Errol Golden exploded with 45 disposals and three goals to help the Sydney Swans defeat Carlton by 43 points, 15.7 (97) to 7.12 (54) in both clubs’ final blow of pre-season proper.
Gulden starred in a new midfield role to groom the young star for a huge breakout season, during which he also racked up 17 contested possessions, nine clearances and 847 earned yards.
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Sydney dominated most of the night in a positive response from last year’s Grand Final demolition, while the Blues have plenty to think about as they look to bounce back from last season’s late fade.
Luke Parker was also busy in the Swans’ engine room with 27 disposals and 1 goal, while Sam Docherty tallied 34 disposals for the Blues.
Cats Cooked by Lions in Ipswich | 01:58
Match report quarter by quarter
A long-range bomb from Errol Gulden from outside 50 meters had the Pelicans on the board in the opening minutes.
Fox Footy pundits were impressed with the work rate of Blues player Oliver Hollands, who was busy on the wing in the opening spell while pressing his case for a first-round start.
Sam Reid snapped his body to score two consecutive Swans goals to start the contest and make the most of the breeze.
The Blues settled from that point on, as recruit Blake Acres got them to the plate with an overhead goal, putting them back in a six-point game.
But Sydney would respond with the next two goals to open up an 18-point advantage and take the lead in the contest.
“It’s a goalfest,” said Fox Footy commentator Dwayne Russell.
Harry Cunningham included two major takeoffs in the inaugural semester.
Peter Ladhams, who enjoyed a strong start to the game in a first-luck inning, was forced off the ground after suffering a blow to the cheek, but later bounced back.
“The Ladhams were impressive, he worked hard around the ground. He was in a lot of competition,” Brisbane champion Alastair Lynch told Fox Footy.
Goals continued to come to the Swans including a dribbling finish from Buddy Franklin which Russell called a “trademark Lance”.
Sydney led by 36 points at first change, 7.2 (44) to 1.2 (8).
Goldin continued his dominant start to the game with another long-range goal early in the second quarter to go with 15 of his disposals and open the Swans’ 42-point lead.
“Paddy Dow tried to run with him, but he’s been better than that duel so far,” Hawks legend Dermot Brereton said of Golden.
The Blues finally got one back after Charlie Curnow flagged from close range, played and kicked right – their second major slam of the game.
Carlton scored two more goals through Matt Kennedy and another through Cornnow to bring their deficit back to just 24 points.
It started to rain in Sydney as the Blues kept pushing as it got tougher.
Nick Blakey kicked home a 50-metre penalty to score just in time for the Swans and score three consecutive Blues goals.
Golden finished the half with 26 runs, two goals, six clearances, five inside 50 and 584 metres, earned in a dominant display from the breakout star, with Lynch describing it as a “first rate action”.
The Pelicans led by 26 points in the first half, 9.3 (57) to 4.7 (31).
Jesse Motlop kicked the opening goal in the third quarter, but Brayden Campbell hit back at the other end with a brutal kick from outside the 50.
Zack Fisher got right back up with the next goal as Carlton continued to claw their way back into the competition, trailing by 20 points.
“They were definitely better for the last 30 minutes of game time,” Lynch said of the Blues.
On an otherwise dominant night, Golden missed a set shot in what would have been his third major of the night, but Isaac Heene pulled a one-on-one touchdown inside 50 points deep to extend the Swans’ lead to 28 points.
Despite improved efforts from Carlton, Sydney held a 35-point lead to three-quarter time, 12.6 (78) to 6.7 (43).
After tip-offs from Curnow and Logan McDonald at either end of the ground, Franklin got the inside 50 end and cut around his body for his second goal of the night,
“He looks as nimble as he’s been in the last few years, he looks good,” said Lynch.
Luke Parker kicked the next half to lift Sydney into a 44-point lead.
Goldin capped off his massive 45 disposal performance with his third goal in a great effort from the young star.
3-2-1…
3. GOLDEN “TAKES THE NEXT STEP TO STAR” WITH A CRAZY PERFORMANCE
If the AFL is named Most Improved Player of the Year, Errol Gulden will likely be the leading candidate right now.
Gulden’s 45-and-three-goal-discharged performance as a purely on-the-ball fielder was something else, as he added 17 contested possessions, nine clearances and 847 earned yards.
Save it for the real stuff, Errol!
Hawks great Dermot Brereton said it as well as anyone can tell: “Golden has always been a very good player. We guarantee you he’s taking the next step to stardom.”
