'A long way off': Major questions raised over Sydney's premiership credentials after SCG meltdown against Bulldogs (2024)

FULL TIME: Hawthorn 19.10 (124) def. Adelaide 8.10 (58)

By Chris De Silva

Hawthorn's once-unlikely charge towards a first AFL finals berth in six years continues to gather steam after an emphatic 66-point win over Adelaide on their home turf.

Sam Mitchell's charges had an 0-5 start to the season but are now 11-8 and just percentage outside the top eight after their 19.10 (124) to 8.10 (58) win at the Adelaide Oval.

After Josh Rachele kicked Adelaide's sixth for the day early in the second term, Hawthorn piled on 13 unanswered goals to record an ominous thumping.

Hawthorn also kept the Crows goalless for almost all of the entire second half until the home side kicked two consolation goals in the last four minutes of the match.

Smooth-moving midfielder Will Day was prolific for the Hawks, excelling from the opening whistle alongside the superb Connor Macdonald (28 disposals, two goals).

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Jarman Impey and Karl Amon delivered plenty of drive and quality footskills off half-back while Jai Newcome provided grunt.

Skipper James Sicily celebrated his 150th game with three goals while Mabior Chol (two goals, seven marks) grew better as the match went on.

They were among 11 individual goalkickers for Hawthorn, including Nick Watson (two goals), Newcombe (two), Calsher Dear (two), Macdonald (two), Jack Ginnivan and Luke Breust.

Taylor Walker kicked three goals for Adelaide, while Jake Soligo (30 disposals), Lachlan Sholl (29) and Rory Laird (29) fought hard around the ball.

Adelaide's Max Michalanney is likely to attract match review officer scrutiny for a scuffle in which he appeared to shove Watson's head into the ground several times.

The typically energetic Hawks snagged three of the game's first four goals, with evergreen veteran Breust kicking two.

Adelaide youngster Billy Dowling thought he had toe-poked the Crows in front late in the term but the ball was ruled to have come off his knee.

Then, Riley Thilthorpe gave Adelaide a six-point lead at the first change.

The second term was a see-sawing affair, highlighted by a wonderful sidestep and goal on the run from Day, as the Hawks nudged out to a 15-point lead at halftime.

Hawthorn then added four more goals to extend their lead to 30 points at three-quarter time.

In the final quarter, the Crows appeared out on their feet while the Hawks kept coming, racking up six more goals to turn the game into a thrashing.

Luckless Hawthorn defender Changkuoth Jiath came off sore late in the game.

Hawthorn next face tough tests against GWS in Canberra and Carlton at the MCG, followed by clashes with cellar dwellars Richmond (MCG) and North Melbourne (Launceston).

Adelaide, who sit 15th and out of finals contention, next play Geelong at Kardinia Park.

AAP

FULL TIME: Western Bulldogs 12.15 (87) def. Sydney 7.6 (48)

By Chris De Silva

The Western Bulldogs' AFL finals hopes are well and truly alive after they beat Sydney by 39 points to surge into the top eight.

Holding the ladder-leading Swans to just one point in the first quarter, the Bulldogs led at every break to claim a comprehensive 12.15 (87) to 7.6 (48) win in windy conditions at the SCG.

Inside the top eight for the first time since round six, Luke Beveridge's side have usurped Essendon to sit eighth on the ladder with four rounds of the home-and-away season left.

Sydney, for so long the premiership favourites, have now lost four of their last five games and face a growing injury list.

Already missing livewire forward Tom Papley, defensive veteran Dane Rampe and midfielders Justin Rowbottom and Justin McInerney, the Swans will be sweating on the fitness of Lewis Melican and Will Hayward after Sunday's heavy defeat.

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Key defender Melican was subbed out with a right hamstring injury in the second quarter before star goalkicker Hayward went to the rooms with an ankle injury in the final term.

Hayward had already aggravated his ankle in Sydney's two-point loss to Brisbane last round.

Key defender Liam Jones (11 intercept possessions) was outstanding for the Bulldogs after making a speedy recovery from a knee injury, while usual stars Adam Treloar — with a game-high 40 possessions — Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (four goals) and Tom Liberatore (22 possessions, eight clearances) shone in their roles.

The visitors brought the heat from the first siren in front of a 36,028-strong crowd, kicking five goals to Sydney's one behind in the opening term to build a 34-point lead.

