Scrappy Swans get the job done over Essendon in Gulden's 100th
When, about 10 minutes into Saturday's wild and briefly wet 14-point defeat of Essendon, a work-booted groundsman lolloped onto the field and out to the centre square, then reached into the weathered white bucket and used its contents to fill a pronounced divot in the SCG pitch.
A mid-game turf repair at a venue notorious all year for its patchy surface since that Andrea Bocelli concert in April. A venue that is also the Swans' home ground in their own fitful campaign that was confirmed as fruitless even before the bounce.
Last weekend's capitulation to crosstown rivals GWS hammered the final nail in the coffin of a tough first year for coach Dean Cox marked by relentless injuries and dampened confidence.
On Saturday everything was a bit damp, and the weather could not be held solely responsible for the poor kicking and lacklustre play as both sides saw out this consolation clash in front of a comparatively sparse crowd by Swans standards.
And the younger among the 20,805 who turned up to watch the hosts withstand a nervy late Bombers comeback, a win that's building towards nothing must feel kind of foreign.
This time last year, the Swans were headed for a 24th finals campaign in 29 years. Here they bettered the Bombers in the bleak knowledge that this September will not feature any footy for only the sixth time in the last 30 years.
Only the rusted-on of pre-1996 – the year John Howard was elected prime minister and The Wiggles released Wake Up Jeff! – will fully understand the half a century of pain before it, dating back to the Bloodbath grand final of 1945.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
17 minutes ago
- Perth Now
‘Too many': Blowouts focus of AFL attention
AFL boss Andrew Dillon concedes there have been 'too many' lopsided games in 2025 but says lengthy injury lists and not fixture imbalances are to blame. But with the impending entry of a 19th team in Tasmania, the league chief executive said the view on fixturing would continue to 'evolve' with a focus on trying to avoid double-ups between inferior teams. While there were five matches decided by under 10 points in round 22, it was an outlier in an otherwise one-sided season. The previous week there were three matches with winning margins in excess of 80 points from the nine games and two 90-point margins the week before. Port Adelaide lost by a combined 186 points in rounds 21 and 22. The fight for finals also ended early and only one team outside the top eight remains a chance to break in by the final round. It has left a large number of no-meaning matches across the final two rounds, with three games between non-finalists in round 23 alone. The ongoing need to fixture two derbies in Perth, showdowns in Adelaide, Q-clashes in Queensland and clashes between Sydney and GWS remains a hurdle in a more balanced fixture. Dillon said it was hard to predict which teams would rise and fall, and Essendon's unprecedented injury battles in 2025 had unavoidable impacts on games. But Dillon said fixturing needed to be addressed as a potential way to balance out the competition going forward. 'It's nice to have nine trying to get into eight, but it would be better if it was 14/15 teams trying to get into finals,' he said. 'What you also have this year is three or four teams that weren't top eight last year like Adelaide and Gold Coast. As things move, it is difficult to predict. 'I'm finding it hard to predict what happens this weekend let alone trying to do it in October for next year. Andrew Dillon has blamed injuries for the blowouts. Credit: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos / via Getty Images 'We need to continue to evolve. Whether that's having a formula to remove subjectivity, we will continue to assess. We have an opportunity in a couple of years with Tassie coming in to have a look at how the fixture is set and how the season runs. 'Our sport has stood the test of time. You want to evolve but you don't have to revolutionise at the same time. 'There is reasons for that. If you study injury lists, there is almost a direct correlation to where you are on the ladder. It's not where we want to be. 'We want a competition where you go to the game each week and you think you're a chance. We have had too many games this year that it wasn't the case.' Dillon also confirmed that players were 'all in' on a potential return for State of Origin next February. 'Absolutely (players are all in). as we saw with the All Stars game, it works when the players are all in. When the players are all in, then clubs are in and fans buy in,' he told SEN. 'Conversations I have had with the players they are all in. Then we work out how often we play it and when you play it. The first part is to get it going again. 'The clubs understand we have to continue to evolve as a competition. Some traditional thinking has to be modified but not to the detriment of home-and-away season and finals.'
