Sydney Swans

Sydney have found a chink in Fremantle's armour after unleashing a chip-mark game plan in an upset 17-point AFL win at Optus Stadium.

Fremantle only had themselves to blame for gifting Franklin the late goal. Franklin finished the match with just one goal from seven disposals, with Griffin Logue winning the head-to-head battle. It was Sydney's turn to waste chances in the second term, with the visitors spraying 1.7 before Franklin kicked truly after the half-time siren.

The Sydney Swans have claimed a 17-point victory over Fremantle at Optus Stadium in Round 18.

It felt significant, with a scuffle following and the Swans heading to the rooms on a positive note, and the contest changed significantly in the second half. It was a game of two clear halves, with the Swans scrambling early and conceding the clearances from the outset. Lachie Schultz looked like he had kicked the Dockers 23 points clear at the main break, converting a clever snap with nine seconds to play. They kept the ball from the Dockers, registering 115 marks to 51 and outscored the Dockers by 46 points from turnover. The Swans were the dominant side after quarter time. The win was built on a patient game style that frustrated the Dockers and took the ball out of their hands in the second half, with the Swans racking up a massive 127 uncontested marks to the Dockers' 70.

SYDNEY is back in the top-four hunt after breaching Fremantle's Optus Stadium fortress, kicking away to win a gruelling armwrestle in the west by 17 points ...

It felt significant, with a scuffle following and the Swans heading to the rooms on a positive note, and the contest changed significantly in the second half. Even when space was cleared out for the champion forward, Logue held his own and only conceded in the final seconds of the first half when he slipped at the crucial moment. The switch in game styles after half-time was telling on Saturday night, with the Swans taking 88 of their 127 uncontested marks after the main break. Lachie Schultz looked like he had kicked the Dockers 23 points clear at the main break, converting a clever snap with nine seconds to play. It was a game of two clear halves, with the Swans scrambling early and conceding the clearances from the outset. Fremantle didn't adjust quickly enough and the result will be seen as a clue to how teams can break down their defensive structure, with the Swans regularly pinning the ball in their front half and ending the match with 54-44 advantage in forward entries.

The Sydney Swans have laid their claim on a top four spot after picking the Dockers apart at Optus Stadium on the back of a scintillating performance by WA ...

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Sydney stormed back in the final term to beat Fremantle in WA and set up their run to the top four, while four goals from Hugh McCluggage helped Brisbane ...

But the Swans continued to send it inside their forward line with Isaac Heeney kicking a goal to put Sydney in front. The Swans were off their game in the opening term in a number of areas including their discipline as they twice gave away 50-metre penalties for moving on the mark, the second leading to a David Mundy goal. Sam Reid gave away 50m penalty in the third term as well. Banfield kicked two quality goals, one of which was from an assist from Schultz who was constantly tackling, pressuring and creating scoring chances. Chad Warner (35 disposals), Callum Mills, and Luke Parker were exceptional in taking control of the football after a horror first term saw them trailing the home side. The Swans were in trouble in the opening term and fell three goals behind but after quarter-time they had re-discovered their pressure game and kept the ball in their forward half for much of the second term.

SYDNEY is back in the top-four hunt after breaching Fremantle's Optus Stadium fortress, kicking away to win a gruelling armwrestle in the west by 17 points ...

It felt significant, with a scuffle following and the Swans heading to the rooms on a positive note, and the contest changed significantly in the second half. Even when space was cleared out for the champion forward, Logue held his own and only conceded in the final seconds of the first half when he slipped at the crucial moment. The switch in game styles after half-time was telling on Saturday night, with the Swans taking 88 of their 127 uncontested marks after the main break. Lachie Schultz looked like he had kicked the Dockers 23 points clear at the main break, converting a clever snap with nine seconds to play. It was a game of two clear halves, with the Swans scrambling early and conceding the clearances from the outset. Fremantle didn't adjust quickly enough and the result will be seen as a clue to how teams can break down their defensive structure, with the Swans regularly pinning the ball in their front half and ending the match with 54-44 advantage in forward entries.

Chad Warner's finest performance yet came on Saturday night, as Sydney claimed another top-four scalp with a 17-point win over Fremantle.

The main thing is to just keep pushing those basics and reminding ourselves of what makes us a good team and not get carried away with that,” Parker said. “His sheer power around the contest and his speed, his ability to come out the front of stoppages, is probably quite rare in players. But you always get reminded that football can be very humbling at times as well and put you right back in your place when you think you’re on a roll. Before, between and since, Warner has been consistently in the grills of opposition players, getting under their skins, winning the ball, exploding away from contests, setting up goals and kicking them himself. The way he plays is very dangerous. But times change, and new heroes - like “The Chad” - emerge quickly.

SYDNEY is back in the top-four hunt after breaching Fremantle's Optus Stadium fortress, kicking away to win a gruelling armwrestle in the west by 17 points ...

It felt significant, with a scuffle following and the Swans heading to the rooms on a positive note, and the contest changed significantly in the second half. Even when space was cleared out for the champion forward, Logue held his own and only conceded in the final seconds of the first half when he slipped at the crucial moment. The switch in game styles after half-time was telling on Saturday night, with the Swans taking 88 of their 127 uncontested marks after the main break. Lachie Schultz looked like he had kicked the Dockers 23 points clear at the main break, converting a clever snap with nine seconds to play. It was a game of two clear halves, with the Swans scrambling early and conceding the clearances from the outset. Fremantle didn't adjust quickly enough and the result will be seen as a clue to how teams can break down their defensive structure, with the Swans regularly pinning the ball in their front half and ending the match with 54-44 advantage in forward entries.

Sydney have now beaten three of the current top four teams, but coach John Longmire flat out refused to entertain thoughts of his own double chance come ...

“I’ll straight bat you – with the cliché we take it one week at a time,” he said. “We look at our meetings, our training sessions, our game quarter by quarter, that’s what we do … for as long as the season goes. Star Tom Papley described the win as “our biggest for the season” after overcoming a nine-point deficit in the final term at Optus Stadium.

Another Sydney Swans veteran is in the news but this time it's all good news as they try to win a third match in a row, this time against Adelaide.

“No, (I have not spoken to Franklin about it). We spoke about going into the game. I’ve got a terrific relationship with Josh and he’s all about team. Originally published as AFL: Sydney Swans champion Josh Kennedy nearing AFL return as John Longmire comments on Lance Franklin drama “He still wants to be the best player he can possibly be ... but he understands what the bigger picture looks like and also wants to make sure that he has a good crack at the end of this year.” There’s a bit of noise outside, but inside the footy club, it’s about trying to win and that’s what we focused on last week and that’s what we’ll focus on this week. He was used as the medical substitute at times this season but Longmire made it clear that Kennedy still had “plenty to contribute the rest of this year”.

Veteran Sydney Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy is closing in on an AFL return following a lengthy injury spell after making a successful comeback in the VFL.

The Swans and the 35-year-old are yet to come terms on a new contract, with a report last week indicating he could retire or move to a third club next year. "He understands the evolution of the team and where his role suits in that process. "He wants to be the best player still that he can possibly be, as they all do, and as he's done throughout a long period of time.