Sydney coach Dean Cox looks at the ladder and knows a finals berth is mathematically impossible, but he won’t let the Swans give up on ending their season on a high.
The tenth-placed Swans had to beat cross-city rivals GWS to keep their slim post-season hopes alive and looked primed to do so when they built a 35-point lead before the main break.
But the Giants stormed away with a sensational third-quarter performance to set up a 44-point win.
The visitors had slotted six straight goals in the opening half despite losing key forward Hayden McLean (concussion) early.
In the second, they kicked just one through Justin McInerney and notched a total of eight points.
Sydney’s usual stars struggled to fire against the relentless pressure of the Orange Tsunami.
After a best-on-ground performance against North Melbourne, Sydney superstar Isaac Heeney was kept to just 22 disposals and two clearances.
While Errol Gulden had 32 touches, Chad Warner had just 19.
Swans livewire Tom Papley, on return from a hamstring injury, kicked just one goal in the opening half and was kept to three touches in the second.
Finn Callaghan celebrates a goal. (Photo by Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
“We played the footy we did in the first half with the same team (as in the second half),” Cox said.
“The disappointing part was the second half and the way we played, but we need to make sure we fight this year out as well as we possibly can.
“We understand that it’s probably mathematically impossible to make the finals, but we’re going to have a throw at the stumps as long as we possibly can.”
Further spice was added to the contest at half time when GWS captain Toby Greene called Swans livewire Tom Papley “overweight” in a mid-game interview with Fox Footy.
Papley had made a point of celebrating his first major on return from a hamstring by making a beeline to Greene in the second quarter.
“Nah, it’s always a good bit of fun,” Greene said with a grin.
Kingsley, who described his withering half time spray as delivering “reminders”, doesn’t expect Greene to be sanctioned for the halftime comment.
It comes after Brisbane veteran Dayne Zorko received a $3000 fine for his foul-mouth tirade towards the officials bench last week.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was also fined $20,000 last year for goading Hawthorn players.
“I’d be pretty disappointed if he got fined,” Kingsley said.
“They’re (the players) trying to put each other off, and they’re doing it all within the rules, of course.
“Winners are grinners, and if you’re not, you move on.”
Greene’s halftime antics come after a quiet week – uncharacteristically devoid of banter, at least from the Giants – between the cross-city rivals.
“We don’t need to be winning any verbal battles. We need to be winning the physical battle out in the field,” Kingsley said.
“In the past, we’ve had a bit of back and forth in the media stuff, but we don’t really need that.”
Left to mull over the end of their finals hopes, Sydney counterpart Dean Cox wouldn’t be drawn on Greene’s jibe to Papley.
“I don’t really listen to other players during half-time interviews. There’s always a bit of cheek,” Cox said.
“People, when they speak in the media, generally are really calculated to opposition players.
“Some players push the boundaries a little bit – Toby’s probably one of those.”
Sydney sit tenth (9-10) ahead of the weekend’s clashes, eight points behind Gold Coast (11-6).
The Western Bulldogs (11-8) are also on 44 points but sit eighth on percentage, while Fremantle are seventh on 48 points.
With just four rounds left, Sydney will need a miracle to make finals.
Sydney play a struggling Essendon (SCG) outfit first, before Brisbane (Gabba), Geelong (SCG) and West Coast (Optus Stadium).
Cox also expects Joel Hamling to miss out on game time after the defender suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter.
“One thing we need to do is to make sure that we can build as much as we possibly can towards the back end for pre-season and for next year,” Cox said.
“And every time I say to a player, every time you represent this football club in that jumper, you have to fight as hard as you possibly can to win games of footy.”
© AAP
