SYDNEY has weathered a literal storm to secure bragging rights over Greater Western Sydney with a 41-point Derby victory in treacherous conditions at the SCG on Friday night.
The Swans once again proved they own the Harbour City, consolidating their spot at the top of the ladder with a commanding 17.5 (107) to 8.18 (66) victory over their crosstown rivals.
In the 32nd meeting between the two teams, the contest followed a familiar script, as the Giants' inaccuracy in front of goal haunted them while the Swans maintained their regular-season stranglehold.
It marked the Swans’ sixth win from the past seven Derbies, while moving them to a formidable 5-1 record so far in the 2026 season.
Sydney's Nick Blakey won the newly renamed Kirk-Ward Medal as the best player afield, as the Giants' defence struggled to contain the Swans’ multi-pronged forward line led by Charlie Curnow with three goals, alongside doubles from Logan McDonald and Joel Amartey.
Again proving their midfielders are just as dangerous in front of goal, Justin McInerney pushed forward to finish with two majors, 26 disposals, and three clearances.
Sydney won field position with 70 inside 50 entries to the Giants’ 59, while the clearance battle was more open, with the Swans getting the advantage 46-25.
Jake Riccardi led the way for GWS with three majors, while Clayton Oliver had a game-high 37 disposals.
The Giants did well to keep Isaac Heeney quiet in the first half, limiting him to just four pressurised disposals in the first term and 11 in the second after he was picked up by Ryan Angwin in the midfield.
The contest started at a frantic pace, though the intensity tapered off as the first term progressed.
To open the scoring, Swans utility James Jordon curled one home from just outside 50 following a chain of rapid handballs. The goal sparked immediate tension as a spot fire broke out with Tom Papley at the centre of the fray.
Soon after, alarm bells began ringing for the Giants as the Swans swept from their defensive 50 to slot consecutive coast-to-coast goals through Amartey and McDonald.
The Giants finally broke through in the 16th minute via Riccardi, who benefited from a 50m penalty after Joel Hamling was caught moving on the mark. The disciplinary lapse gifted Riccardi a point-blank look from within 25 metres.
As the rain intensified and the wind picked up to start the second term, Curnow made his mark on the scoreboard, playing on to curl through a clever goal.
Minutes later, Riccardi snagged his second from the right forward pocket, only for McInerney to reply with a second of his own shortly after.
After a scrappy first half, the Swans carried a 19-point lead into the main break.
However, the resumption was stalled as an approaching storm and nearby lightning strikes triggered AFL safety protocols. The resulting nearly-hour-long delay forced an extended half-time break before play finally resumed at 10:02pm.
Once play got back underway, a crafty handball chain cleared the way for Toby Bedford, who snapped truly around the corner to open the third term as the Giants emerged with a noticeable surge.
Curnow added his second after intercepting a Blakey dribble inside 50, picking the ball off the carpet to finish. However, an off-the-ball free kick against Jayden Laverde gifted McDonald a goal, quickly quelling the momentum the Giants were building.
A Blakey torpedo attempt after the siren fell short, leaving the Swans with a 17-point lead heading into the last change.
Amartey slotted his second before Finn Callaghan and Leek Aleer hit the scoreboard to trim the margin to 12 points. However, the Swans shifted gears to pull away, with Curnow adding his third and Jordon completing his own double.
Blakey wins Kirk-Ward Medal
Nick Blakey was magnificent in the slippery conditions, finishing with 34 disposals, two clearances and 882 metres gained to win first Kirk-Ward medal for the best afield in the Sydney Derby. Blakey was a constant threat across the ground, providing dash and rebounding drive while adding a late goal to cap off a polished performance in the stormy conditions
Lightning strike sparks extended half-time break
The start of the second half was delayed by just under an hour after lightning from an approaching storm triggered a 30-minute delay as per AFL safety protocols. A second strike forced a further delay, leaving both teams scrambling to keep their muscles warm during the unexpectedly extended half-time break. The players finally returned to the ground at 9:54 pm for an eight-minute warm-up before play restarted.
Giants forced into late change
In an extremely late change, Callum Brown replaced Jesse Hogan ahead of the opening ball-up after the spearhead succumbed to a quad issue. The 2024 Coleman medallist attempted to warm up but could not overcome a quad cork suffered last week’s on a five-day turnaround. Brown, who was pulled early from the VFL curtain-raiser as a precaution, stepped directly into Hogan’s role. While coach Adam Kingsley hoped the swap would keep Jake Stringer stationed deep, the Giants' reshaped attack struggled. Without Hogan or Aaron Cadman, the forward line lacked potency and Stringer failed to fire, finishing with just 14 disposals and 0.2.
SYDNEY 4.1 7.3 10.3 17.5 (107)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 2.5 3.8 5.16 8.18 (66)
GOALS
Sydney: Curnow 3, McInerney 2, McDonald 2, Amartey 2, Jordon 2, Lloyd, Papley, Rosas, Blakey, Sheldrick, Ch.Warner
Greater Western Sydney: Riccardi 3, Gothard 2, Bedford, Callaghan, Aleer
BEST
Sydney: Blakey, Grundy, McInerney, McCartin, Heeney
Greater Western Sydney: Oliver, Riccardi, Ash, Whitfield, Rowsto
INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Sydney: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Jesse Hogan (quad) replaced in selected side by Callum Brown
Crowd: 43,986 at the SCG