It included a huge first half as Golden collected 26 touches, two goals and six clearances with 584 metres.
While Callum Mulls has been absent, it is a clear sign that John Longmire plans to use Gulden more on the ball in 2023 after playing his role at half forward for the first two seasons of his career.
They don’t call it a third year break for nothing, do they?
Brisbane Lions legend Alastair Lynch also impressed Peter Ladhams and Logan McDonald, but Golden was the clear standout against the Blues.
“I loved the way their children presented themselves… We got to touch on Errol Golden and the youth development of this Pelican era,” Lynch told Fox Footy at the halftime break.
“It was a class work. He played a high center forward and a bit of midfield late last year, (but tonight) he went a little more inside.
“He’s fast paced, has great vision and composure as he hits targets and gets his work done.
His personal best in his 43-game career is just five, which is just another indication that he’s going inward a bit more. But he’s enhancing his ability to play in that position.
“You have to keep him inside and get passes for him, but you don’t want to let him hurt you from the outside, because he does.
“The future of the club is very bright, but it will only get brighter on the back of these youngsters.”
2. CAN CURNOW KICK 100 GOALS?
Charlie Curnow is very, very good… can 100 goals this season be any good?
Former Hawthorn sniper Ben Dixon believes he is “not out of the world” as Curnow has scored 100 goals this season as the superstar has been in fine form against the Pelicans who kick 2.2 playing without attacking line partner Harry McKay.
It comes after Curnow rebounded dramatically last year with 64 goals to earn Coleman the Coleman Medal after almost two previous seasons had been decimated by injuries.
Dixon believes that Cornu will not go from strength to strength until 2023.
“I want to ask the question – can he kick a 100?” Dixon posed on Fox Footy.
“You think about it, a quarter-hour shot and all the reports he had a great pre-season. We know what he did last year with a full year and a Coleman Medal.
“It’s not out of the worlds in my book.”
Lions hero Alastair Lynch has suggested that the extra referee on the field this season could help forwards attract more free kicks – thus giving them more goal-kicking opportunities.
“With the fourth official and the area referees at the moment, especially early on, they will be flaming when holding them. So there will be some free kicks,” said Saeed.
“He certainly can (kick 100). He has the talent and the goals will go up through the main strikers this year.”
1. BLUES STAKE R1 CLAIMS AS GREAT CALLS TO CHANGE STAR ROLE
Although it wasn’t a great night for the Blues, the likes of Oliver Hollands, Lachlan Kwan and Alex Cincotta got their hands on the first round in promising shows.
And should defenders Kwan or Cincotta get a big chance, could that prompt Sam Docherty to be pushed into midfield?
Carlton will likely go into the season short of middle men, with Sam Walsh set to miss the early rounds as he recovers from back surgery.
And according to the great Hawthorn player Dermott Brereton, Michael Voss needs Docherty to spend more time on the ball as a result to cover for Walsh’s absence.
Docherty achieved plenty of footy behind the ball against the Swans with 34 touches and 11 marks. But Brereton believes he is better served on the ground while Walsh is out.
“The audacity might be needed to press and give some extra relief in midfield as well. Tonight he even plays half back and pushes into the middle,” Brereton said on Fox Footy.
“He’s kind of a bit of a midfielder, and he sits behind the balls there. He kind of sits in the middle, and they often give it to him and he can set it up.
“But you’ll need him to run through the middle for sure if Walsh can’t get there.”
swans
B: de Rampi, T. Macartin, or Florent
HP: J Lloyd, P Macarten, G McInerney
A: H Cunningham, C Warner, D Stevens
HF: W Hayward, S Reed, L MacDonald
P: Anna Heene, Franklin L, E Golden
FOL: Ladhams B, Robottom J, Parker L
I/C: N Blakey, P Campbell, M Roberts, H Maclean, A Sheldrake, L Rankin, W Edwards, L McAndrew
EMG: C. Mitchell, Hall-Cahan, C. Warner, Francis
Blues
B: S.Docherty, J. Weitering, L.Plowman
HP: Saad, Leung, Cincotta
A: B Acres, E Cornu, A Sierra
HF: Z Fisher, C Cornnow, OH Hollands
F: J Motlob, TD Koning, J Silvani
FOL: Bitont M, Kennedy M, Hewitt J
I/C: L. Cowan, L. O’Brien, B. Dow, M. Oys, J. Carroll, J. Baines, J. Honey, S. Durden
EMG: B.Kemp, A.Mirkov, H.Lemmey, D.Akuei
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