This was the one they couldn’t afford to lose.
There were zero excuses this time. They’d clearly been the best side all year. They weren’t playing a Victorian club, having to endure the injustice of playing an ‘away’ grand final, as has been the case twice before. It was truly neutral turf. They had only had to travel once all finals series and enjoyed the luxury of a week off. Their opponents had travelled three times in three weeks, and had come from outside the top four.
The Swans’ performance in the 2024 grand final will cut them deeper than any of their previous three.
Whilst they were favourites against Hawthorn in 2014, they did run into one of the greatest finals groups ever assembled. In 2016, their performance was admirable, and they weren’t exactly assisted by an extremely questionable set of umpiring decisions. However, they still did lose to a team that finished the home and away season seventh. They were smoked by Geelong in 2022, but that felt like a young group running into a seasoned, experienced behemoth.
This year was different. There has been a sense of destiny about these Swans this year. The bookies’ favourites since the very early stages of the season, the general consensus was that Sydney weren’t going to let another opportunity slip away.
Hugh McCluggage celebrates with Joe Daniher. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Yet, here they are again. Their fourth grand final loss in a row. The third of which was essentially over by half-time. The last two have been particularly gregarious egg lays.
The Swans are a magnificent football club and organisation – and their fabled and celebrated ‘Bloods Culture’ has seen them through a period of sustained relative success. They’ve made the finals in all but two seasons since 2010. They won the epic 2012 grand final over Hawthorn. However, as we stand, this current group, much like Geelong in the 90s, will be remembered for their inability to fire on the biggest day of all.
Somewhat unfairly at times, footballer’s reputations are made on this stage. The brutal truth is that Sydney simply haven’t been able to handle the heat of the contest in the last two GFs they have played. Their pressure on the ball carrier has simply not been good enough, and they’ve been hammered around the contest.
Although the scoreboard at quarter time only displayed an eight-point gap, the fact the Lions were plus 33 in disposals, had been allowed to take 45 marks and had scored from seven of their 12 entries was alarming. The Lions’ five-goal blitz in ten minutes in the second quarter took many by surprise in the moment, but a deeper dive into the details shows the seeds were sewn early.
The Swans had only 31 per cent time in possession in the first half, which is an unfathomable number in a grand final. Brisbane’s 82 first-half marks were the second most by any team in any game this season.
The key to beating the Lions is by denying their kick-mark game by working hard defensively both to deny the opposition across the ground and by ferocious pressure at the ball carrier to deny them time. The Swans were out-tackled 64 to 45 despite having 80 less disposals than Brisbane. They coughed up 62 (sixty-two!) clangers.
Kai Lohmann celebrates one of his three first half grand final goals. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/Getty Images)
It was a nightmare of a performance and they had very few winners across the ground. Their best two players across their last two grand finals have probably been James Rowbottom and Robbie Fox, and with all due respect to these two more than adequate league footballers, that isn’t going to get it done.
Sydney’s stars, in particular their much vaunted ‘three-headed monster’ in their midfield barely fired a shot. Nick Blakey was torn apart by Brisbane’s smalls and committed some head-scratching turnovers. Tom Papley was barely sighted for two quarters following a brilliant first-quarter snap. Isaac Heeney was clearly hampered by his ankle after half-time, but was soundly beaten by Josh Dunkley when the game was being won. Brodie Grundy battled hard, and his numbers certainly weren’t the worst, but he missed the chance to impose himself on a ruckman who had played 16 games in the VFL this year.
Their forward mix, for so long the big question mark against this side, was shown to be severely lacking when the midfield weren’t providing their usual scoring threat. Starcevich, Payne, Andrews and Zorko were very rarely troubled outside the first 20 minutes. The Swans kicked just 2.3 to the Lions 12.8 in the middle two quarters despite the inside 50s being only separated by eight in that time.
You also have to shake your head at the selection of Logan McDonald, who was clearly unable to go following his ankle injury late in last week’s preliminary final. After a similar situation with Sam Reid’s adductor ‘strain’ in 2022, you have to wonder why they didn’t take the same approach with McDonald as they did with their captain Callum Mills.
Whilst there is no doubt there is the talent in this side to challenge next year and beyond, the scars of another failure in the last Saturday in September will hurt this group deeply. It must be simply exhausting to continue to attempt to climb Everest only to fall horrendously at Hillary Step.
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