrated recruits, Jai Serong and Malcolm Rosas, who were overshadowed by the debut of three-goal forward Charlie Curnow.
“I thought Jai kept us in it early,” Cox said of the former Hawthorn defender. “He was one of our better players in the first half when we were really challenged.
“It was always going to be mostly about Charlie, but I couldn’t be prouder of what those two players have done over the summer since they’ve been at our footy club.
“The work they’ve put in, they’re great humans, and, you know, they deserved to represent our club tonight, and they did it really well.”
Star Carlton defender Jacob Weitering said the Blues fell back into bad habits during their 63-point thumping at the hands of a rampant Sydney.
Weitering kept old teammate Charlie Curnow goalless in the first half and Carlton went in at the long break with a promising 10-point lead.
Carlton and Sydney players wrestle during the match at the SCG.Credit: AFL Photos
But it all went horribly wrong after half-time. The Swans kicked 12 goals in the third term and 18 in the second half to turn the game into one-way traffic. Curnow finished the night with three goals.
“There were some positives out of the first half, wasn’t there?” Weitering said on Seven.
“[It was] frustrating to come out [that way] in that third quarter. It was probably a repeat of some patterns that happened last year.
“So, we’re going to go back to the drawing board. I think we got smacked out of the middle, and we didn’t get it done behind the ball. So credit to them, they came bloody hard at us.”
The Blues lost Adam Saad to a hamstring complaint at three-quarter time, and defender Oliver Florent could come under MRO scrutiny for collecting Isaac Heeney in the head with his knee.
Heeney was laying on the turf and Florent attempted to step over him when his knee clipped the Swans’ midfielder in the side of the head. Commentators were divided over whether the contact was accidental.
The Blues also got caught up in a number of scuffles during a frustrating third term. Weitering agreed that it was ill-disciplined.
“I think some free kicks were paid, some goals were kicked. In the end, the result was the result, but, you know, we’ve got to be disciplined,” Weitering said.
“We’re gonna to be playing in heated environments against some quality opposition, and if you let your emotions get the better, obviously, it’s not a good thing.
“As I said, we’ll regroup, we’ve got a massive game next week against the Tigers. We’ll get some revenge.”
Charlie Curnow has had his first win at the SCG. Sadly, for Carlton fans, it came in Sydney colours.
The two-time Carlton Coleman medallist said it was difficult to know what to say after experiencing a victory over his former Blues teammates. He said they still “mean a lot to me”.
Charlie Curnow celebrates one of his three goals.Credit: AFL Photos
“I don’t even know how to put a finger on it,” he told Seven after the Swans’ 63-point victory at the SCG.
“It’s been an amazing six months. It is such a hard one to come from another club… you’ve just gotta kind of dive into it. There’s only one way forward.”
Curnow came in for some heat from his former teammates, particularly in the third term when he kicked his first goal. He booted three for the match – all in the second half after being well held by Jacob Weitering early.
“Obviously, there was heat in the battle, the boys were going hard, and it was a great contest,” Curnow said.
He added that, like most football clubs around the country would, the Swans had made him feel welcome.
“People move all the time. People have different things going on in their lives, and I just think that’s what makes footy clubs so good – you make new friends and stuff,” he said.
Curnow laughed when asked about the AFL scheduling Sydney’s first match against Carlton in the opening round.
“I thought we were going to be playing Carlton six times,” he joked. “I guess it’s nice to get that one done. At least they looked after me, it was at the SCG. [It was my] first win here in 10 years. I guess it’s nice to get one.”
He said Carlton had a tactic of not talking to him before or during the game.
“It was weird,” he said.
Curnow said 18 family members and 18 school friends flew up to Sydney to watch the match. He also thanked his partner Tiana.
“We’ve had our own little challenges over the past few months, so I think this moment has been really nice. I can’t wait to see her and give her a big hug.”
Sydney have thrashed Carlton by 63 points.
After trailing by 10 at half-time, the home side put on a clinic, kicking 18 goals in the second half to Carlton’s four.
Charlie Curnow proved his worth with three goals – all in the second half. But the match winners for Sydney were Errol Gulden (27 possessions) and Justin McInerney (31 disposals, three goals).
It was hard to find positives for the Blues and Michael Voss will be scratching his head. It doesn’t bode well for his coaching future.
The Blues lost their cool during the third term, starting scuffles and giving away free kicks. It wasn’t pretty. Perhaps they were frustrated when Curnow got off the chain.
At least Sam Walsh had a big night. He had 32 possessions – 16 kicks, 16 handballs – and looks to be running injury free.
Jagga Smith was serviceable, collecting 26 disposals. But they were unable to match motors in the second half with Sydney power runners Gulden, McInerney, Chad Warner and Isaac Heeney.
Up forward for Carlton, Harry McKay struggled with 13 possessions and one goal.
FT: Swans 20.12 (132) defeated Blues 10.9 (69)
Former Blue Charlie Curnow continues to rub salt into the wounds.
He has now kicked his third goal of the night, the latest coming from a free-kick.
He was held goalless in the first half, but capitalised on Sydney’s second-half dominance.
Ben Ainsworth gave the Blues fans something to cheer about with a late goal. That’s his second of the night.
Five minutes remaining: Swans 19.10 (124) leads Blues 10.7 (67)
Angus Sheldrick has kicked a goal for the Swans to stretch the lead to 57 points.
The Blues are making fundamental mistakes and grinding to a stop, with Zac Williams the latest to leave the field with cramps.
By contrast, the Swans are full of running and moving the ball with precision.
Most predicted a Sydney victory, but maybe not this easily.
With a lot of the last quarter still to play out, they have taken a 50-point lead.
It begs the question: Where do these teams finish at the end of the year?
I know it is ridiculously early, and only one match in, but the Swans have a finals finish written all over them, while Carlton could be in wooden spoon contention.
Adding to the Blues’ woes tonight, Adam Saad has been benched with hamstring soreness.
With 11 minutes until full-time: Swans 17.9 (111) lead Blues 9.7 (61)
