Swans down Cats at Homebush
Sydney 15.17 (107) def. Geelong 13. 7 (85)
Sydney have won their first game on home turf for 2006 after downing a
lacklustre Geelong outfit by 22 points at Telstra Stadium in Sydney tonight.
After being beaten by Melbourne and Port Adelaide in their opening home
games of the season, the Swans corrected the early season blips against a
Geelong side that lacked verve.
The Cats threatened to regain the ascendancy several times but, if the
truth be known, the Swans were always comfortable.
The night start well for the visitors as Cam Mooney slotted the first major
with a bomb from outside 50. Jude Bolton notched the first for the Swans but
the lead changed several times throughout the term as both teams traded shots
at the big sticks.
Barry Hall began to show signs of the kind of form which led the Swans to
premiership glory last year as he kicked his first and managed to get ahead of
Matthew Scarlett.
Despite the even game, the Cats went into the quarter time huddle two goals
ahead.
The second term started with equal zing as Hall kicked his second before
Mooney pulled down a superb mark and made it easy for Charlie Gardiner to to
put the Cats ahead again.
The danger signs were looming though. Former Brownlow-medallist Adam Goodes
and Ryan O'Keefe were finding acres of space across half forward and although
the goal tap had been turned off, the dam wall was creaking.
There was plenty of talk in midweek of Matthew Scarlett being made the
highest paid defender in the game as rumours of a $1.3 million three year
contract did the rounds. But for such a highly-rated player, he was thoroughly
out-of-sorts.
A costly turnover allowed Adam Goodes to goal and late goals to Craig
Bolton and the ever-energetic Adam Schneider put the Swans 20 points up as the
siren went for half time.
The Barry Hall show continued in the third quarter as he booted his third
to make the Cats' task even harder.
Michael O'Loughlin and Craig Bolton piled on two more but Paul Chapman's
cheeky snap kept the margin to 32 points.
The Swans had several chances to put the game out of question in the third
term but failed to capitalise as the Cats went into the final change an even
four goals down.
Mooney started the final like he did the first and booted two quick goals
before Chapman snuck in for his second and had the Swans sweating on a 12
point lead.
Hall's fourth and final of the evening was iced by goals from Schneider and
Goodes as the Swans marched across the line with their first home victory of
the season.
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Qtr Time |
Half Time |
3 Qtr Time |
Final |
| Sydney |
3. 3 (21) |
7.11 (54) |
11.16 (82) |
15.17. 107 |
| Geelong |
4. 3 (27) |
5._3 (33) |
9._4 (58) |
13._7.
85 |
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Sydney:
Goals: - B.Hall 4, A.Schneider 4, C.Bolton 2, A.Goodes 2, J.Bolton,
M.O'Loughlin, R.O'Keefe.
Best: - B.Hall, A.Schneider, M.O'Loughlin, R.O'Keefe, J.Bolton.
Geelong:
Goals: - P.Chapman 3, C.Mooney 3, G.Ablett 2, C.Gardiner 2, C.Ling, J.Rooke,
D.Milburn.
Best: - C.Mooney, J.Bartel, P.Chapman.
Injuries - Sydney: nil. Geelong: B.Prismall (elbow).
Reports - Sydney: nil. Geelong: nil.
Umpires - B.Allen, S.Meredith, S.Ryan.
@ Telstra Stadium, Sydney. Crowd: 37,032.
Votes - Player of the Year:
3 - Barry Hall (Syd), 2 - Adam Schneider (Syd), 1 - C.Mooney (Geel).
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