SYDNEY
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7.3 10.5 12.9 18.10 (118)
ADELAIDE
3.2 4.4 8.9 12.10 (82)
GOALS: Sydney: Franklin 4, Papley 4, McGlynn 3, Richards 2, Rohan, Parker, Hannebery, Heeney, Mitchell. Adelaide: Betts 3, McGovern 2, Lynch 2, Walker 2, Cameron 2, Thompson.
BEST: Sydney: Parker, Heeney, Franklin, Kennedy, Papley, Rampe, Smith, Grundy. Adelaide: M Crouch, Sloane, Cameron, Thompson, Betts
INJURIES: Sydney: McVeigh (calf), Rohan (knee). Adelaide: Lever (ankle).
UMPIRES: Farmer, Meredith, Jeffery.
CROWD: 38,136 at the SCG.
The method was fierce, the result positive, but the cost could prove very expensive ahead of next weekend's preliminary final against Geelong.
Sydney's ferocious 36-point win over Adelaide at the SCG on Saturday night was built on a ruthless tackling foundation, but the war of attrition took its toll as Gary Rohan's season ended on the back of a mobile stretcher with a right knee injury and co-captain Jarrad McVeigh hurt his calf.
Adelaide's Jake Lever also left the ground before halftime in a brutal contest after a heavy collision with Lance Franklin, nursing an ankle injury. Geelong's players would've watched this with a smile on their face back in Victoria as their two prospective opponents next week beat the hell out of each other.
The Cats have had the weekend off after last weekend's nail-biting triumph over Hawthorn, while the Swans have just a six-day turnaround to recover before they play for a spot in this year's grand final.
McVeigh returned for a little while after the main break and was planted up forward, his left calf heavily strapped. It boosted the Swans' body count but the co-captain was clearly favouring one leg. Whether he plays next weekend at the MCG is another matter entirely.
The semi-final battle wasn't just confined to the playing surface at the SCG with one Swans fan ejected by police before halftime for allegedly threatening to punch a female Crows supporter.
On the field the home side weren't Swans, they were lions - hunting in numbers and tackling in packs, led admirably from the king of their midfield pride in Luke Parker.
He had five tackles and nine touches to quarter time, setting the standard as the Swans were looking to avoid a second consecutive straight-sets finals exit. Parker finished with 12 tackles, showing why he was voted this week by his peers as the league's most courageous player.
It was as if he'd taken the loss to GWS personally, along with all the subsequent commentary about the Swans' paltry tackling numbers against the Giants.
Lance Franklin recovered from his ever goalless showing in a final last weekend, and the well-publicised mental-health sledge directed his way by Shane Mumford in that game, by kicking four goals. Franklin spent large chunks of this game playing as a traditional full forward as opposed to last week where he was camped well up the ground.
Young gun Tom Papley also chimed in with four six-pointers of his own.
Sydney's ferocity around the coalface starved the Crows' danger men of effective possession up forward.
Taylor Walker tried hard and kicked a 60m bomb in the first quarter just as Sydney threatened to run away with the game early, but he was well handled throughout by Dane Rampe in a determined performance after Jeremy Cameron shredded him last week.
The Swans took a seven-goal-to-three lead in the first quarter.
To the Crows' credit, they didn't wilt like so many teams have against the Swans this year.
They lifted a notch in the second term and Eddie Betts' first touch of the game led to a Tom Lynch major.
Xavier Richards and then Franklin scored goals late in that first half that could have been back breakers, but the Crows regrouped at the main break and came out a different team.
Betts and then Mitch McGovern snapped early goals to wrest the momentum back in Adelaide's favour and the quarter was played mainly on the Crows' terms but inaccurate kicking failed to make the Swans pay.
Franklin piped up with another long bomb from outside 50m when Sydney needed it, and Tom Papley landed his second of the night after Betts had grabbed another to keep Adelaide four goals at bay heading into the last change.
Papley extended the Swans lead early in the last quarter just moments after Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs ironed out Ben McGlynn with a high bump that will most likely cost him at least a game at the start of next season.
If there's an on-field concern here for the Swans it was their clearance work, and perhaps that's what coach John Longmire will address this week now the tackling issues have been taken care of.
