Lance Franklin’s booming left foot received Sydney underway earlier than Dane Rampe led a rampant Swans outfit in a 49-point domination of Gold Coast to start their AFL season.
The guests received 16.14 (110) 9.7 (61) at Heritage Bank Stadium on Saturday evening, changing into simply the second overwhelmed grand finalist in seven years to win their opening recreation.
Twelve totally different Swans kicked objectives however none managed greater than two, whereas Rampe (25 touches) defied the slippery, humid circumstances to have 20 disposals at halftime.
Chad Warner (30), Jake Lloyd (28) and Dylan Stephens (27) took up the slack after that.
That unfold sparked a team-wide show of stress that rattled the Suns early, with factors from turnovers killing Stuart Dew’s males.
The contest was successfully over inside 20 minutes, the Swans kicking the sport’s first 5 objectives and Franklin the opening couple.
The 36-year-old, in his nineteenth and last season, marked over the pinnacle of Sam Collins and boomed the opener excessive into the stands.
Then his set shot straightened to ship Sydney on their manner, Franklin overtaking Barry Hall to maneuver to 3rd on the membership’s goal-scoring chart in a glowing first 10 minutes.
He remained closely concerned in a dominant time period for the hosts that was tempered by two late Suns objectives.
David Swallow’s snap then skipped by to start the third time period and immediately Gold Coast had been solely 15 behind.
The host’s stepped up their stress however had nothing to point out for it, Harry Cunningham and Isaac Heeney’s objectives hefty blows for the Suns to swallow.
Tom Papley added to his spotlight reel with two pearlers, his first objective off the surface of his proper foot in site visitors and the second on the run to open the third time period.
Logan McDonald then bumped into an open objective and launched the ball into the stadium roof in an emphatic act that all-but broke the hosts.
Oliver Florent caught Gold Coast’s defence napping so as to add one other and Errol Gulden skipped a significant by to make it a 48-point lead.
Back for his first AFL recreation since 2021, Ben King needed to wait till the third quarter for his first kick.
But from deep within the pocket it was lengthy and straight for a Suns objective in entrance of 13,648 followers.
He then put his physique on the road to deflect a unfastened ball in direction of Ben Ainsworth for the primary of his two final-quarter objectives.
Suns ruckman Jarrod Witts battled exhausting whereas it took Touk Miller (29 touches) and Matt Rowell (28) till the third time period to get their arms on the ball with any authority and Sam Flanders (16 disposals) additionally kicked two objectives.
Franklin might have a case to reply after making excessive contact on Collins within the last quarter.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
