One of the difficult things about assessing teams early in the season is knowing when to forget about your expectations and trust your eyes. Round 2 is too soon to throw all of the preseason work out the window, but there were still things to learn from Round 1. The Swans got outmuscled by the Dogs for a half until Luke Parker flexed his and got his team back in the game. Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share Too much is left to too few in the Sydney midfield, with Parker and Josh Kennedy carrying an unhealthy load. Jake Lloyd is a fine player and was among their best in Round 1, but does most of his work on the outside and behind centre – as he should. The two names commonly linked as the leaders of the Sydney midfield’s Generation Next are Isaac Heeney and Callum Mills. John Longmire has been reluctant to move Mills from the backline. In his 56 games he has just 35 clearances. A midfield shift appears unlikely. Heeney presents a greater conundrum. Lance Franklin looked well off the pace against the Bulldogs, leaving Heeney as the Swans’ most dangerous forward. Advertisement Advertisement With Geelong recruit Dan Menzel out of action for a good while yet, we should expect Heeney to continue to spend at least as much time forward as he does in the middle. It leaves Sydney uncharacteristically thin around the ball, an area the Crows will expect to exploit with Rory Sloane, Bryce Gibbs and the Brothers Crouch. Much like it’s strange for the Swans to have questions over their midfield, the biggest concerns on the Crows coming out of Round 1 are on their forward line. Josh Jenkins was a non-factor and Taylor Walker looked rigid and robotic. At his best, Tex hits the ball hard on the lead and then equally hard with one of the best boots in modern footy. At his worst, he can’t get separation and can’t impact when the ball hits the deck. It’s been a while since we saw his best. Perhaps the Crows were worked out by a mastermind coach who had weeks to concoct a plan that would negate their spread, or perhaps Father Time has come for them. Advertisement Advertisement The last time these sides met was in Round 5 last seasons and like tonight, the game was played at the SCG. Despite being without Eddie Betts, Sloane and the Crouches, Adelaide pulled off an ten-point upset win. Rory Laird grabbed the three Brownlow votes thanks to 30 disposals, five rebound-50s and five inside-50s. The third Rory – Atkins – had 24 touches and three goals, and Walker was the game’s high goalscorer with four. Jarrad McVeigh was among the Swans’ best in a losing side with 26 touches and seven inside-50s. The 33-year-old remains one of his team’s most important players. He’s never had a lot of pace and has even less of it now, but he’s poised with ball in hand and one of the competition’s best kicks. Kennedy and Parker combined for just 30 touches last time these teams met. That won’t get it done tonight. Both sides have made a couple of changes. The Swans bring in Ben Ronke, who will give his side a handy goalkicking threat as well as important tackling pressure, and Irish fourth-gamer Colin O’Riordan. They come in at the expense of the omitted Jordan Dawson and the injured Heath Grundy, who would have been fortunate to keep his spot if healthy after a stinker in Round 1. Advertisement Advertisement The Crows made a pair of forced changes. Interceptor Tom Doedee is done for the year with an ACL injury and veteran ball-winner Richard Douglas is out for more than a month with a serious ankle injury. Paul Seedsman comes in to provide some dash and Kyle Hartigan as a defensive pillar. Just how they try to replace Doedee’s intercepting – which replaced Jake Lever’s intercepting – will be interesting. Alex Keath could be freed up by Hartigan’s inclusion, or perhaps they could turn to a smaller player such as Laird or even Gibbs, who has shown in the past he’s more than capable in the defensive third and would add another damaging ball user out of defence. Last week showed what a futile exercise tipping winners can be, but I’m not yet ready to write off the Crows despite a poor first-up effort. I think Adelaide will get up by a couple of goals. That’s my Friday night forecast. What’s yours?