Meek Dogs’ season cooked in first-quarter disaster

The do-or-die clash was over at the first break as Sydney rattled up the highest opening-quarter score a Luke Beveridge-coached Bulldogs team has ever conceded.

The Swans smashed the Dogs in the contest and on the scoreboard in a 53-point belting that effectively ended their finals hopes.

Jackson Macrae won the first centre clearance of the match and, from there, it was all Sydney as a sea of red and white swarmed.

James Rowbottom put the Swans on the board in the first minute before Isaac Heeney booted the second. Joel Amartey then kicked truly and, at the very next bounce, the Swans won it out of the guts, Tom Papley landing the footy on Lance Franklin’s head, who kicked the 1028th goal of his illustrious career.

The meek Dogs were simply powerless to stop the Sydney tsunami — the Swans won the next clearance and Heeney buttered up for his second with a snap across the body that made it five in a row — to a solitary point.

The men in red white and blue were allergic to hard footy — it was 54 contested possessions to 34 at quarter time — and, when they did go forward, they either butchered it, giving the forwards no chance, or had to kick to a contest, where the immovable McCartin brothers, Tom and Paddy, either intercepted, or killed off the threat.

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It took a moment of brilliance from Cody Weightman to get the Dogs’ first major — 17 minutes into the game. The young gun snagging one over his shoulder after some brilliant grunt work from Rhylee West to keep the play alive.

If that was meant to be the turning point, no one told the Dogs.

Eyebrows were raised when Sydney coach John Longmire left Logan McDonald out but Amartey’s towering pack mark that produced his second goal was a strong justification as the Swans won yet another centre clearance and immediately responded.

The Dogs pegged one back late thanks to a little jumper tug on Jason Johannisen but, you guessed it, that was cancelled out about seven seconds later, the Swans flocking forward again, this time Chad Warner the beneficiary.

It all amounted to a remarkable first quarter for the Swans, who had 22 inside 50s to 10, producing 15 scoring shots to 3 — and a 37-point lead at the first break.

Game — and season — over for the Dogs.

It was an emphatic bounce back from the Swans, after a last-round shocker against the Bombers.

Heeney said the Swans steeled themselves to come out hard from the first bounce.

“We knew these guys were a good side and it was an eight-point game and we came out firing with a four-quarter performance,” Heeney said on Seven.

“It was really pleasing and it makes it a hell of a lot easier up forward when your midfielders are getting after them and getting that ball in deep.”

Firebrand Papley tore the Dogs apart with 24 touches and could have had seven goals, were it not for wasteful kicking. Papley’s 17 score involvements were the most by any player this season.

His great night did take a turn for the worse 30 seconds into the third quarter when he clattered into Josh Dunkley, as his hip appeared to collect the Bulldogs’ head as the pair eyed the footy. Minutes later, he hit the deck hard and left the field with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, but was able to shake it off after some time on the bench.

The emergent Warner had a mountain of it, but he’s not just an accumulator. Every time he touches the footy, something good happens for the Swans.

Heeney finished off the hard work with his trademark slick forward craft, booting four goals

It was hard to find a winner for the Dogs, but Macrae, as he does, racked them up, and Ed Richards, in his return from concussion, tried his guts out in the face of the Swans’ barrage.

DOGS GONE — AND IT’S ABOUT TO GET WORSE

The Bulldogs’ will say they can still mathematically make it but they could be three games and percentage out of the eight after this weekend and their next month is, quite frankly, diabolical. After the up-and-down Saints next Friday night, they face Melbourne, then Geelong in consecutive weeks. Currently the top-two teams in the competition, if they produce the form that lit up GMHBA Stadium on Thursday night, they will wipe the floor with the pups. At least the Doggies face the vastly-improved Dockers in the relative comfort of their Marvel Stadium home — but that is cold comfort for a team that had designs on the premiership.

INJURY WOE

Bulldog Anthony Scott was subbed off for Robbie McComb in the second quarter with a concussion concern and that meant Aaron Naughton was forced to play hurt. The star forward came down hard on his right knee and limped from the field. He was up against it all night with the sturdy Swans’ defence and horrible Dogs’ delivery but, with a pair of surgically-repaired knees, his influence was further curtailed. Alex Keath, in the third quarter, spent 15 minutes off the field with a lower leg complaint. Sydney ruckman Peter Ladhams’ return only lasted a quarter-and-a-half before he was subbed out with a thumb injury. He was making mincemeat of fellow returning big man Tim English before the untimely injury forced him out for medi-sub Harry Cunningham. It rejuvenated the towering English, who began to own the ruck contest and wrestled back the clearance battle, helping the Dogs boot three goals in a row in the second quarter — the only time they really challenged.

ONYA, PADDY

Paddy McCartin dominated behind the ball in his 50th game. The former St Kilda No.1 draft pick is one of footy’s great stories, returning to the game after being forced into retirement with concussion issues. “(Might be the) longest time to get 50 games ever, I think,” McCartin said said on Seven after the game. Hopefully the next 50 is a bit quicker but it’s good. I’ve had amazing support from my partner Lucy (Brownless), my family, the footy club, I’m very, very lucky.”

SCOREBOARD

SYDNEY SWANS: 7.8 9.11 15.15 17.18 (120)

def.

WESTERN BULLDOGS: 2.1 5.6 8.8 9.13 (67)

GOALS

Swans: Heeney 4, Amartey 2, Papley 2, Franklin 2, Warner 2, Stephens, Rowbottom, Mills, Clarke, Hayward

Bulldogs: Weightman 2, Naughton 2, Bontempelli, Johannisen, English, Schache, Ugle-Hagan

MICK RANDALL’S BEST

Swans: Papley, Warner, Heeney, P McCartin, Lloyd, Parker, Mills, Blakey, Fox

Bulldogs: Richards, Macrae, Treloar, Liberatore

MICK RANDALL’S VOTES

3 — Tom Papley (Syd)

2 — Chad Warner (Syd)

1 — Isaac Heeney (Syd)

INJURIES

Swans: Ladhams (thumb),

Bulldogs: Scott (concussion), Naughton (right knee)

Originally published as AFL 2022: Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs score, news and reaction from the round 17 clash