Match

Sydney Swans vs Carlton

Commentary / 16 May 2025

Pre Game

00:00
The Blues have an average winning margin of 46 points – ranked second.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:58
Tonight, the Blues are without Tom De Koning. De Koning won an equal game-high 11 first possessions last round, finishing with seven clearances, 21 disposals, and a game-high seven inside 50s. They will look to Marc Pittonet to step up in his place.
03:33
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Patrick Cripps)
06:43
The Swans gave away seven 50-metre penalties last round – the most by any team since Round 1, 2022. They are an early recipient of a 50-metre penalty in tonight's match, however, Joel Amartey is unable to convert the opportunity in front of goal.
09:55
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Chad Warner)
11:56
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Harry McKay)
15:55
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Harry McKay)
16:30
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Joel Hamling)
19:39
Tom McCartin has played on Charlie Curnow twice over the last five seasons – conceding five and one goal in that order, with the most recent in the 2023 semi-final. McCartin has the job again tonight and is currently holding Curnow to zero disposals.
22:37
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
22:41
Sydney won the time in forward half differential by 15 minutes and 22 seconds last round – ranked No.1 and its best result since Round 1. It is struggling in that area tonight, losing the inside 50 count six to 16 thus far.
23:31
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Patrick Cripps)
24:45
James Jordon held Zach Merrett to a season-low 19 disposals last week. With Patrick Cripps securing two goals in the opening term tonight, Jordon may need to be deployed to the two-time Brownlow medallist.
26:07
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Charlie Curnow)
26:47
75% of play has been in Carlton's forward half. In the last 10 minutes, that figure is up to 82%.
28:08
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Will Hayward)
29:33
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Joel Amartey)
32:52
The Swans' rucks will need to come up with a solution around stoppages in the first break. Marc Pittonet and Harry McKay have combined for eight of the Blues' nine clearances in the first quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:29
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
03:09
Blues Interchange - Patrick Cripps off due to an injury.
05:38
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Corey Durdin)
06:53
Angus Sheldrick is starting to find his feet at the top level. He leads his side in disposals (10), tackles (five), and metres gained (224) thus far.
08:40
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
12:43
Nick Haynes averaged 6.5 marks per game in his first four matches for the Blues, they lost each match. Since then, the Blues have won four out of five games, and Haynes is averaging 10.6 marks in that time.
14:23
It has been a high-pressure quarter with Sydney leading the pressure factor 256 to 251.
16:18
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
17:25
Swans Interchange - Aaron Francis off due to an injury.
20:01
After having just 28% of player in its forward half in the first quarter, Sydney has regained control in the territory battle with 56% of play in its forward half this quarter.
21:05
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Justin McInerney)
21:49
Sydney has scored 19.1 points per game from forward half intercepts – ranked last. It led the AFL in that stat last season with 32.1 points per game. It has just one goal from a forward half intercept tonight.
24:26
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Francis Evans)
28:45
Carlton is currently losing the clearance count 15 to 24. Only six of its clearances have been produced by midfielders.
29:47
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Harry McKay)
31:15
The Swans have led on the scoreboard just 37% of the time this year – only Richmond, West Coast, and North Melbourne rank lower. The Swans have led for just two minutes in this match.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
04:44
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
05:07
Jack Silvagni finished with 17 disposals, four intercept marks, and a game-high 10 intercept possessions last round. His night ends early in this match.
05:41
Adam Saad is yet to lose a defensive one-on-one contest this season after losing a career-high 42.9% of contests last year.
07:24
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
08:13
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Charlie Curnow)
10:02
Carlton has scored from 41.9% of its inside 50s – ranked equal last alongside Sydney. It has 11 scores from 38 inside 50s in this match.
10:19
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Chad Warner)
11:12
After outscoring the Eagles and Kangaroos by 34 and 39 points in that order from clearances, the Blues have been outscored from that source in each of their last three games. In this match, both sides have scored 14 points from clearances.
17:43
Since the first quarter, the inside 50 count has a difference of just one, with the advantage going to Carlton. Sydney leads the contested possession count by 15 in this time, while Carlton leads the uncontested possession count by 14.
19:06
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Charlie Curnow)
20:00
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Francis Evans)
23:48
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Oliver Florent)
24:13
Sam Walsh had just 20 disposals when these sides met at the SCG in last year’s corresponding round – his lowest tally in eight career games against them. With just 13 disposals late in the third term, Walsh is on track to set a new personal low.
28:28
Carlton failed to launch a score from any of its defensive 50 chains last round for just the third time in the last five seasons. Tonight it has successfully kicked two goals that began in defensive 50.
29:22
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
30:32
At three-quarter time, Isaac Heeney has 29 disposals, 15 contested possessions and seven clearances. However, it has been his inability to finish that has hurt his performance. Heeney has a kicking efficiency of 36% and has kicked one goal and four behinds.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:23
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Joel Amartey)
01:09
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Brodie Grundy)
02:27
Brodie Grundy booted his first goal last week since Round 18 last season and was involved in a season-high eight scoring chains. He has another goal tonight to deliver Sydney the lead, alongside seven clearances and nine hitouts-to-advantage.
03:20
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Joel Amartey)
03:30
Chad Warner has nine score involvements, consistently showing all night that he can take the ball off the line of play and find targets inside 50.
07:41
Carlton has put four shots at goal out on the full in this match.
08:22
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (James Jordon)
09:11
In the last four rounds, the Swans have scored from 29.7% of their kicks into the forward 50 – ranked 17th. Tonight, they have seven scores from 30 kicks inside 50.
10:05
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Peter Ladhams)
11:02
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Sam Wicks)
12:52
SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
15:54
Carlton is losing the uncontested possession count by 12 in this final quarter. Displaying its inability to chain up and move the ball as a collective.
17:05
Since Round 5, Carlton has outscored its opposition by 21.6 points per game from intercept possessions – ranked No.1. It has scored 13 points less from turnovers in this match than Sydney.
17:49
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Charlie Curnow)
18:55
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Braeden Campbell)
22:21
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
24:53
In the last 10 minutes, the territory battle has been relatively even, with 52% of play in Carlton's forward half.
25:09
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Isaac Heeney)
28:34
SCORE GOAL - Swans (Joel Amartey)
28:59
Blues Interchange - Jordan Boyd off due to an injury.
29:53
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
30:51
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Sam Walsh)
30:58
Sydney managed just six marks in its forward 50 in this game. However, its dominance out of the stoppage was a major factor in creating territory with a 13-clearance advantage in the match. This followed on from just 28% of play in Sydney's forward half during the first quarter.