Understrength Swans find enough to hold out Kangaroos

Andrew Wu

SMH, July 16

There were many reasons Sydney should not have won. Already without three stalwarts, they lost another before the game when Heath Grundy was a late withdrawal, and then captain Josh Kennedy in the second term. At various stages of the match, North had them on the rack, but there is something about the Swans that means they can never be written off.

In a game of many momentum swings, the pendulum was on the red-and-white side when the siren sounded as the Swans prevailed by a goal in a classic, 16.8 (104) to 15.8 (98).

They were in trouble at three-quarter time and again in time-on in the last term when Jack Ziebell put North Melbourne seven points up only to pull a rabbit out of the hat in the dying minutes.

Ben Ronke kicked his fifth then missed a snap to level the scores before Aliir Aliir, moved forward to cancel North's extra man back, kicked the game-breaker with a minute and 48 seconds left. It was his first career goal.

The match was befitting the high stakes on the line. The victory has the Swans in the top four on percentage and denied the Kangaroos a return to the eight.

This was a match against the season narrative that the game was better in years gone by. There were plenty of goals and contests, with scarcely an easy kick.

Both teams looked the winner at various stages. Had there been another minute it could well have been the Kangas triumphant.

Sydney snatch thrilling win over North Melbourne as Aliir Aliir, Majak Daw produce heroics

Herald Sun

Jay Clark, July 16

THEY have jumped hurdles and fought footy perception all their lives.

But North Melbourne’s Majak Daw and Sydney’s Aliir Aliir were not project players or AFL novelty acts, they were heroes, on Sunday. 

Yes, the Swans importantly kept their spot inside the eight and Lance Franklin slotted his 900th goal after losing star onballer Josh Kennedy to a nasty back injury.

And Jack Ziebell and Ben Ronke both slotted five majors each as the Swans and Roos put on one of the most entertaining games of the season.

But the story was Daw and Allir in Sydney’s thrilling six-point triumph at Etihad Stadium.

After battling each other spectacularly in the air for three quarters, Daw initially loomed as the match-winner in the pulsating final stages.

The former rookie slotted his fourth goal from the boundary line with a laser-straight drop punt with barely five minutes remaining to tie scores.

To that point, it was probably his best game of his eight-year career after spending much of this season down back.

And when Ziebell curled his fifth goal with another brilliant snap North looked home.

But enter Aliir.

The Sydney tall was swung forward and, in yet another moment of magic, showed incredible composure icing the sealer on the run.

It was his first goal of his 21-game career, but an unforgettable one.

Sydney Swans defeat North Melbourne: Aliir Aliir unlikely hero in one of AFL’s best games of 2018

Matt Balmer

Fox Sports, July 15 

THIS was a finals-like showdown between North Melbourne and Sydney that showed footy ain’t broken yet.

In a 31-goal shootout at Etihad Stadium, it was the Swans who won against the odds to run out six-point winners in one of the games of the season.

The consequences were always huge for the loser, with no guarantees for either side of a chance to contend in September.

When Lance Franklin slotted career goal No. 902 in the final term, the game looked all but done, with the Swans taking a 12-point lead. But the Roos, for the upteenth time in the game, found a way back into the contest with goals to Ben Brown and Majak Daw drawing the scores level.

In fact the sea-sawing last quarter saw the scores change hands multiple times a truly incredible game of football.

It took a composed kick and goal from Allir Allir — remarkably, the first in his career — to give the Swans back the lead and, eventually, the win.

The injury-ravaged Swans are far from fielding their best 22, with injuries to key talls Lewis Melican (hamstring) and Sam Reid (Achilles), alongside experienced trio Dan Hannebery, Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack.

And their chances to contend for finals were seemingly further compounded when midfielder Josh Kennedy suffered back spasms and didn’t take part in the game after half-time.

But the Swans — like they always do — held on.

And the win keeps their finals hopes alive and give them a big confidence boost if they want to cause some September chaos.