Ecstaticists,
While die-hard supporters of other, mediocre, clubs may well fervently disagree, isn't it great to see the Swans on fire at the pointy end of the season?
An exploding fireball rolls across the field destroying all the Bombers before they could even get off the ground.
Caught by surprise, out-witted, out-classed, and then fully out-played.
JPK leads the team by example, earning the Best on Ground award.
Sinclair knew when he kicked his third goal, with a wink of the eye to the bloke who delivered him the ball, that he has at last cemented his place in the side as Tipsy "fails to fire" in the NEAFL Grand Final [Sydney somehow lost to Brisbane by three points. Go figure. Lessons to be leart there. And just how much are they paying Kurt to play in reserve grade?]
Heeney The Cardiff Zucchini gets a broken nose, but plays on regardless, going beyond the pain barrier.
Parker, in his 150th game, ripped the heart out of Essendon's mid-field, while Jones, Mills and Grundy locked down the backline with great effect.
Whoever said Dean Towers can't play is lying.
But what stood out, for mine, was the spectacular steady marking from the talls, and the accuracy of the smalls.
The Swans hardly dropped a ball all day.
Champagne football.
After all, Strayan Rules isn't rocket science...the team that can cleanly catch the ball and kick straight, usually wins.
And everybody talkin' 'bout Lance Franklin, and what a superb big game players he is.
And how's Buddy's form, just quietly?
Kicks a bag of ten goals in the last game of the regular season, then in the first final, cops a "bad corky" on his non-kicking leg in his first tackle of the game, shakes it off and gets around a bit proppy in the first quarter, then comes out and kicks four goals in the second stanza just to keep the cork warm, spends the Championship Quarter on the stationary bicycle with a big smile on his face humming the old Mungo Jerry toon "just riding along on my pushbike, honey", and then SC Horse decides that he's not required at all in the final quarter, and doesn't call on him, given the issue was by then well beyond doubt, and he needed to save his legs.
Did like Buddy on interview on the crystal bucket before the game when he said "the thing I have enjoyed most this season is teaching the young forwards I'm playing with at the moment how to play the game mentally".
L.Franklin, of all blokes, knows the fundamental importance of this, and as he openly admits - 2015 is "well documented" - he learnt the hard way.
Nothing can replace being taught by experts.
The Fat Lady started singing when the Swans had a ten goal lead at half time.
Sydney piled on 10 goals to register their biggest quarter of the season, and as the Stats Guru was quick to point out, it was also the club’s equal best second term ever... ever...in the entire history of the South Melbun/Sydney Football club.
Yet more firsts.
And doesn't Sydney like a winner?
The biggest crowd seen at HQ for a Rules match in 20 years [admittedly the ground has been re-developed since then, with total capacity now officially published as 48,601].
Sydneysiders get really interested when their team starts handing out thumpings.
None of this low scoring defensive rubbish seen in the first two Qualifying Finals.
[In the other Eliminator, Port, btw, were not hard done by, they only had themselves to blame for not being able to put the Weagles away].
It's always noice after the opening finals weekend when two teams are eliminated from the off... because things start to become so much clearer...and, of course, there are now only three possible combinations of teams that can play in the Grand Final:
1. Sydney Swans v Richmond Tigers.
2. Sydney Swans v GWS Pygmies.
3. Sydney Swans v West Coast Weagles.
Probably in that order.
Admittedly, Sydney has a lot of hoeing to do before then - the way will be long and the road will be hard - having to tackle the Deadly Hume as the team bus makes it's way down to the MCG this weekend so they can whip-saw the 2nd placed out-of-form Geelong Cats, before catching the overnight Overland Express train to Adelaide Oval to have the Minor Premiers, the Pride of South Australia, like kippers on toast for breakfast in front of their home crowd in a football exhibition, to qualify for the season decider.
Phew...
Some good training, there, but.
And they have to do it in a hurry.
Of course, the Swans Marketing Dept have hedged their bets and put out limited-edition merch in the form of "Defy The Odds" scarves in the hope of quick sales in case it all goes belly-up, and you could be forgiven for thinking that we might be getting a bit ahead of ourselves here, nay, preaching to the converted, but Sydney has to beat 1st and 2nd on the ladder, away, after all [when they do that - they might as well just give them the Premiership Cup without bothering to play on that One Day in September], but eh, bru, miracles have already happened; making the finals at all after a 0-6 start to the season - cop that, never happened before in 121 years, and is unlikely to ever happen again.
Still Super Coach Longmire must be a lay-down-misère for 2017 Coach of The Year, as he's made his usual vow of never being caught on camera smiling during the finals, indeed, looking extremely worried throughout, and while he was required to say in his post-match press conference, predictably, that he is taking it one match at a time, what he's really doing is a plottin' and a schemin' for The Atonement; he wants this flag, and wants it real bad.
With the losers now forgotten from here on in, SC Horse gave absolutely nothing away:
It's business time...
SYDNEY: 3.2, 13.5, 17.5, 19.7 (121). Goals: Franklin 4, Towers 3, Sinclair 3, Kennedy 2, Rohan 2, Heeney 2, Papley, Jack, Lloyd.
ESSENDON: 1.3, 3.4, 5.8, 8.8 (56). Goals: Daniher 3, Begley 2, Myers, Fantasia, Heppell.
At Sydney Cricket Ground.
Crowd: 46,323. [Ground record for AFL match].
