It was the remarkable defensive play that personified how disciplined and determined the stingy Swans have become.
And the team’s unheralded “Mr Fix-It” was central to it.
Trailing Sydney by 19 points deep in the last quarter of Friday night’s qualifying final, Melbourne produced a quick transition that saw Ben Brown launch the ball inside 50 to an open Charlie Spargo.
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But terrific pressure from Swan Robbie Fox meant Spargo’s handball fell short of Jake Melksham and got to him on the bounce.
Fox then sprinted after Melksham and, just before Melksham got boot to ball, bumped him off his line to stop a near-certain goal.
The ball then spilled free to Spargo close to goal — but his snap attempt was smothered by Fox in a third gobsmacking defensive effort.
Sydney won the ball back and rebounded out of defence — and the Demons wouldn’t kick another goal for the rest of the game as the Swans won by 22 points.
“From where I was sitting, I thought ‘this is going to take a pretty good effort to be able to stop this’, because they were out goalside and they were everywhere,” Sydney coach John Longmire told reporters post-game.
“The urgency to get back, it was a great piece of play. They just got back hard and did the job and defended the goal line – you can‘t ask much more than that.”
Not only did Fox’s trio of efforts sum you the Swans’ refusal to give their opposition any wiggle room, it also typified the defender’s dogged determination that has seen him return to the senior Swans line-up consistently this year.
While he played on a variety of opponents throughout Friday night’s game, Fox spent a lot of game time on Kysaiah Pickett, who was held to one goal from just four disposals.
“He’s been unbelievable since coming into the side. He just defends to the death every single week,” Swans midfielder James Rowbottom told foxfooty.com.au post-game.
“He can play tall, he can play small, he can run, he can dispose of the ball.
“He’s been a bit of a Mr Fix-it down there and he’s been bloody good at it.”
Seven-time All-Australian Nathan Buckley added on Fox Footy: “Fox, who’s been in and out of the side in the two or three years and he’s ground his way as a rookie player, you talk about his elite use, but it’s his elite effort and absolute commitment to the contest has got him a game and made him a guaranteed player in this side.”
Fox was one of several key contributors for the Swans in an even team performance, despite the likes of Lance Franklin, Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner were well held.
“We think we‘ve got some good players, but it’s just not about that. It’s about being even and everyone contributing and making sure we all know what our role is,” Longmire said.
“I know it‘s a cliché but it’s real one. It’s everyone working together and understanding what works for us as a team.
“If you‘re not having a great night, (it’s) still getting stuff done that we need to get done. It was an even performance and everyone contributed, even the blokes who didn’t have great nights. It’s about the system over the course of four quarters and keep working at what we know works.”
Longmire was thrilled with his side’s defensive output, highlighted by the fact the Swans laid 28 tackles in the final term alone.
“We knew it’d be really tough on their home deck, but our lads just kept going and going and going,” he said
“The pressure was enormous and it just got greater the longer the game went. There were some big moments the boys stood up in, so it was super.
“There was a couple of things that didn‘t work out and to our players’ credit, they kept the head up and kept on working at what they know works … They didn’t panic and they stay composed and went back to what we do.”
The Swans are now into their first preliminary final since 2016 and their first home prelim since 2014.
Longmire said the Swans had learnt ample from their heartbreaking one-point elimination final defeat to cross-town rivals the Giants last year.
“I‘m not sure whether you say what the time is. I was really disappointed we lost last year in the first week. You’ve got to take your moments and, age profile or not, you just have to work out what works for you and players hopefully believe that,” he said.
