AN INSPIRED performance from Sydney Swan veteran Jude Bolton has helped his team cruise to a 62-point victory over Port Adelaide at the SCG on Saturday night, winning 18.13 (121) to 9.5 (59)

Port Adelaide started vibrantly with the opening two goals of the game - the first by Daniel Motlop - but the Swans hit back with three consecutive goals from Andrejs Everitt, Craig Bird and Adam Goodes.

Travis Boak was lively for Port in the opening term, leading the disposal count with nine touches and kicking a late goal to keep his team in touch.

Matt Thomas kicked the opening goal of the second term and the Swans were struggling to score under fierce pressure from the Power. It took the Swans 20 minutes to kick their first goal of the second quarter - a long, set shot from Jarrad McVeigh - and it was enough for his team to re-gain the lead.

Moments later Sam Reid kicked another one for the Swans after some fierce tackling earned him a free kick, directly in front, for holding the ball against Michael Pettigrew.

The Swans managed to extend their lead to nine points at the long break, 5.6 (36) to 4.3 (27), Jude Bolton keeping up his high work-rate with 11 contested possession from his 17 disposals.

Reid booted his second for the Swans at the start of the third and when Bolton scored his first a minute later the signs appeared ominous for Port.

In the first five minutes of of the third, the possession count was 28-8 in favour of the Swans and the inside 50 count was 5-1. And after a Nick Smith goal the margin ballooned to 29 points.

But Port kept finding ways to resist and another one from Motlop - this time out of the air - the margin was trimmed to 16 points.  

Swans goal-sneak Ben McGlynn was having a quiet night - well held by Tom Logan and when he gave away a 50m penalty to Port's Troy Chaplin, the result was a goal and the game was alive.

However, McGlynn made amends immediately, slotting the next goal of the game.

At three-quarter time the margin was again out to 29 points to the Swans and Port appeared to be tiring.

The Swans continued their dominance in the last. Reid finished the game with three goals and Josh Kennedy kicked his second to complete an outstanding night that netted 30 possessions.

Two final-term goals from Daniel Hannebery was icing on the cake for the Swans in a run-away win.


A DOMINANT second half has secured the Sydney Swans a thumping 62-point win over Port Adelaide at the SCG on Saturday night, a victory that could see them as high as fifth at the end of the round.

The 18.13 (121) to 9.5 (59) result was the Swans' first win at the SCG this season from three attempts, and the second time in 2011 it has strung together back-to-back victories.

The home side overcame some early inaccuracy and a determined Port side to secure its fourth win of the season.

Meanwhile, Port falls to 1-7 - the club's worst start to the season since it won just one of its first 12 games in 2000 - and stays second last on the ladder just above a winless Brisbane Lions.

The Swans led by three points at quarter time and extended its advantage to nine at the main interval.

The decisive move came during the third term, when the Swans surged ahead and made Port pay for their inefficient play earlier in the match.

Led by Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes and veteran Jude Bolton, the Swans kicked seven goals from 16 entries inside their forward 50 to open a 30-point advantage at the final change - to that point the largest lead of the match.

Goodes had eight touches in the quarter, including a soccered goal with less than a minute before the three-quarter-time siren, and finished the match with 27 possessions.

Bolton was typically courageous, with 33 touches and 13 tackles and a goal.

With the four premiership points in the bag, Swans ran away with the match in the last quarter, extending the margin beyond 10 goals to record a handy percentage boost.

Sam Reid was the Swans' leading goal-kicker with three.

Port defied its lowly ladder position to give the Swans plenty of problems early on, and looked best when able to move the football quickly through the middle and give forwards such as Daniel Motlop and Jay Schulz room to work.

But the Power's efforts went largely unrewarded as a stray kick, loose handball or wrong option ended numerous attacking thrusts prematurely.

Motlop finished with two goals, but was kept largely in check by Ted Richards.

Influential players:
Troy Chaplin worked hard in defence and tried valiantly to hold back the tide of a charging Sydney midfield. Also popped forward to kick a goal in the third term courtesy of a 50-metre penalty.

What it means
Port Adelaide faces the Brisbane Lions in two weeks time in a match that, if they lose, could potentially see the club drop to the bottom of the ladder.

Toyota AFL Dream Team highlight
Chaplin outshone many of Port's midfielders with 112 points from his 23 disposals and 11 marks.

Next four:
Over the next month, Port Adelaide is at home against Fremantle, takes on Richmond in Darwin and hosts Carlton at AAMI Stadium. The club has the bye in Round 12.

What the coach said:
Matthew Primus (Port Adelaide): "The youth of our midfield wasn't able to sustain it against a pretty strong group in Sydney. We've got to keep teaching these young players about what it is and what level we need to get to."

Key match-ups
Port Adelaide's Daniel Motlop finished the night with two goals, but he was held largely in check in an interesting battle with the Swans' Ted Richards, who stuck close to the dangerous Power forward throughout and restricted him to just 12 possessions.

New faces
Port Adelaide debutant Ben Jacobs finished the night with 14 possessions and five marks and his performance drew some encouraging words from the coach.

Sydney Swans   3.5  5.6  12.11  18.13 (121)
Port Adelaide    3.2  4.3  8.5      9.5 (59)

GOALS
Sydney Swans: Reid 3, Everitt 2, Goodes 2, Kennedy 2, Hannebery 2, Bird, McVeigh, Bolton, Smith, McGlynn, Roberts-Thomson, Jetta
Port Adelaide: Schulz 2, Motlop 2, Boak, Thomas, Logan, Chaplin, Phillips

BEST
Sydney Swans: Bolton, Kennedy, Goodes, Grundy, O’Keefe
Port Adelaide: Boak, Chaplin, Thomas, Hartlett

INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Sydney Swans: Nathan Gordon replaced by Luke Parker in the fourth quarter
Port Adelaide: Daniel Stewart replaced by Andrew Moore in the third quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Schmitt, Meredith, Ryan

Official crowd: 20,719 at SCG

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL