→Fri, 11 Sept, 8:10 pm, Final score, Dockers 120, Cats 106
120 106 →Sat, 12 Sept, 7:35 pm, Final score, Lions 144, Crows 91
144 91 →Fri, 18 Sept, 7:40 pm, Game not started, Swans versus Dockers
- - →Sat, 19 Sept, 5:15 pm, Game not started, Hawks versus Lions
- - →Sat, 26 Sept, 2:30 pm, Game not started, Winner of PF1 versus Winner of PF2
- - →
Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is an AFL midfield.
asserted
neither → start → day
But instant construction was seemingly the task for the Sydney Swans in the wake of suspending five key players after last month's post-match incident at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne.
asserted
construction → suspend → Melbourne
Sydney has gone from a league-average side across the middle to perhaps being the best.
asserted
Sydney → go → middle
This is despite losing three-time All-Australian Isaac Heeney, fellow superstar Chad Warner and premiership player James Jordon.
asserted
This → lose → Heeney
Two weeks ago, Sydney surprised the AFL by comprehensively beating reigning premiers Brisbane.
asserted
Sydney → surprise → Brisbane
That victory was largely driven by this makeshift force in the middle dynamically (and aggressively) moving the ball while protecting their defence.
asserted
victory → drive → defence
Instead of star power, the Swans are relying on structure and balance to drive them deeper into the finals.
asserted
Swans → rely → finals
The Swans have placed themselves firmly in the camp of the former.
asserted
Swans → place → former
In their first game after the suspensions, Sydney tried new combinations, testing them in real footy.
asserted
Sydney → try → footy
It was an indication coach Dean Cox was exploring how the available talent would fit the much-vaunted system, a message he had been preaching all year.
asserted
he → explore → message
"One thing we want to make sure is that we are a system-based team and role-focused team," Cox said of covering injuries to Heeney and Gulden in March.
asserted
Cox → want → March
Sydney relied heavily on Heeney, Warner and Jordon to drive their midfield engine.
asserted
Sydney → rely → engine
Those three accounted for about half of their midfield centre-bounce contributions, let alone their impact around the ground.
But that role focus may have made it easier to solve for replacing the suspended stars and perhaps finding a better balance along the way.
uncertain
it → account → way
If a team is too aggressive, it can be beaten back the other way in transition.
asserted
it → beat → transition
Too passive or defensive, and you can struggle for territory and scoreboard pressure.
As a result, replacing Heeney, Warner and Jordon required some lateral thinking.
asserted
replacing → struggle → thinking
Excluding ruck Brodie Grundy, arguably the most important player is James Rowbottom.
asserted
player → exclude → Grundy
Shuffled in and out of different roles, Rowbottom's flexibility within and between games has become a strength.
asserted
flexibility → shuffle → games
"I just do what the team needs," Rowbottom told reporters ahead of the qualifying final against the Lions.
"I sort of have done that for the last eight years or so.
asserted
I → do → years
My role's been ever-changing this year.
asserted
role → change → ?
"I've played a lot of half-forward, a lot of midfield, a bit of wing."
asserted
I → play → wing
However, Rowbottom does his best work hunting the ball, and his opponent, at the bottom of packs and contests.
asserted
Rowbottom → do → packs
Rowbottom sits sixth all-time for tackles per game.
asserted
Rowbottom → sit → game
In the past fortnight, he has applied the clamps with 56 pressure acts over the two games, which is a league-leading rate.
asserted
which → apply → games
He's unafraid to do the dirty work to make his teammates look better.
asserted
teammates → do → work
However, two injury-struck years dulled his star.
asserted
years → strike → star
It took just a month and a half for that supernova to reignite.
asserted
supernova → take → month
Since their round-20 win over cross-town rivals GWS, Gulden has quickly re-emerged as Sydney's attacking focal point.
asserted
Gulden → re → point
Few see angles and hit potential kicks on the field better than Gulden.
asserted
Few → see → Gulden
As a result, the Swans look to get the ball into Gulden's hands more often than any other player in the league.
asserted
Swans → look → league
Gulden doesn't just blaze away.
asserted
Gulden → blaze → ?
He's second among midfielders and sixth overall for retained metres gained, normally the specialty of defenders landing safer kicks.
asserted
He → retain → kicks
In every way, Gulden finds ways to advance the ball with threat.
asserted
Gulden → find → threat
Without Heeney and Warner, Gulden is getting even more opportunity with ball in hand.
asserted
Gulden → get → hand
This has improved their overall ball use and added more danger to their impressive attack.
asserted
This → improve → attack
Like all players, Gulden does have flaws.
asserted
Gulden → have → flaws
At just 175 centimetres tall, he can be muscled out and pushed off balance when unable to use his speed.
asserted
he → muscle → speed
It means his impact is best realised next to bigger bodies willing to do the hard yards.
asserted
impact → mean → yards
While Jai Serong made last year's VFL Team of the Year at Hawthorn, he was unable to crack the stellar Hawks defence or in a wing role.
asserted
he → make → role
Given this, few expected Serong to be thrown into the heart of the contest.
asserted
Serong → give → contest
But, in need of a defensive boost around contest and considering his aerobic ability, the Swans decided to explore the concept of using Serong as an inside midfielder.
asserted
Swans → consider → midfielder
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
