The Sydney Swans were 33 points down against the Collingwood Magpies. Then Brodie Grundy stepped up against his former side after a horror injury to Oscar Steene at the SCG
If the Swans are to win their first title since 2012, they know they must learn to win ugly. Friday night’s six-point victory over Collingwood at the SCG was the perfect place to start.
The Swans had to overcome a 33-point deficit in the second quarter before Collingwood ruckman Oscar Steene injured his left knee and was unable to continue the game. It changed everything.
Swans star Brodie Grundy, who played 177 games with Collingwood and was a two-time best-and-fairest winner and All-Australian in the black-and-whites, finished with 34 disposals, 46 clearances, 12 clearances and six tackles against the inexperienced Magpie rucks, winning the Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal in the process.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae admitted in his post-match press conference that they suspected 22-year-old Steene would need knee reconstruction (though they will carry out scans to confirm this).
“Unfortunately, it’s not looking good,” McRae said.
“To see what he can do against Brodie [Grundy]He was clearly one of the best punks in the competition, he really held his own and we had a lot of the upper hand because of that. “I think we could have been 16 points ahead or close to that at that time and then the game would have changed.”
Grundy then feasted on makeshift tackles such as Jack Buller (a former Swan) and Ned Long and admitted Steene’s injury was a game-changing moment not only for his own game but also for his team’s fortunes on the night.
“Obviously I was struggling against some of Collingwood’s midfielders tonight, so you’ve got to accept that,” Grundy said.
“It’s disappointing for them, I hope Oscar is okay. He looked pretty bad so I wish him all the best, he’s a great young talent and I’ve watched him all year.”
“He gave me a bit of a headache in the middle… he might jump off the roof, I hope he’s okay.”
Collingwood had arrived in Sydney understaffed and unimaginative. Clearly the Magpies weren’t buying it.
Their first quarter was particularly impressive; They shut down the Swans’ lane play with relentless pressing actions and accounted for disposals through Jordan De Goey. Nick Daicos was predictably under James Jordan’s tag, but still finished the quarter with two goals.
In the second term the Magpies managed just 1.7 to the Swans’ 2.2 and McRae was disappointed at what could have been for his side.
“You lose by one goal [and] These are all those moments, right?” he said.
“One had an accurate shot, one could have scored; both teams scored 15 goals each [for the game]. It was difficult conditions.
“With the energy and effort we had tonight, [the way we are] “We will take part in many matches defending the ground.”
Swans defender Nick Blakey finished the game with 39 turnovers and 10 points, an outstanding performance in a team that often struggled to handle the football cleanly in the wet.
However, the man affectionately known as “The Lizard” chose to pay tribute to teammate and housemate James Rowbottom after the game.
It was Rowbottom who tackled the dangerous Dan Houston in the dying minutes, prompting the decision to hold the ball as the Pies looked for a final push forward.
“We were against it and we could have easily given up and said it was too hard. But we never say die,” Blakey told Kayo Sports.
“[It was] Rowy was ranked 150th and it was only fitting that the strongest man in the field made the final challenge. [on Dan Houston].
“They were closed [looking to pump the ball forward]and they are so good at playing those moments that they never step out of it.
“He’s not very well known. He’s my best friend and we live together, we’re as thick as thieves and he’s very little appreciated.”
Swans Coach Dean Cox said it was Blakey who exemplified his team’s ability to adapt under pressure and find another way to win when the lane was almost completely blocked.
“What I’m really excited about is how mature it is. [we are]. When something comes our way, we can become a team that can adapt, move and do it in a different way,” Cox said.
“Whether it’s competition related, stoppage time, defending or attacking. I think that’s where Nick is at the moment; he’s a mature player, he’s played a lot of football. He’s aware of his role but he doesn’t go too far, which is a really good thing and that’s part of his development.”
Swans’ forwards Tom Papley and Logan McDonald finished the match with two goals each, while Joel Amartey and Charlie Curnow had only one goal left.
Cox spoke about the difficulties he faced in scoring forward Hayden McLean following his three-goal performance against North Melbourne.
“As a coach, I think these are the toughest decisions to make, but they are decisions you have to make and hopefully you are in a position to make them,” Cox said.
“That means everyone plays their part to bring Charlie [Curnow] It was important to come back, but Hayden [McLean] and Logan [McDonald] and Joel [Amartey] They were playing their part, and they did last week against North.
“It was very unfortunate that we couldn’t go on with four points. The setup we used with Logan worked, so that’s probably what supported it.”
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