Swans through to NEAFL Grand Final

Sydney, who finished second at the end of the regular season before sitting out the first week of the finals, overcame a half-time deficit to run over the top of 2011 NEAFL Premiers NT Thunder by 62 points on Sunday afternoon at Blacktown International Sports Park.

Sydney will travel to Queensland to face Aspley at Graham Road in the NEAFL Grand Final on Saturday afternoon, bidding to win its first flag after finishing runner-up to the Lions last year.

The Swans entered Sunday’s match as warm favourites, fielding one of their strongest sides of the year, but they were made to work hard for their 16.11.107 to 6.9.45 victory.

NT started the game full of running, buoyed by their clutch win over Ainslie last weekend, and Xavier Clarke’e men led by five points at the first change, maintaining the margin into half-time.

But with 18 listed players, and four top-ups of the highest order, in NSW/ACT RAMS stars Isaac Heeney, Abe Davis, Jack Hiscox, and Cal Mills, Jared Crouch’s men accelerated after the main break, and NT simply couldn’t match them, hard as they tried.

From five minutes in to the third term, when Brandon Jack goalled to put the Swans in front, Sydney never looked likely to be headed; piling on 11 second half goals to one to blow out the margin.

Onballers Dan Robinson and Tom Mitchell were outstanding for the winners, with ball magnet Mitchell gathering a game-high 32 touches, along with Jeremy Laidler, Tom Walsh, and ruckman Sam Naismith, who amassed 48 hit outs and laid 11 tackles.

Rugged NT midfielder Brad Vassal tried hard all day against stiff opposition, Ben Rioli was prolific in defence, collecting 31 touches, and young defender Errin Wasley-Black did his draft prospects no harm, with a terrific showing from centre-half-back.

While a hugely successful season comes to an end for the Thunder, the Swans will have a six day turnaround before travelling north to face Aspley, in a bid to win their first NEAFL gong.