15 minutes into the first quarter and it looked like Collingwood might have revitalised their season and made a stand for under-fire coach Nathan Buckley.
But it was a tale that has been told multiple times this year for the last three quarters, as the Collingwood we’ve seen this season came back and brought a 30 point loss to the Swans with them.
The Pies came to play in the first quarter, and with the heat on coach Nathan Buckley it looked like Collingwood could be putting on a line in the sand performance.
But a goalless second and third quarter put a stop to the idea that maybe Collingwood were back, who have now lost six of the last seven.
Buckley was visibly irritated during the second half, understandably, with the TV broadcast capturing him taking his frustrations out on the roof of the coach’s box and his head in his hand’s multiple times.
Collingwood only had the two shots on goal throughout the middle quarters of the game, failing to move the ball with any fluency from one end to the other.
Sydney was stifled by Collingwood’s defensive pressure early but worked their way through as they have often done this year to gain control for most of the day.
A star Swan is putting his hand up as one of the best players in the competition, and was the SCG double booked on Saturday afternoon?
Here’s everything you need to know!
Isaac in the top five?
There’s a key player for the Swans this year, and Sydney is now six wins out of seven with him playing.
Isaac Heeney has been a star for some time, now he’s starting to get some serious recognition as one of the best players in the competition.
His strength and composure in the tight situations was clear all day long, finishing with 22 disposals and three goals as a forward pinch hitting in the middle.
Celebrating his 25th birthday just weeks ago, Heeney’s coming into his prime, in an exciting time for Swans fans.
Cross Codes?
It seems farcical with the power of the AFL in today’s day and age that a game would be played with a different codes’ lines painted on the field, yet that was the sight to greet the Swans and Pies with NRL lines in the middle.
The SCG played host to an NRL game on Friday night, but someone forgot explain the difference between the sports to the SCG groundskeepers as the lines outlining the rugby field were still there come the first bounce of the AFL ball on Saturday.
Looks like a top up of the green paints stores are required in the SCG maintenance rooms.
What’s next?
The assignments are only going to get harder for Collingwood in the next two weeks, with top four teams in Port Adelaide and Geelong in the next fortnight.
However, this may be a blessing in disguise for Buckley and his men.
There will be no expectation on those two games for Collingwood, and maybe we’ll see the Pies throw caution and play with some real freedom.
If they can sneak one of those two, or show some competitive spirit, it might just be the best way to get their way off media street for a few weeks.
Meanwhile, Sydney are flying and are now well engrained in the top eight. There next four opponents all currently sit outside the top eight, meaning comes the byes we may well see Sydney in the top four.
17th last year, into top four just months later. It’s some sort of turn around by the Bloods.
FULL SCORE
Sydney: 1.2, 4.3, 7.7, 10.12. (72)
Collingwood: 4.2, 4.4, 4.6, 5.12 (42)
GOALS
Sydney: Heeney 3, Franklin 2, Mccartin 2, Mclean, Blakey, Warner
Collingwood: De Goey 2, Hoskin-Elliot, McCreery, Cameron
BEST
Sydney: Heeney, McLean, Mills, McInerney, Hickey
Collingwood: Maynard, Crisp, Hoskin-Elliot, Daicos, Sidebottom
INJURIES
Sydney: nil
Collingwood: Crisp (lip), Sidebottom (leg)
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