“Pies crushed: Dominant ‘Sydney Slingers’ make a powerful statement as ‘exhausted’ current champions are ‘thoroughly defeated’.”
Sydney’s strong start to the 2024 season, juxtaposed with Collingwood’s struggling premiership defense, persisted as the youthful Swans dominated the Magpies on a historic evening.
Following their impressive victory over Melbourne to kick off the season, the Swans secured another significant win on Friday night, triumphing over the Pies by 33 points, with a final score of 15.12 (102) to 10.9 (69).
The Swans seized control of the game during the second and third quarters, outscoring the Pies by booting 10 goals to three, showcasing a combination of relentless defensive pressure and exhilarating ball movement.
Chad Warner and Isaac Heeney impressed with five goals and 56 disposals collectively, while Logan McDonald boosted his confidence with four goals. Despite Nick Daicos’ 37 disposals for Collingwood, conceding 27 points was a cause for concern.
The night was meant to be a celebratory one for Collingwood as they raised their 2023 premiership flag. However, the smiles faded from the faces of the black-and-white faithful midway through the second quarter as Sydney surged with six consecutive goals.
In front of a mainly disheartened crowd of 78,933, a record attendance for a match between these two clubs in VFL/AFL history, Sydney gleefully played the role of party poopers.
The timing of the flag unveiling, just after 6:20 pm (AEDT), led to speculation that Collingwood aimed to downplay the ceremony following criticism from premiership coach Leigh Matthews and others about excessive celebration.
“There have been some peculiar timings,” remarked Melbourne champion Garry Lyon on Fox Footy. “The players have been warming up and involved in this. But ultimately, this is the essence of it all, and tonight marks the end of the 2023 season.”
Both teams remained unchanged leading up to the match, with Finlay Macrae (Collingwood) and Sam Wicks (Sydney) named as starting substitutes.
The initial ten minutes saw the ball predominantly in Sydney’s forward half, culminating in the Swans’ first goal through Chad Warner after three consecutive behinds.
