The Sydney Swans will play in the 2024 grand final next Saturday against either Geelong or Brisbane after defeating Port Adelaide 14.11 (95) to 8.11 (59).
Three goals each from Joel Amartey and Tom Papley helped to ease the Swans to the last week in September in a game they never looked in danger of losing.
The Swans’ September redemption arc is almost complete, after putting a stop to the Giants’ 3-0 finals record with a six-point win in their qualifying final, they have now brutally exorcised the ghosts of Port Adelaide’s 112-point victory six weeks ago.
In front of a deafening SCG crowd of 44,053, the Swans were unrecognisable from that defeat at Adelaide Oval in round 21.
After that game, coach John Longmire had said the Swans “didn’t come to compete” – but back at home in September, his side arrived determined to prove a point, not only to their coach, but to their future grand final opponents.
Next week at the MCG, the Swans have the opportunity to win their first premiership since 2012 and for their Longmire a chance to win his second with the club after coming runner-up in 2014, 2016 and 2022.
Luke Parker (left) and Joel Amartey of the Swans celebrate.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
The Swans easily matched Port Adelaide’s ferocious pressure that they had promised to bring from the outset, despite their bruising semi-final victory over Hawthorn last week. Shortly after matching it, the Swans then superseded Port Adelaide’s intensity.
With the ball, the Swans could barely miss a target, whether it was to their players through elite disposal efficiency, or more importantly, the goals.
Before the game, Port Adelaide were given long odds that didn’t seem to tell the full story of a determined team that had so frequently had the Swans’ number, winning eight successive games. It turns out those odds were well-founded.
The Swans have been notoriously slow starters all season, but against Port Adelaide they enjoyed an early lead, up by nine points at the break, aided by goals from Jake Lloyd, Amartey, Logan McDonald and Papley.
Dane Rampe will face a nervous wait after a high hit on Zak Butters that could potentially see him miss the grand final through suspension.
Papley’s major to the end the quarter brought with it the trademark celebration in front of Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli and it sparked a successive all-in melee between both teams, after the Swans forward’s earlier September scuffle with the Giants captain Toby Greene.
The Swans’ tall forwards have been a target of criticism at times during the season, but both McDonald and Amartey stood up and added their second goals respectively in the second quarter providing strong targets throughout the game.
Goals from Isaac Heeney, Papley and Hayden McLean extended the lead to 25 points, despite some magic from Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli with a goal after spinning away from the attention from the Swans’ defence.
In the third quarter, Chad Warner scored two impressive goals to remind his eventual grand final opponents of his class, as he ran at the Port Adelaide defence with a freedom he is rarely used to enjoying in the AFL.
Warner was joined by Amartey and Papley, who were both rewarded with their third goals to extend Sydney’s lead to 40 points at the end of the term.
Brisbane had overcome a 44-point deficit in their five-point semi-final victory over the Giants last Saturday, but history was never in danger of repeating at the SCG.
In the final quarter, McDonald’s night was over after making way for substitute Robbie Fox due to pain with his left ankle that was immediately sunk into a bucket of ice on the bench.
Heeney’s second goal finally eased tension across the SCG, lifting the preliminary final nerves that had hung over sections of the stands for much of the game. After his qualifying final heroics against the Giants, Heeney was again impressive with 24 disposals and six tackles.
By the fourth quarter, the Swans were cruising to victory with such ease it must have made it tempting for Longmire to start sketching out plans for the grand final.
Longmire knows that he will have major selection issues to consider, such as his captain Callum Mills, who will be pushing to return for the grand final after a minor strain to his hamstring.
Until then, the Swans have reminded the competition of just how devastating their best is ahead of the biggest game of the year.