Will Hayward opened the scoring in the second term for the Swans with a bouncing shot at goal before Hayden McLean added another but a forced reshuffle of their defence following Melican's injury allowed the Bulldogs to reclaim any lost ground.

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Swans key forward Logan McDonald was thrown down back as Ugle-Hagan inflicted more pain with two goals alongside Lachie McNeil's one major in the third term.

In the end, the hosts were emphatically outworked in the contest despite the efforts of Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Errol Gulden, trailing on clearances 30 to 40, on inside-50s by 47 to 61, and 135 to 162 for contested possessions.

Defender Matt Roberts was a shining light for the Swans, kicking one goal, taking 36 touches and 10 intercept possessions.

Sydney will next face fellow premiership contenders Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, while the Western Bulldogs return to their Docklands Stadium home against Melbourne.

AAP

A look at the ladder after Round 20

By Chris De Silva

A big weekend of movement in the AFL ladder! Here's how the top eight looks now that Round 20 is officially in the books.

  1. 1.Sydney Swans - 56 pts, 136.9%
  2. 2.Brisbane Lions - 50 pts, 120.1%
  3. 3.Fremantle - 50 pts, 117.8%
  4. 4.Carlton - 48 pts, 112.9%
  5. 5.GWS Giants - 48 pts, 111.6%
  6. 6.Geelong - 48 pts, 109.1%
  7. 7.Port Adelaide - 48 pts, 106.7%
  8. 8.Western Bulldogs - 44 pts, 119.8%

Full-time stats from the Adelaide Oval

By Chris De Silva

A comprehensive win from Hawthorn tonight and the final stats tell a real story. Here's how the main stats from the match panned out at the final siren.

  • Disposals: Hawthorn 363-307
  • Inside 50s: Hawthorn 58-41
  • Clearances: Adelaide 40-35
  • Centre Clearances: Hawthorn 15-9
  • Contested Possessions: Adelaide 142-134
  • Tackles Inside 50: Hawthorn 16-5

Here are the top three players on the ground according to the AFL's rankings. Incredibly, all three were on the losing side.

  1. 1.Lachie Sholl (ADEL): 29 disposals, seven marks, 377m gained
  2. 2.Reilly O'Brien (ADEL): 14 disposals, 46 hitouts, three clearances
  3. 3.Rory Laird (ADEL): 29 disposals, seven clearances, five score involvements

Key Event

FT: Hawks continue blistering form with massive win

By Chris De Silva

Hawthorn has cemented its status as one of the AFL's most in-form teams with a commanding 66-point win over Adelaide.

This game was well and truly in the balance at half-time, but Hawthorn split the game wide open with a run of 13 consecutive majors.

Ten goals to two in the second half Hawthorn's way, what a blistering performance that was.

Hawks now up to ninth and are only out of the top eight on percentage. What a remarkable turnaround it's been after starting the season 0-5.

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Crows finally on the board in the second half

By Chris De Silva

Adelaide has narrowly avoided an unwanted slice of history!

Taylor Walker kicks his third goal of the night with just a few minutes left as Adelaide avoids its first scoreless second half in club history.

Fallout from explosive Western Derby revealed

By Chris De Silva

Nat Fyfe, Jack Petrucelle and Jack Hutchinson have all received one-match suspensions from the MRO after last night's Derby.

An incredible EIGHTEEN separate charges handed down from the MRO. Don't think I've ever seen that.

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Ginnivan barks at the Adelaide crowd after another goal

By Chris De Silva

Jack Ginnivan wheels around on his right foot and snaps it through and lets the Adelaide crowd know all about it!

This is now Hawthorn's highest-scoring second half in Adelaide ever.

They've kicked 13 unanswered goals and Adelaide is in danger of recording its first goalless half in club history.

It's been an absolute belting after half-time.

Chol's unselfishness sets up MacDonald goal

By Chris De Silva

Brilliant stuff from Mabior Chol here, and it's symbolic of how much this team is playing for one another.

Chol has a set shot from 50m out and would've had every right to go back and have a shot.

However, he realises Connor MacDonald is free a little closer to goal and dishes it off and MacDonald goes back and slots it.

MacDonald becomes the sixth Hawthorn player to have multiple goals today.

Sicily becomes Hawthorn's latest goalscorer

By Chris De Silva

A hacked kick away from Chayce Jones lands in the lap of Hawthorn captain James Sicily.

