Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge lamented a “traumatic” night after losing four players to injuries in a 75-point loss to Geelong at Kardinia Park.
Meanwhile, Sydney recorded a comfortable 41-point win over the GWS Giants at the SCG in a match that featured a stoppage in play due to lightning.
The Bulldogs were never really in the hunt against Geelong at Kardinia Park, but the personnel problems were bigger than the scoreline.
Star ruck-forward Sam Darcy was the main casualty, ruled out of the game in the first half with what his club is calling a serious knee injury.
Scans will confirm which ligaments are involved. Also out of the game were Tom Liberatore (concussion), and defenders James O’Donnell and Rory Lobb (both hamstrings).
“The carnage is pretty traumatic,” he tells reporters.
“The way we played and started the game, separating the period where we had 23 players, we were on the back foot.
“It’s probably the most traumatic [game I can remember] but it’s important we process the things we weren’t executing well at the start of the game. It’s been a really traumatic night.”
For Geelong, forward Jeremy Cameron kicked 10 goals, while 300-gamer Mark Blicavs and 200-gamer Jake Kolodjashnij (who kicked a goal) both were victorious in their milestone games.
In Sydney, play was delayed for more than an hour after lightning swept through the area near the SCG.
An initial half-hour delay was extended after more lightning was spotted.
The Swans were leading by 19 points at half-time before play was suspended.
After the delay, the Giants came out with some early goals, but wasteful kicking hurt them – they scored 2.8 to Sydney’s 3.0 in the third term.
The Swans finished over the top with seven final quarter goals, and Dean Cox’s men remain top of the ladder with their fifth win of the season.
They finished up winning 17.5 (107) to 8.18 (66).
Look back at how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key Events
AFL Friday scoreboard
That’s where we’ll leave it
Well, that’s been a longer night than any of us were expecting.
It was a night not lacking in drama, between Jeremy Cameron’s 10-goal haul, the Bulldogs endless injury toll, an hour-long storm delay in Sydney and the Swans holding their nerve – and the corridor – in a win over their crosstown rivals at the SCG.
The fallout will be no doubt be extensive, as we wait to find out the full extent of Sam Darcy’s knee injury.
We wish all those injured tonight well, and hope any time missed is limited.
We will be back again tomorrow with three games (thankfully back-to-back-to-back), starting with Gold Coast vs Essendon at Carrara at 1:15pm AEST.
Then Hawthorn will take on Port Adelaide at Docklands, before the Saints are on again at Adelaide Oval, this time for a clash with the Adelaide Crows.
We hope you can join us then. In the meantime, on behalf of Chris De Silva, I’m Andrew McGarry thanking you for following the action with us, and wishing you a very good night!
‘I wouldn’t call it our best’: Kirk-Ward Medallist Nick Blakey speaks after Sydney’s win
Nick Blakey has spoken to Fox Footy after that win for Sydney.
He had 34 disposals, a goal, 882 metres gained and six inside 50s in a brilliant display, and was a worthy winner of the Kirk-Ward Medal for best on ground.
“It’s always good to beat them [GWS],” he said.
“It gets built up, we come out here and it’s on.
“I wouldn’t call it our best, we had an hour off in the middle there [after the storm].
“We were challenged there in the third quarter, but when it counted in the final quarter we put our foot down.”
FT: Sydney 17.5 (107) beats GWS 8.18 (66)
The siren goes and the Swans are too strong in the end.
In a game that ran officially for three hours 23 minutes, Sydney had the stamina to outlast the Giants.
Seven goals to three in the final term when the game was still a possibility for the visitors, just showed why they are the ladder leaders.
The Giants missed late withdrawal Jesse Hogan on top of their other missing stars. But they never managed to put enough pressure for long enough.
The Swans song rings out at the SCG, and Sydney roll on with a win in the Battle of the Bridge.
Swans bring up the ton with Warner goal
That puts the cap on the night from Sydney.
One more sweeping goal from defensive 50, with a series of nerveless handballs. They looked like they could have been run down at least twice, but the Swans kept going and Chad Warner ended up with it near 50.
He booted another low runner, and it went through.
The Swans are up to 101 points for the match in the dying stages.
Swans get another as Giants fade
When things aren’t going your way …
The Swans went forward once more, the ball skittered inside 50, and then the ball was “handballed” AKA thrown, to Angus Sheldrick, who snapped another goal for Sydney.
The points are going to the Swans.
A miss for Toby Greene
The weather hasn’t been great, the pressure has been high, but the Giants will look back on this game and see opportunities not taken.