<doc-sep>Adelaide has produced a strong second half to open its 2019 account with a 26-point win over Sydney at the SCG. Key points: Adelaide iced the win by kicking three of the last four goals in the final quarter Adelaide iced the win by kicking three of the last four goals in the final quarter Sydney struggled again with scoring and it has only kicked 15 goals across the opening two rounds Sydney struggled again with scoring and it has only kicked 15 goals across the opening two rounds Lance Franklin topped the goal kicking list, with three majors for the match The Crows booted six goals to two after half-time and broke the match open in the third quarter, kicking 3.5 to 0.4 on their way to a 12.16 (88) to 8.14 (62) victory. Adelaide was more efficient in hitting its forward targets against a Swans side that has kicked just 15 goals in their first two matches. Sydney kicked five goals in the second quarter, but paid a costly price for not applying more scoreboard pressure in the others. Loading... Bryce Gibbs, Brad and Matt Crouch and Rory Sloane and Wayne Milera all got plenty of ball for the Crows, with Josh Jenkins, David Mackay and Riley Knight each kicking two goals. Sydney's Lance Franklin kicked a match-high three goals, including two from close to the boundary line. The first quarter on Friday was almost a carbon copy of the same term against Western Bulldogs in Melbourne last Saturday night. Sydney again kicked the first goal and Adelaide emulated the Bulldogs by slamming on the next four to make the score 4.2 (29) to 1.2 (8), the same as it was after one quarter at Docklands. The highlight was a monster goal to Paul Seedsman from close to 60 metres, as Adelaide racked up 13 more contested possessions in the first quarter. Loading Nick Blakey goaled within 60 seconds of the restart and his senior forward colleague Franklin started to exert influence after a quiet first term in which he touched the ball just three times. He kicked two goals, with Sydney booting three of the last four majors of the quarter to trail by just four points at half-time. A classic arm wrestle in the third quarter produced nine straight behinds before successive goals to Tom Lynch and Eddie Betts gave the Crows a match-high 23-point lead at the last break. Loading... Sydney could not get the deficit below 17 in the last quarter, with Adelaide kicking three of the last four goals to round off a much more consistent effort than the one it produced in its opening round loss to Hawthoirn. Josh Kennedy tallied a match-high 36 touches for the Swans. AFL ladder Loading... AAP/ABC<doc-sep>Zak Butters starred in Port Adelaide's win over Carlton — just Jack Watts suffered an injury. If you thought the performance of Port Adelaide’s young guns in Round 1 was a fluke, think again. The Power’s 2018 off-season strategy — going hard at the first round of the draft — was confusing for many, especially after recruiting ready-made talent from rival clubs 12 months prior. But for the second straight week, the Power’s teenage talent showed they’re not just potential AFL stars, they could also have a major say in how far their team goes in 2019. Stream Port Adelaide v Carlton on KAYO SPORTS. Live & anytime in HD. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly > All three of Port’s 2018 first-round draftees — Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma — played crucial roles on Saturday night in their team’s hard-fought 16-point victory over the Blues, 13.10 (88) to Carlton 11.6 (72). But the win might have come at a serious cost for the Power, with defender Jack Watts appearing to suffer a serious lower leg injury late in the game, prompting fears for his season. Watts was caught holding the ball during the Power’s thrilling clash with Carlton on Saturday afternoon. But as he fell to the ground, his leg was awkwardly trapped underneath him. As teammates and opponents came to console Watts, he was taken off on a stretcher. On top of that, the Power also lost utility Karl Amon to a game-ending knee injury in the opening quarter. It was a sour note for the Power, whose teenagers showed maturity beyond their years. All of Butters (one goal, 20 disposals), Duursma (23 disposals, nine marks) and Willem Drew (24 disposals and five tackles) had a significant impact through the guts. They provided excellent support for their experienced teammates in Tom Rockliff (37 disposals) and Travis Boak (33), who showed they’re over their 2018 blues and prepared to have a big impact in 2019. Willem Drew of Port Adelaide stood up against Patrick Cripps’ Carlton. Source: Getty Images Carlton also had its injury issues, with star Charlie Curnow hobbling off in the first quarter. He damaged his right knee while attempting to change direction and couldn’t return for the game. The Blues were gallant in defeat but ultimately paid a hefty price for a second-term slumber. After a stunning first-term blitz from the Blues, the Power settled in the second term, registering 17 inside 50s to eight and booting four unanswered goals to take the lead at half-time. Two of those goals came via the club’s top 2019 draft pick Rozee, who had six disposals and an involvement in two other scores in the second term. Rozee would finish the game with 18 disposals. “He was the best player on the ground in the second term,” St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt told Fox Footy. “He did some things in that first half where he just looked like a 100-game player. They’ve been really well rewarded the Power by playing their young stars early in the season.” Port’s pressure on the Carlton ball-carriers, led by Travis Boak, was particularly exceptional after quarter-time. They pressured the Blues into dump kicks and fumbled handballs. “We’re getting the Port of old — and it’s fantastic to watch,” three-time premiership forward Cameron Mooney told Fox Footy. Carlton mustered just two behinds in the second stanza as the Power piled on four unanswered goals for a 19-point half-time advantage. That lead rapidly disappeared in the third quarter as Carlton rallied with four- consecutive goals — including two from recruit Mitch McGovern — to hit the front. McGovern’s first goal came via an inspirational tackle, that caught Butters holding the ball. Get the ultimate AFL experience on your phone with the FOX FOOTY App. Download it NOW for FREE on iOS and Android! “Now you want a team-lifting tackle … he has just destroyed his opponent in a tackle — that is the way to do it,” legendary Hawthorn goalkicker Jason Dunstall told Fox Footy. “Use that tackle as the textbook for anyone trying to tackle. He turns him as he tackles him, gets him low so there’s no chance of high contact. He gets him low and he spins, no push in the back, no high contact … it is the perfect tackle.” In a tremendous sign of the future for Blues fans, young trio Sam Walsh, Zac Fisher and Paddy Dow accumulated one-quarter of their team’s third-term disposals and one-third of their contested possessions. But Port’s impressive newcomer Butters goaled late to give the home side a three-point buffer at the last change. Sam Petrevski-Seton of the Blues handballs past Xavier Duursma of Port Adelaide/ Source: Getty Images The Power, before 41,522 spectators, made the perfect start only 20 seconds into the final quarter when Brad Ebert soccered his third goal. But, after Watts’ injury, it wasn’t until two late goals from Steven Motlop (three for the match) that the Power finally shook off Carlton. The winless Blues were served superbly by co-captain Patrick Cripps, who had 32 disposals, 12 clearances and seven tackles. McGovern and forward partner Harry McKay kicked two goals apiece and backman Jacob Weitering expertly shut down Port’s milestone man Justin Westhoff. Westhoff, in his 250th AFL game, was held goalless after kicking five majors in Port’s opening-round triumph against Melbourne. Re-live Port Adelaide v Carlton in our live blog below. If you can’t see the blog, tap here!<doc-sep>Eddie McGuire won’t be calling the Essendon vs St Kilda match. Photo: Michael Klein Eddie McGuire has stepped aside from his Fox Footy commentary duties for Saturday afternoon’s clash between Essendon and St Kilda. McGuire made some comments about the coin toss before Friday night’s game between Sydney Swans and Adelaide Crows. The pre-match ritual was done by the Sydney Swans’ No. 1 ticket holder and double amputee Cynthia Banham. Live stream the 2019 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on KAYO SPORTS. Every match of every round. Live & anytime on your TV or favourite device. Get your 14 day free trial > McGuire said he’d opted not to call Saturday’s match and had made an unreserved apology to all parties. “Out of respect for Cynthia Banham and the Sydney Swans, I have requested not to call today’s game between Essendon and St Kilda,” McGuire said in a statement. “I am deeply sorry and regretful for the comments I made last night about the coin tossing system. I should never have spoken without properly viewing the footage. “I unreservedly apologise to Cynthia, her family and the Sydney Football Club for the pain and hurt that my comments have caused.” Collingwood President Eddie McGuire. Photo: Nicole Garmston Source: News Corp Australia McGuire also apologised at half-time on Friday to Banham her family friends, Swans supporters and viewers. Fox Sports supported McGuire’s decision and expressed its sincere apology over the incident. “Following comments Eddie McGuire made about coin tossing during last night’s coverage of the Sydney v Adelaide game, Eddie has requested not to call today’s game. We support this decision,” Head of Fox Sports Peter Campbell said. “We are disappointed with the comments made and we deeply apologise to Cynthia, her family and the Sydney Football Club.” The Swans issued a statement after the SCG clash won by the Crows. “The Sydney Swans are incredibly disappointed by inappropriate comments made tonight by Eddie McGuire,’ it said. “The comments show not only a lack of empathy, but also ignorance. “Cynthia Banham is a passionate Sydney Swans member, our number one ticket holder, and a courageous woman who is an inspiration to all of us at the club.” — with AAP Get the ultimate AFL experience on your phone with the FOX FOOTY App. Download it NOW for FREE on iOS and Android!<doc-sep>