News.com.au
42 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Trent Robinson supports Spencer Leniu's aggressive approach, calls on referees to punish foul play
Roosters coach Trent Robinson won't tell firebrand Spencer Leniu to tone down his aggression after last week's spiteful clash against the Dolphins, where four players were sent to the sin bin and fines were dished out like candy at Halloween. Leniu and teammate Naufahu Whyte joined Dolphins duo Francis Molo and Aublix Tawha in the sin bin after a post-try melee that was sparked by the NSW prop shaping up to Tawha. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Players from both sides came together just a minute after referee Gerard Sutton had warned both captains following another push and shove that was sparked by Tawha shoving Roosters halfback Sam Walker. 'I see a guy that's passionate about protecting his halves. I don't think anything was going to happen until someone touched Sammy Walker,' Robinson said, with Leniu scoring a try upon his return in the crucial 64-12 win. 'The game didn't like it with the charges and I think a couple of guys could have got charges – 'Fahu' (Whyte) and one of their players (what they did) was probably a bit too much. 'You don't want people running in from a long distance – I understand that – but I think I've had 100 per cent of comments that have been really positive about the way that game was played and the intensity of those guys. 'I think everyone enjoyed seeing it because no one got hurt, there was no trouble from it and people knew why it happened.' The push on Walker infuriated Leniu, with the Roosters frustrated by several calls this season when acts of foul play were unpunished by officials. Nat Butcher and Siua Wong both suffered knee injuries that weren't penalised on the field but resulted in lengthy bans, while Wong was also knocked out from a kick-off last week, with Sutton ruling a knock-on because the contact was deemed accidental. 'I think supporting 'Spenny' and the boys when they want to protect each other (is fine) because we've had some foul play that has gone untouched,' Robinson explained. 'We've had significant foul play this year that we haven't even received a penalty for and sometimes the guys get a bit sick of it and want to make a stand of it themselves. 'As long as that gets looked after, the boys will stay on task.' There's a reason why Leniu was so desperate to protect Walker given the halfback has been in stunning form since returning from an ACL injury that ended his 2024 campaign. It usually takes a year for players to return to their best, but the halfback has set up 13 tries in five games and has them back in the finals mix. His combination with Hugo Savala has been tremendous, while Robinson isn't taking any credit for the ad-lib play like the footwork and long ball that fooled the defence and set up a Daniel Tupou try last week. 'It's a hard thing to come back and get in the groove straight away,' he said. 'I think over the last month we've seen that progression week on week and I feel like … he's seeing the game really clearly now getting back to a physical presence in the game. 'Sammy is a year older, a year smarter, and long may it continue. 'We get to watch him all the time and he's always looking for what the next opportunity is. There's a trust there because his eyes are very good and his instinct around space is really good. 'He knows how to use his tools, whether it's a pass or kick or a run to take advantage of that. It's just observing and allowing the freedom for those plays. It's got nothing to do with our coaching. It's allowing him to do it whenever he wants.' Last week's big win has the Roosters on the edge of the top eight ahead of a mouth-watering showdown with the high-flying Bulldogs in the wet. 'We've been pretty clear with how important we think this game is. All that matters is tomorrow night. It's all we're focused on and we've prepped towards that,' Robinson said. 'I've really enjoyed watching the challenge of the guys and how they've risen to that because we know it's right there. 'Each week has been the most important week this season, and it's no different tomorrow night, so we need to attack them. 'They're a very good team and there's all respect to that, but that's it for us. We have to go after it – there's no other choice.'
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Racing Confidential: Jockey Rachel King to return from Japan in time to partner Sydney Cup winner Arapaho in 2025 Winx Stakes
Star Sydney jockey Rachel King will return from her latest successful Japanese stint in time to ride Arapaho in the first Group 1 of the new season, the $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick next week. King rides at the Sapporo double-header this weekend before leaving Japan on Monday night. She's hoping to ride at Warwick Farm 's Wednesday meeting ahead of Sydney Cup winner Arapaho's comeback in the Winx Stakes on August 23. 'I'll definitely be back for Arapaho, I won't be missing him,'' King told Racing Confidential. King has been in outstanding form over the last month in Japan including her four winners at Sapporo last Saturday before following up with a double on Sunday. She made history earlier this year by becoming the first female jockey to win a Group 1 race in Japan. King plans to concentrate on the Sydney and Melbourne spring carnivals in coming months but is in such demand in Japan there is every chance she will be invited back next year. â– â– â– â– â– Sydney Cup winner in star-studded trial on Friday It's Arapaho's day today! 🎉 He's dominant in the G1 Sydney Cup with another feature going to @BBakerRacing and @RachelK11! ðŸ�† @aus_turf_club | @WorldPool — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 12, 2025 Arapaho, who is being set for the Melbourne Cup, tunes up for his Winx Stakes comeback with a 1000m barrier trial at Rosehill Gardens on Friday. The Bjorn Baker-trained stayer is in the opening heat against the likes of stablemate Within The Law, Lindermann, Memo and North England. The Rosehill trials session also features The Everest runners Private Harry and Briasa who clash in the third heat over 900m against talented three-year-olds Nepotism and Hidden Achievement. Team Hawkes, which trains Group 1 winners Briasa (TJ Smith Stakes) and Nepotism (Champagne Stakes), also has Blue Diamond winner Devil Night and classy four-year-old Swiftfalcon due to trial on Friday. â– â– â– â– â– Waller guns lined up for exhibition gallops Trainer Chris Waller is adopting his usual practice of giving his elite carnival hopefuls exhibition gallops at Rosehill on Saturday a week out from their scheduled comeback races. Horse of the Year-elect Via Sistina, Fangirl and Aeliana are all due to gallop over 1000m after the opening race on Saturday's program. Then after the second race, Lady Shenandoah and Autumn Glow will also work over 1000m. Via Sistina, Fangirl, Aeliana and Lady Shenandoah are all likely to resume in the Winx Stakes while Autumn Glow is expected to contest the Group 3 $250,000 Show County Quality (1200m) on the same day. Meanwhile, Waller is trying to win his first Group 2 $300,000 PB Lawrence (formerly JJ Liston) stakes with North American Group 1 winners Moira and Annisette at Caulfield on Saturday. â– â– â– â– â– Dua Lipa gone to the dogs? Not quite... Sydney's premier racecaller Darren Flindell has revealed how he got swept up in 'Dua Lipa mania' when he went to a greyhound meeting in Ireland recently. 'We went to watch the dogs at a place called Shelbourne Park,'' he said. 'When we were walking to the track, there were all these young people heading in our direction. I said 'I can't believe they are all going to the dogs tonight'. 'But as it turned out, right next door to the dog track was a Dua Lipa concert so we would hear the music all night. It made for a really good atmosphere.''
