Match

GWS Giants vs Sydney Swans

Commentary / 19 Mar 2022

Pre Game

00:00
All eyes will be Lance Franklin today who is just five goals away from being the sixth player in history to kick 1000 career goals. Franklin has scored 49 career goals against the Giants from 16 matches - an average of 3.06 goals per game.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:05
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
02:16
After his most prolific season on the scoreboard in 2021, Isaac Heeney has picked up where he left off last season by scoring the opening goal of the match. Heeney kicked 36 goals last year, beating his previous best season output by eight goals.
06:20
The Giants have scored a goal with their first inside 50 of the match. They have not had the territory ascendancy early, trailing time in forward half 84% to 16%.
09:32
The Giants are defending well, only allowing the Swans one scoring shot from 82% time in forward half. The Giants led at quarter-time in 14 of their H
10:12
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
11:45
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Hayden McLean)
12:50
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Oliver Florent)
13:07
Just like in last year's Elimination Final, the Swans are on top at stoppages. They have won just one more clearance than the Giants, however two of their first three goals have been from this source whilst the Giants are scoreless from their respective clearances.
14:49
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Harry Himmelberg)
18:51
It has been a very high-pressure start to this match, with both sides combining for 30 tackles already. This is more first-quarter tackles laid than any other match played so far this round - with seven minutes of playing time still to come.
21:20
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tom Green)
21:58
Tom Green has been a strong presence for the Giants in this first term. He has collected a game-high 11 disposals, won four intercept possessions, and kicked a goal - all from 68% time on ground.
25:00
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jarrod Brander)
25:10
The Giants have taken five marks inside 50 compared to two for the Swans. This was not a strength for the Giants last year, averaging just under 10 marks inside 50 per game - ranked second-last.
27:46
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
29:03
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Harry Himmelberg)
30:36
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
31:15
The Giants wrestled back momentum in the second half of that quarter, getting on top at stoppages and generating scores from this advantage. The Giants won eight of the last 10 clearances of the quarter. Their centre clearance work stood out, leading these clearances six to three, scoring 2.1 (13) from these stoppages.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:23
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Errol Gulden)
02:27
The Swans had a post-clearance pressure factor of 176 in the opening term. They recorded a post-clearance pressure factor of 174 during the Home and Away season last year - ranked No. 1.
03:26
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Bobby Hill)
05:28
The Giants' first goal of the quarter again is sourced from a centre clearance - their third goal of the match from this source. This already surpasses their 2021 average of 2 goals per game from this source.
05:50
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Hayden McLean)
07:15
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Will Hayward)
09:24
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Lance Franklin)
09:40
Lance Franklin has kicked his first goal of the match - taking his career tally to 996. Franklin recorded 22.4 scoreboard impact points per game across the season – ranked third in the AFL.
10:49
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Harry Himmelberg)
11:47
Harry Himmelberg's ability to win the ball at ground level has resulted in two individual goals for himself. He was won three of the Giants' four groundballs in the forward 50.
12:07
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Will Hayward)
15:38
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Bobby Hill)
18:22
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Rushed)
19:34
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Luke Parker)
19:46
The last four goals for the Swans have all been sourced from turnovers. They have won three more intercept possessions than the Giants in the second quarter, resulting in 68% time in forward half for the term.
21:55
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Oliver Florent)
22:01
There has been a combined 17 goals scored so far in the match. This is the most ever goals scored in a first-half in games played between these two teams, beating the previous record of 15 first-half goals.
24:28
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tom Green)
24:36
It has been an accurate game so far, with both sides making the most of their opportunities. The Giants have scored 6.2 (38) from their set shots whilst Sydney has scored a perfect 5.0 (30) from their respective set shots.
25:44
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Errol Gulden)
26:57
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Will Hayward)
29:47
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jake Riccardi)
29:56
The Giants have scored 4.1 (25) from just six inside 50s this quarter - a goals per inside 50 conversion of 66%. They scored a goal from 23.6% of their inside 50s last season.
30:12
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Tim Taranto)
31:15
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tim Taranto)
32:44
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
33:49
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jarrod Brander)
34:42
It was an entertaining, free-flowing, and high-scoring first half by both sides. 10.7 (67) for the Giants is their best ever score to half-time against the Swans. Conversely, 9.4 (58) from Sydney is their fourth-best score against the Giants to half-time.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
