The Sydney Swans have breathed life back into their season by staging a spectacular fourth-quarter comeback against Collingwood to win a thrilling contest 13.11 (89) to 12.14 (86).
The stage was perfectly set at the SCG for the Swans to rebound from their disastrous 112-point loss to Port Adelaide last Saturday, including welcoming back heroes from the 2012 premiership.
Luke Parker celebrates against CollingwoodCredit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
One of the members of that esteemed group, Luke Parker, was on the field, inspiring his side with two goals and a reminder of the never-say-die Bloods culture.
He found equal company with outstanding performances from Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner who found their feet when it mattered, with the game and potentially the season on the line.
Coach John Longmire spoke of his pride in his players’ response in a final quarter where they had trailed by 27 points.
“I’m really proud of what the players were able to do,” Longmie said. “Sometimes you just need to find a way and that last quarter was as good a last quarter as I’ve seen, considering the situation and being able to turn it around.”
Steele Sidebottom of the Magpies is tackled by Hayden McLean of the Swans.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
For the majority of the game, the Swans had looked second best to a Collingwood side desperate to fight their way into finals football.
The strain of the latter stages of the season has perhaps unfairly fallen on the Swans’ vaunted midfield trio of Errol Gulden, Warner and Heeney, who have been unable to recreate the early season form they displayed when their side set the pace in the competition.
Throughout the majority of the game, the trio were shut down by a determined Collingwood side, marshalled superbly by former Swan Darcy Cameron in defence.
Gulden in particular suffered from excellent tagging from Steele Sidebottom, but the midfielder scored the game-winner exactly when it mattered with his team’s premiership hopes potentially on the line.
Asked if he felt the criticism on the trio was fair, Longmire said that he was pleased with their response against Collingwood.
“They’ve had a couple of weeks off, they haven’t played as well as what they did, which was an extraordinary level,” Longmire said. “It was a lot of weeks, and so it’s hard to maintain that level of performance every week.
“And you have a couple of weeks where you’re not playing as well, and everyone comes at you, and that’s just part of what footy is.
“But the character that they showed tonight when the game was on the line to lift like they did, was enormous.”
Magpies players react at full-time after their loss to the Sydney Swans.Credit: via Getty Images
Heeney played a vital role in the Swans’ final quarter comeback, making crucial late marks and tackles alongside a vital goal before Gulden’s ultimate game-winner.
When Collingwood coach Craig McRae was asked specifically how the fourth quarter fell apart for his team after holding a 27-point lead, the premiership coach could only utter one name.
“Isaac Heeney, he was pretty special wasn’t he?” McRae said. “He was amazing, I don’t think I’ve seen a player impact a game like that in a quarter. Unbelievable.”
Longmire demanded a response from his team and he initially got it. Brodie Grundy was revitalised in the ruck and set the tone for his midfield who threw themselves into every contest, spearheaded by the ever-committed James Rowbottom.
John Longmire suffered the worst loss of his coaching career at the weekend.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
The Swans’ first major from Hayward typified the desire to relish any physical challenge; after being hurled to the ground in a heavy tackle from Jeremy Howe, he exhaled and nailed his shot straight in front to settle his side’s nerves.
A snapped goal from James Jordon reassured the SCG that the first-quarter alarm clock looked to have finally sounded for the Swans. It wasn’t to last.
Collingwood’s ability to win ground balls and match the Swans’ early physicality was rewarded on the scoreboard with Mason Cox and Isaac Quaynor scoring successive majors to end the first quarter to give a deserved 13-point lead.
The Swans’ continued frailties in defence without Lewis Melican were highlighted with key forward McDonald forced to the backline to try to deal with Collingwood’s bigger bodies such as Mason Cox.
In the third quarter, Collingwood’s small forward Bobby Hill scored two excellent goals to help extend his side’s lead to 21 points and left a small mountain for the Swans to climb moving into the final quarter.
An opening fourth quarter goal from Collingwood’s Ned Long extended the lead to 27 points, but three rapid successive goals from Will Hayward, Logan McDonald and Warner turned the game on its head.
In the final minute, Collingwood had a final opportunity to win the game, with forward Daniel McStay arguably should have been paid a 50m penalty after Swans defender Tom McCartin went over the mark by more than five metres.
If McStay had been paid 50m, he would have been kicking at goal from 15m directly in front with 30 seconds on the clock to potentially put his team three points ahead and still in contention for finals.
McRae felt that the penalty would have been awarded if his team had been playing in Melbourne and not in Sydney.
“I reckon if it was at the MCG it would have been paid,“McRae said “There’s definitely an advantage for the home ground, I thought it was a 50 metre penalty to the letter of the law.”
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