Sydney Swan’s superstar forward Lance Franklin has guided the Swans to a 59-point victory against the Dockers on Saturday night at the SCG, propelling them into the top 4 and back into Premiership contention.
Sydney jumped Geelong, Hawthorn, North Melbourne and Port Adelaide, climbing from ninth to fourth, gaining 8 percentage points.
The Swans defenders were superb all night, brilliantly lead by Jake Lloyd, with career-high disposals (41 and 9 rebound 50’s) and Jarrad McVeigh, his highest disposal count since 2015 (31 and 8 rebound 50’s).
Smith was another big ball winner in defence in his 200th game, while Rampe and Grundy played great supporting acts, along with Mills, Cunningham and Jones.
Fremantle, for the second time in a row against the Swans, kicked just one goal in the first half, as the Swans put 7 on the board.
Swans superstar forward Lance Franklin kicked his second goal of the match in the third quarter, to become the second player to kick more than 300 goals at two different clubs (Hawthorn and Sydney) after Tony Lockett (St Kilda and Sydney).
The 31-year-old may come under scrutiny for an accidental high elbow hit on Dockers defender Joel Hamling in the second quarter, forcing him from the ground with concussion.
It took Franklin two quarters to work his way into the match before he looked to be back at his ominous best, kicking a goal and taking five marks in the first half, before exploding to life in the third quarter.
Jake Lloyd was superb in his 100th match for the Swans in their 8-point victory against the Hawks at the MCG in round 8, backing up against the Dockers.
The 24-year-old defender racked up 20 disposals to half-time, finishing the match in fine form with 41 disposals and a game-high 15 marks.
Second gamer Tom McCartin kicked his first senior goal mid-way through the third quarter, from a long shot by Franklin that dropped short near the goal square, before kicking his second late in the game.
Captain Josh Kennedy spent more time forward than normal, hitting the scoreboard with three goals in his 200th match for the Swans and setting up McCartin’s second goal.
Despite Fremantle’s possession and disposal in the first quarter, registering seven clearances and 14 inside 50’s, they wasted the ball going forward, twice hitting the post.
Nat Fyfe, Lachie Neale and Nathan Wilson were in great touch early and collected a lot of the ball, but found it harder to as George Hewett and Harry Cunningham applied the clamps.
Swans defenders Jake Lloyd, Dane Rampe, Nick Smith and Heath Grundy collected nine intercept marks between them, with Fremantle failing to kick a goal for the first quarter.
Veteran Jarrad McVeigh was superb with ball in hand, the equal-highest disposal getter with Jake Lloyd with 10 possessions, 5 marks and 4 rebound 50’s.
Swans midfielder Isaac Heeney lit up the Sydney sky with a screamer late in the first quarter, riding high over red-hot Dockers midfielder Lachie Neale.
The Swans were off to a fast start early in the second quarter, with goals to Lloyd and Kennedy, before Walters mopped up from a Swans turnover, kicking his first goal of the game.
It would more than a quarter before Fremantle would kick their second goal.
It was all the Swans from then on, even with Fremantle playing their spare at the contest, the Swans rotating Jones and McVeigh as their loose in defence.
Nat Fyfe willed himself into the contest and worked hard with Lachie Neale, but goals to Isaac Heeney and the returning superstar forward Lance Franklin, extended the Swans half-time lead to 33 points.
Lance Franklin burst to life early in the third quarter with Hamling off the field, involved in almost every Swans forward thrust, and setting up Tom McCartin’s first goal in AFL football.
Despite Fremantle dominating the hit-outs 37-to-5 and clearances 23-to-12 (10-to-5 centre clearances), the Swans dominated possessions, with 52 more at three quarter time and 6 more inside 50s.
Walters kicked the third goal of the game for Fremantle just over a minute into the fourth quarter.
Swans midfielder Luke Parker kicked his first of the game and the Swans first of the last quarter, before an exceptional passage of play by McCartin saw his long range effort bounce into the post.
Tom Papley kicked his second before Langdon capitalised on a Swans turnover in defence.
The Swans ran out 59-points winners in the end, winning every quarter, including the last by 6-goals-to-5.
NEXT UP
The Swans are back on the road next week, traveling north to face the Lions and will look to make it five wins from five away games. The Lions are in good form and have been competitive in their last month, despite three narrow losses.
SYDNEY 3.3 7.4 11.6 17.9 (111)
FREMANTLE 0.4 1.7 2.9 7.10 (52)
INJURIES
Zak Jones suffered concussion in the fourth quarter.
GOALS
Franklin 3, Kennedy 3, Papley 2, McCartin 2, Heeney, Sinclair, Hayward, Ronke, Parker, Lloyd, Hewett
BEST
Lloyd, Franklin, McVeigh, Heeney, Kennedy, Parker, Cunningham, Mills
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