Gulden leads Swans to win over Bombers in 100th game
Sam McInerney |
Sydney have handed Essendon a ninth consecutive loss, defeating the Bombers by 14 points in a scrappy contest in slippery conditions at the SCG.
Swans superstar Errol Gulden kicked the first goal of the game in his 100th AFL match, and the Swans were never headed thereafter, cruising to a 9.14 (68) to 7.12 (54) win on Saturday.
With Nick Blakey (28 disposals) controlling play from the back half, and Gulden (30 disposals) and Isaac Heeney (28 disposals) racking up possessions through the middle, the Swans never looked like losing.
Ruckman Brodie Grundy, who has polled coaches’ votes in his last seven games, continued his outstanding form, giving the Sydney midfielders first use around stoppages and winning plenty of the ball himself, finishing with 39 disposals.
The Swans lacked an obvious focal point in attack, with Joel Amartey, Logan McDonald and Hayden McLean on the sidelines, but found goals through Braeden Campbell and Justin McInerney, who kicked two each.
Essendon battled hard around the contest, finishing with just eight fewer contested possessions, but the gap in class when it came to ball use was obvious.
The Swans had 115 more uncontested disposals, and were able to change angles and create handball chains while the Bombers looked impotent with the ball in hand.
With 16 players unavailable due to injury, the Bombers looked undermanned and often uninspired, regularly kicking the ball long down the line for little reward on the scoreboard.
Essendon could manage just four goals to three-quarter time, but continued to fight, mounting a late challenge in the final term through goals from Mason Redman, Isaac Kako and Lachie Blakiston.
But after the Bombers trimmed the margin to 13 points with plenty of time left on the clock, Sydney settled and took control, slowing down play and chipping the ball around.
Sam Durham battled manfully for the Bombers, while Rising Star contender Archie Roberts showed great composure in the back half, but there was little else for Essendon fans to take out of the match.
With finals out of the equation for both sides, Sydney will meet Brisbane, Geelong and West Coast in their final three games of the season, while Essendon have matches against Geelong, St Kilda, Carlton and Gold Coast to come.
AAP