Lance Franklin of the Swans looks dejected. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) When Sydney closed to within four points at half-time of their clash with Adelaide, there looked room for optimism. After all, Adelaide had been wasteful with its opportunities going inside 50, while Lance Franklin had sprung to life with a typically delightful second term. The Swans kicked just one goal to half-time in last week’s loss to the Western Bulldogs. After a low-scoring first term, they piled on five goals in the second quarter to thrust themselves back into the equation. Stream Sydney Swans v Adelaide Crows on KAYO SPORTS. Live & anytime in HD. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly > But it would prove to be an anomaly in the context of the match. And in the second half, they managed just two majors, compared to Adelaide’s six. Once again, it raised the issue that has confronted the Swans in recent times: their struggles in keeping the pace when teams crank up the scoring pressure. The Swans were ranked 12th in the competition for points for in 2018, averaging 83 points. Across their two games in 2019, they’ve kicked 65 and 62 points. “Conditions looked pretty slippery there at different stages,” Dunstall said. “But if you’re Adelaide, you’re just going to the SCG trying to come away with four points. So mission accomplished for them. “My concern … for Sydney, and it has been this way for years, is their inability to kick winning scores. “Yes, they’re very good defensively and they can often keep teams to a modest score but they can’t kick more than a modest score themselves.” Taylor Walker celebrates. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/AFL Media/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images As for Adelaide, who scrapped their way through the second half for a much-needed victory, it was a well-earned, crucial four points. “Sometimes you’ve just got to win ugly and that’s what Adelaide did tonight,” Riewoldt said. “It wasn’t the prettiest showcase of football, both teams squandered a lot of opportunities really. “But Adelaide just possessed a lttle bit more class, a little bit more system, won more ball out of the midfield and won the territory battle, which meant they had more opportunities to score and got across the line.” Here’s how the game played out, via AAP Adelaide have produced strong second half to open their AFL win account for the year with a 26-point win over a struggling Sydney side at the SCG. The Crows booted six goals to two after half-time and broke the game open in the third quarter, kicking 3.5 to 0.4 on their way to a 12.16 (88) to 8.14 (62) victory. Adelaide were more efficient in hitting their forward targets against a Swans side which has kicked just 15 goals in their first two games. Sydney kicked five goals in the second quarter, but paid a costly price for not applying more scoreboard pressure in the others. Bryce Gibbs, Brad and Matt Crouch and Rory Sloane and Wayne Milera all got plenty of ball for the Crows, with Josh Jenkins, David Mackay and Riley Knight each kicking two goals Sydney’s Lance Franklin kicked a match-high three goals, including two from close to the boundary line. Lance Franklin had his moments. Picture. Phil Hillyard Source: News Corp Australia The first quarter on Friday was almost a carbon copy of the same term against Western Bulldogs in Melbourne last Saturday. Sydney again kicked the first goal and Adelaide emulated the Bulldogs by slamming on the next four to make the score 4.2 (29) to 1.2 (8), the same as it was after one quarter at Marvel Stadium. The highlight was a monster goal to Paul Seedsman from close to 60 metres, as Adelaide racked up 13 more contested possessions in the first quarter. Nick Blakey goaled within 60 seconds of the restart and his senior forward colleague Franklin started to exert influence after a quiet first term in which he touched the ball just three times. He kicked two goals, with Sydney booting three of the last four majors of the quarter to trail by just four points at halftime. A classic arm wrestle in the third quarter produced nine straight behinds before successive goals to Tom Lynch and Eddie Betts gave the Crows a match-high 23-point lead at the last break.