The Sydney Swans have survived a scare from West Coast to send the Eagles to their first 0-4 start to a season since 1989.
Adam Simpson’s Eagles have been deplorable to start the season and the likelihood of that changing in Gather Round didn’t look likely early, with the Swans owning the first five scores of the game.
But the Eagles had a pluckiness throughout the first half – exemplified by Harley Reid with his first goal in AFL footy – and even had the lead at half-time by five points.
Any talk of an upset was quickly quashed by Sydney, who stole back the lead in the minutes following the main break and cruised to a 26-point win at Mount Barker.
The likes of Isaac Heeney (17 contested possessions, two goals), Errol Gulden (27 possessions, two goals) and Chad Warner (19 disposals, eight marks) dominated the midfield battle once again, while former Magpie Taylor Adams also played his first game in new colours.
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Harley Reid scores his first AFL goal and it was a beauty! 😍
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Adams finished with 17 possessions (nine contested) and a goal from under 60 per cent game time. But according to AFL Nation’s Josh Jenkins, there are still question marks on how Adams fits into the mix.
“He’s been okay,” Jenkins said of Adams.
“I just wonder what his role is going to look like with Heeney being so dominant, Warner is not going out of that midfield group and Rowbottom needs to be in there as well.”
The win sees Sydney back on the winners list after last week’s surprise loss to Richmond, while the Eagles are condemned to remaining 18th on the ladder.
West Coast, meanwhile, have hit their lowest of lows, despite showing signs improvement on Saturday.
While Adam Simpson’s side has fallen of a cliff in the past two years, in 2022 the Eagles upset Collingwood in Round 4, while last year they knocked off GWS in Round 2.
0-4 is West Coast’s longest winless streak to start an AFL season.
The Eagles remain in Perth for the upcoming fortnight against Richmond before hosting the derby against Fremantle.