Sicily goes back and slots the set shot from 45m out straight through the middle and unfurls his own celebration with Mabior Chol.

Geez, these Hawks are good watch aren't they? Hawthorn now out to a 59-point lead.

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Chol adds to Hawks lead after monster grab

By Chris De Silva

The Hawthorn onslaught continues in this second half!

Mabior Chol skies above everyone to take a big contested mark in the goalsquare and he kicks his second goal of the match.

Hawthorn has six answered goals in this second half. Adelaide just haven't thrown a punch.

Breust subbed off by Hawks with game in the bag

By Chris De Silva

Sam Mitchell taking a page out of Craig McRae's book here as he subs Luke Breust off.

The Hawks veteran put on ice after kicking two goals in the opening quarter.

Finn Maginness comes on as his replacement.

Key Event

3QT: Hawthorn steaming towards top eight spot

By Chris De Silva

Hawthorn is one quarter away from drawing ever closer to the top eight.

An incredibly impressive quarter from Sam Mitchell's charges, one where they kicked four unanswered goals to put this result virtually beyond doubt.

We've seen stranger things happen before, so you can't fully count Adelaide out, but it would take something pretty special from here.

Connor MacDonald and Will Day leading the way for the Hawks with 19 and 18 disposals, respectively.

Nick Watson, Jai Newcombe and Luke Breust are the multiple goalkickers for the Hawks, who have 10 different goalkickers.

Hawks double up Crows after Newcombe's goal

By Chris De Silva

Jai Newcombe makes no mistake on his set shot, and this lead has ballooned out to 43 points in favour of Hawthorn.

The Hawks have 17 inside 50s to seven in this quarter. Hawthorn has also gained approximately 600m more this quarter, showing that they've been far more pro-active with their ball movement.

Answering the big Bevo question

By Chris De Silva

Is Kane Cornes still calling for Bevo to go? 🤪

- Paddle wheel Pete

Kane was certainly one of many calling for Luke Beveridge's head when the Dogs stumbled out of the gate.

It must be said though, this run has come when he stopped making bizarre selection calls like not playing Bailey Dale, for example.

This Dogs list has so much talent, and I guess that's why experts were frustrated that Beveridge had perhaps not done more with the players he has at his disposal.

Hawthorn's pressure off the charts in the third

By Chris De Silva

It's no surprise that Hawthorn has been able to put a gap between themselves and Adelaide in this quarter.

The Hawks' pressure rating is at an incredible 210 at the moment, they've been swarming.

It's been the pressure and the transition that has killed the Crows in this quarter.

Only one of Adelaide's 14 defensive half chains has resulted in an inside 50 this term.

On the flip side, the Hawks have had six of their 10 defensive half chains result in inside 50s, with three of those also leading to goals.

Key Event

FT: Ugle-Hagan stars as Bulldogs stun Swans

By Chris De Silva

A terrific win for the Western Bulldogs, who run out 39-point winners over the Swans at the SCG.

How about this for a three-game winning streak for the Dogs? They've beaten Carlton at the Docklands, Geelong at Kardinia Park and now the Swans in Sydney.

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was outstanding for the Dogs, finishing with four goals, while Adam Treloar racked up 40 disposals.

The Bulldogs were dominant from start to finish and in the end, the final margin probably flattered the Swans a little bit, who had a dirty, dirty afternoon.

This shot on goal from Swans star Isaac Heeney in the final quarter summed up the ladder-leaders' horrid afternoon.

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Crows unravelling as the Wizard strikes

By Chris De Silva

The natives are RESTLESS!

Hawthorn has gotten away with one there, Mabior Chol was trapped cold in a tackle and dropped the ball, but the umpires waved play on.

The ball eventually ends up in the hands of Nick Watson, who kicks his second of the evening and suddenly this lead is out to 35 points.

Hawthorn has the last 10 scores of this match.

Ginnivan joins the party as Hawks kick away

By Chris De Silva

Jack Ginnivan had been curiously quiet in the first half, but you can't keep the Hawks livewire out of it for long.

Another goal which began from the defensive half as the Hawks continue to slice the Crows open in transition.

Ginnivan marks the ball completely uncontested 30m out and decides to play on and snaps it through for his first of the match.

'A long way off': Major questions raised over Sydney's premiership credentials after SCG meltdown against Bulldogs (2024)
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