BRAGGING RIGHTS TO SWANS

The Swans claimed the spoils in the Sydney derby last night, hammering the Giants at Optus Stadium

SYDNEY delivered a hammer-blow to their crosstown rivals’ premiership credentials, thumping Greater Western Sydney by 41 points at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Thursday night.

The Giants’ horror show leaves the 2019 grand finalists at risk of missing the finals, continuing their seesawing season with a 10.6 (66) to 3.7 (25) loss in Sydney Derby 19.

They now risk falling out of the top eight by the end of round 12 after kicking just three goals – all from free kicks – and finishing with the equal lowest score in their history, matching last year’s grand final total against Richmond.

The young and hungry Swans produced their best in a big night for the club’s next generation, piling on four unanswered goals in the last quarter as an exclamation mark on a commanding win.

It’s hard to know what GWS team will show up week to week this season.

On Thursday night, in the words of captain Stephen Coniglio,

we got the “hopeless” Giants.

They were walloped at the coalface in the first quarter, losing the clearances 16-6, and by half time they had 52 fewer disposals as star midfielders Lachie Whitfield (six disposals) and Tim Taranto (five) struggled to get involved. As poor as the Giants’ ball-use was going into attack, their key forwards were not imposing and Finlayson and Cameron combined for two of three goals.