Spreading the scoring load is proving a winning factor for the red-hot Sydney Swans, as they continue to notch big totals in the first season of the post-Buddy Franklin era.
Friday’s 17.15 (117) to 9.11 (65) win over Carlton at a heaving SCG was the sixth time in 10 games Sydney have scored over 100 points this season, and only once have they been held below 86.
Riding a six-game winning streak, Sydney are averaging 103 points a game and conceding just 66.
Their sizzling 9-1 start to the season has put them eight points clear of second-placed Geelong, though Essendon can cut their lead to six and move to second by beating last-placed North Melbourne on Sunday.
In their first season without legendary spearhead Franklin, the competition's all-time fourth-highest goalkicker, Sydney has successfully shared the scoring load.
No one player is dominating the scoring with five men kicking between 15 and 20 goals and a sixth in double figures.
Among those half-dozen players are in-form midfielders Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner, whose three-goal hauls and incisive.play were a significant factor in the Swans overturning a four-goal deficit early in the game.
"Our mids, forwards have an even spread of goalkickers and that's been a strength so far,” Swans’ coach John Longmire said.
Longmire said his midfield.also did a good job of spreading their workload, describing Warner as damaging and ruckman Brodie Grundy as terrific.
The veteran coach praised his players for being able to turn the game around even before he got to speak to them at quarter time.
Longmire is renowned for not getting carried away when his team are on a hot streak.
He was more concerned about looking ahead to next Thursday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs than talking up the Swans' scintillating start to the season.
“It might sound to everyone on the outside saying ‘he’s just playing a straight bat again,’ but internally that's what we do,” Longmire said.
“We acknowledge what we did well and there’s a few fantastic efforts tonight, but we’ll also look at something we can improve and we’ll do that.”
One thing Longmire was clearly enthusiastic about was another big crowd, with the game drawing 44,047 spectators, the biggest ever Friday night attendance for a Swans game at the SCG.
“They shut the gates at some point and they had to stick their members around to somewhere else in the crowd, get some other seats in the stadium to be able to cater for everyone,” Longmire said.
“Its just a fantastic feeling for the players to be able to have have another big sellout crowd
“The momentum that the crowd give us is huge.”
He confirmed Robbie Fox suffered an AC joint injury, but said Heeney was fine despite copping a knock late in the game.