Leek Aleer contested near 50 on the left, brought it down and fed Toby Greene, who ran clear and snapped – but it went wide.
That’s 7.17 for GWS, and that’s not going to win you many games.
Has Curnow kicked the sealer for Sydney?
Have the Giants fired their best shot?
The Swans are finding their way to goal late on here.
There was a free kick in the centre, they went long to a contest, and Charlie Curnow received the free for an arm chop.
He’s had a mixed night, missing chances but kicking a couple and setting up another.
He went back and kicked it through the middle, and the Swans fans go crazy.
They think it’s all over – we’re on the edge of time on, and Sydney leads by five goals. They may be right.
Swans get another through Nick Blakey
It’s the old London bus analogy.
No goals for ages for Sydney, and then suddenly they get one and a second arrives within seconds.
The Swans get the break, and Nick Blakey booms one from 50 or so… it runs and runs and runs through!
The lead is back to 25 points.
Is that the big one? There’s still enough time.
Malcolm Rosas kicks a great leg-break goal!
I know we’re at the SCG, but we’re playing the wrong game for what just happened!
The Swans forced a forward 50 stoppage. Brodie Grundy has been brilliant tonight, and once again he managed the flip to advantage for Malcolm Rosas Jr.
The former Sun threw it on the boot, the ball looked like it was going for a point, but then it landed, bounced, took off and swerved like a leg-break Warnie would have been proud of.
It went over a forward and defender on the line.
That’s huge! Back to 19 points.
Swans lead most key stats … but the lead is narrowing
Just looking at things with more than a half a quarter of footy to go, the Swans lead inside 50s 59-47.
They lead clearances 38-22, centre clearances 14-7 but the lead is narrowing, and they need something right now.
Leek Aleer narrows the gap with his first AFL goal
There’s plenty of time left here at the SCG, and the Giants are still coming.
They pushed it forward and Leek Aleer was given a free for a hold by Riley Bice.
He kicked the goal – it’s his first in the AFL!
The lead is back to 12 points. We’re not done here by any manner of means!
Great reply from Finn Callaghan
It’s not over just yet!
The Giants get the ball to the edge of the arc – and Finn Callaghan grabs it and MONSTERS a kick from 50. It goes through by plenty.
The Giants are back to 18 points. They need to keep going here.
‘The carnage is pretty traumatic’: Bevo on the Dogs’ dirty night
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge sums it all up pretty emphatically here.
“The carnage is pretty traumatic,” he tells reporters.
“The way we played and started the game, separating the period where we had 23 players, we were on the back foot.
“It’s probably the most traumatic [game I can remember] but it’s important we process the things we weren’t executing well at the start of the game. It’s been a really traumatic night.”
Amartey kicks a steadier for the Swans
That’s a fair passage of play there from Sydney!
Nick Blakey got the ball in the middle, it was sent forward before a nice chip to Charlie Curnow 60 out.
He looked up, and instead of going for it, he kicked it through to Joel Amartey in the pocket.
And Amartey’s snap curled through!
Isaac Heeney ends up in the first row!
The Swans have begun the final term on the attack, with Brodie Grundy in charge in the ruck.
The home side kicked it forward, it bounced towards the boundary and Isaac Heeney raced to it before getting a shove from Connor Idun.
He stumbled forward and ended up taking a flier over the fence into the (thanlkfully empty) first row!
He’s ok, but that could have been nasty.
3QT: Sydney 10.3 (63) leads GWS 5.16 (46)
Another late miss from Toby Greene capped off a quarter that started positively for the Giants but ended in frustration.
GWS kicked 2.8 to 3.0 in that term, and the Swans still hold a 17-point lead.
The main major they scored came from a shot in the dark by Jake Ricciardi.
It’s not over in this late, late football show – but the Giants must take their chances. The Swans are taking theirs, and it’s making the difference.
Can GWS come from the (rain)clouds? We will find out shortly.
Huge misses for GWS
That was a nightmare for the Giants.
They went forward and managed to put the pressure on, and ran down a Swans defender in the square. No free, but the handball went to GWS’ Nick Madden, who had the goals less than 10 metres away – but he rolled it wide!
Huge miss there.
A minute later, Jake Stringer marked inside 50 and the goal HAD to come – but Stringer’s kick missed as well!
It’s a three-goal game.
Neale’s reaction to Sam Darcy’s knee injury
It’s safe to say the whole football community is holding its breath when it comes to the health of Sam Darcy.
Here’s what Cats star Shannon Neale said tonight:
Swans get the answer through Tom Papley
The Swans have the answers – for now at least – as Tom Papley ends up snapping the goal.
The margin is back out to 21 points.
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