02:25
Sydney was a very strong third-quarter side in 2021. They outscored their opposition by 120 points throughout the Home and Away season - ranked third.
03:07
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Bobby Hill)
05:00
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Luke Parker)
05:16
Luke Parker has kicked an opportunistic goal, his second of the match. Parker was the only Swan to win more than 22 disposals in their Elimination Final loss last year. His 34 disposals, 16 contested possessions, and eight clearances were comfortably most of any Swan.
06:45
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Stephen Coniglio)
08:23
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Logan McDonald)
08:45
After a slow first quarter, Lachie Whitfield has been prolific in the second and third quarters. He has collected 12 disposals at 92% efficiency, and his 269 metres gained is the most of any player in this timeframe.
11:35
The Giants have been able to limit the uncontested ball-use by the Swans, leading them in uncontested possessions,119 to 93. The Swans won an average of 22 more uncontested possessions than their opposition last season per game - the second-best differential in the AFL.
12:02
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jarrod Brander)
13:31
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Braeden Campbell)
17:35
Since quarter-time, the Swans lead time in forward half 60% to 40%. The Giants have ranked in the bottom-4 for time in forward half differential for the last two seasons.
18:10
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Tim Taranto)
18:53
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Sam Wicks)
19:46
GWS Giants played on immediately after a mark 24% of the time during the 2021 premiership season – ranked 16th. They have moved the ball even slower today, playing on immediately from just nine percent of their marks.
22:21
The ball movement for the Swans has opened up in the third quarter. They have generated an inside 50 from 60% of their defensive 50 chains, with both goals this quarter being launched from their defensive half. In the first half, the Swans could only manage an inside 50 from 13% of their defensive 50 possession chains.
23:31
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Luke Parker)
24:46
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Rushed)
26:17
Stephen Coniglio is now up to 14 disposals - matching his 2021 season average. Coniglio averaged career-lows for disposals and contested possesions (seven) last season, as well as averaging his fewest tackles (four) and clearances (four) since 2013.
27:30
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Rushed)
29:24
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Luke Parker)
30:39
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Luke Parker)
31:52
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
32:01
A late goal to Luke Parker, his fourth goal for the match, sees Sydney lead at the final break by six points. This is just the third occassion in Parker's 236th AFL game that he has scored four or more goals in a match. His career-best haul is five goals (Round 17, 2015 v Geelong).
32:03
The siren has sounded to end Q3.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:42
Sydney led at the final break on 14 occasions last season, winning 13 of these matches. The Giants have only won four times when trailing at three-quarter time in the past four seasons.
02:45
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Luke Parker)
04:40
Luke Parker has now kicked an equal-career best five goals, despite playing just 43% of his time on ground in the forward line. Parker played just 8% of his time on ground last season as a forward.
05:02
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
07:09
The highest-scoring game between the Giants and the Swans is 213 points (Round 16, 2013). The current combined score of 181 points is just 33 points away from surpassing this record.
09:01
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
09:53
Since the 13th minute mark of the third quarter, the Swans have kicked 6.4 (40) to 0.3 (3) for the Giants. In this time, the Swans also lead intercept marks eight to one, disposal efficiency 80% to 69%, and forward 50 groundballs 10 to three.
10:12
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Bobby Hill)
15:07
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Oliver Florent)
16:36
Oliver Florent has kicked his third goal of the match to extend Sydney's lead to a game-high 28 points. Three goals is a career-high for Florent, as is his 11 score involvements.
17:01
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jarrod Brander)
18:50
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Tim Taranto)
19:53
The contrasting accuracy in front of goal for the two sides in this final quarter has been telling. The Giants have scored 0.3 (3) from their shots, whilst Sydney's respective shots have yielded 4.0 (24). The Swans recorded a shot at goal accuracy of 52% in 2021 – ranked No.1.
22:52
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Callan Ward)
23:30
An interesting observation late in this match is the total number of interchanges made in play by each team. Sydney, who appears to be running the game out stronger, has made just 48 out of their allowed 75 interchange rotations whereas the Giants have made 68 out of their respective 75.
24:39
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Rushed)
29:12
Sydney's ball use has been high-class all night, recording a kicking efficiency of 71% for the match. Their accurate kicking was a feature of their game style last season. They averaged a kicking efficiency of 68%, putting them in the top four clubs for this stat.
29:31
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Xavier O'Halloran)
32:45
An impressive second-half sees the Swans runaway 20 point victors over their state rivals. The Swans converted 31% of their inside 50s in the second half into goals, compared to the Giants who could only manage a conversion of 13%.