Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
SYDNEY 4.5 9.10 13.17 19.22 (136) NORTH MELBOURNE 1.2 4.4 6.7 9.11 (65) Goals: Sydney: L Franklin 5 K Tippett 4 A Goodes 3 L Parker 3 B McGlynn C Bird K Jack L Jetta. North Melbourne: D Petrie 3 B Brown 2 B Harvey L Greenwood S Atley T Goldstein. BEST Sydney: Franklin, Kennedy, Rohan, Parker, Goodes, Tippett, Jack. North Melbourne: Cunnington, Greenwood, Dal Santo, Petrie, Firrito. INJURIES Sydney: Reid (knee). North Melbourne: Wright (finger). Umpires: Troy Pannell, Simon Meredith, Mathew Nicholls. Official Crowd: 48,029 at ANZ Stadium.
The Sydney faithful came to see Lance Franklin kick their side into a grand final, instead they were given a two-for-one meal deal and also taken for a trip down memory lane by their last superstar, Adam Goodes.
Goodes's fabled career could now have a fairytale finish after the Swans brought North Melbourne's thrilling September surge to a shuddering halt on Friday night.
On available evidence it seems impossible to mount an argument against Sydney's decision to dip their hands into their pockets two years ago, and not just because they may just be one week from hitting pay dirt.
The Bondi Billionaires, Franklin and Kurt Tippett, can cash in a significant chunk of their pay cheque after playing starring roles in the Swans' 71-point dismantling of the Kangaroos.
Franklin may not have kicked the big bag Swans fans were hoping for but he still turned in a best-on-ground performance. Not only did he kick five himself, he also set up four others for his teammates and finished the night with 23 possessions.
It was in stark contrast to his last game against the Kangaroos in round four, when he was held goalless by Scott Thompson and the doomsayers were predicting he would unravel the Swans' club culture.
Tippett did not match Franklin for impact but his four goals was a welcome return to form after a shocker in the qualifying final. Goodes was by no means best on ground in his 350th, and possibly penultimate, game but he provided the inspiration for the Swans, who outmuscled and outclassed the Kangaroos in a lop-sided contest.
Sydney started tardily but once Goodes settled their nerves with a magical snap in the first quarter it was all one-way traffic. A 22-point lead stretched at quarter-time was stretched to six goals by half-time and by time on in the third quarter many of the chants of "SYYYYYD-NEEEEEY, SYYYYYD-NEEEEEY" from many of the 48,029 fans reverberated around ANZ Stadium.
Goodes has played far better games over the years but few victories will mean more to him than the one which has sent the Swans into their fourth grand final in 10 seasons.
If you can make a decision on your future based on one game then Goodes still appears to have plenty to offer next year should he saddle up again. The magic is clearly still there. It was evident with his opening goal of the night, a left-foot snap from near the boundary.
Exhibit B was his burst up the wing on the shadows of half time when he linked with Franklin to find Tippett, who finished with a goal after the siren. If you wanted more evidence, then it came in the form of his run-down tackle on Levi Greenwood or perhaps a host of other defensive efforts, an area his critics believe has been his weakness in recent times.
Goodes's importance in this game should not be understated, his 17 possessions telling only a snippet of his contribution. Just ask any Swans fan how jittery they felt in the opening 15 minutes when omen punters had several examples to bet on a Kangaroos victory. North had drawn first blood, Tippett had dropped a pudding and Franklin had given away a 50-metre penalty which gave his opponent Scott Thompson a shot at goal.
They need not have worried. This was Sydney at their trademark best. When they had the ball, they pushed forward with intent and gave the likes of Tippett, Franklin and Goodes numerous scoring opportunities to score.
If they could not, then players like Luke Parker, who claimed the mark of the night, Lewis Jetta and Kieren Jack chipped in. When they could not score, they locked North inside their defensive half.
The Kangaroos are at their best when they can run and carry the ball but against the Swans they lacked the precision or composure to get through a wall of red and white.
Their talisman Brent Harvey may have been better off copping his whack from the match review panel, overwhelmed by Harry Cunningham, who kept his boyhood idol to just six touches in the first half.
