Live: Swans make incredible start against Lions, but lose captain to injury

The news is not good for the Swans, with Callum Mills ruled out with a knee issue.

We’re not sure how Brisbane’s Noah Answerth is going. He limped off late in the quarter with an ankle problem.

Mike,

You posted this early-ish in that quarter, maybe you might want to revisit?

Having said that, the Mills injury is very important, given how many key players Sydney is already missing.

Also, there is a LONG way to go.

• Inside 50s: 20-11 Sydney

• Clearances: 10-8 Sydney

• Centre clearances;: 4-2 Sydney

• Contested possessions: 34-28 Sydney

• Uncontested possessions: 52-49 Brisbane

• Marks inside 50: 6-1 Sydney

• Tackles: 13-9 Sydney

• Tackles inside 50: 1-1 

It’s been a huge start to the game for Sydney – but that’s NOT what they would want to see.

The ball was on the wing for Brisbane, and Callum Mills ran in to corral the Lions. But suddenly he tried to change direction and pulled up short.

He could not put weight on his leg, and had to be helped off by trainers. You’d hope that isn’t a knee, but whatever it is it looks serious.

The Swans skipper is in all sorts.

I don’t quite know what I’m seeing here, but only the most one-eyed Swans fan could have predicted how this game has begun.

Logan McDonald kicked Sydney’s fifth goal of the opening term, and then things got worse for Brisbane with another surge inside 50.

The ball trickled towards the square and Jaspa Fletcher took it over – and got pinged!

Tom Papley kicked the goal from just in front. Six goals to one!

The Swans have come out determined so far, it’ll be interesting to see how they respond to that Brisbane goal.

Quite well, as it happens!

First they rush it inside 50 and Tom Papley gets the finish! That’s important, as he looked proppy in the warm-up and perhaps is not 100 per cent.

Then Sydney go quickly again, and the Lions defence are struggling (swirling breeze??). It falls to Matt Roberts, and his snap goes through!

It’s a 19-point lead for the Swans. Crazy stuff.

That was better from the Lions, a quick movement and a kick inside 50 for Eric Hipwood to mark.

That quietened the crowd a bit.

Hipwood goes back and slots it, and Brisbane have their first of the day.

There haven’t been too many more inside 50s for the Swans than for the Lions – but they have made something out of them.

Another burst down the wing, and a long kick to deep inside 50, where Charlie Curnow takes a good mark and prompts another big roar from the crowd.

He kicks it, and the Swans are out to a 13-point lead!

The Lions are not making too much progress in attack.

They had a shot there, but it ended with a rushed behind.

Then the Swans went quickly out to the wing, Charlie Curnow got it and then sent it deep – only for Harris Andrews to outpoint a Sydney forward and take a strong intercept.

Sydney is having a strong start – but can the Swans take advantage?

They are putting the Lions under pressure, and they are hitting some targets.

Hayden McLean – back in the team this week for William Green – marks inside 50, but his kick is pulled well to the left from 35-40m out.

Not sure if the wind got it or not.

The Swans could not be accused of playing conservatively early here.

They just started the fast ball movement through the corridor, and it worked.

A blind handball on the run hit James Rowbottom, who kicked long to the square for Logan McDonald to take a strong grab!

McDonald split the sticks, and the SCG crowd roared!

Sydney by eight points.

Might be a bit of nerves out there early doors.

The Swans made a nice burst through the corridor, and set up Jai Serong to run inside 50 – but his kick dragged well wide.

Then the Lions had a chance but couldn’t finish either, before the Swans put it together again, only for Logan McDonald to miss a decent shot.

Swans by 2 points in the early stages.

• R16, 2026: Lions by 43 pts (Gabba)

• R1, 2026: Swans by 44 pts (SCG)

• R22, 2025: Swans by 2 pts (Gabba)

• R1, 2025: Lions by 4 pts (SCG)

• GF, 2024: Lions by 60 (MCG)

• R19, 2023: Lions by 2 (Gabba)

The Lions have had the edge in this matchup — particularly when it came to THAT grand final in 2024.

What jumps out here is that it’s tended to be either a nailbiter or a thumping margin, with nothing in between.

There have only been two games out of the last six played at the SCG, and it’s been honours even with a win apiece.

Phillip,

That’s the sensible pick. But will this afternoon give us the “obvious” story, or will there be a few twists?

So far this weekend we’ve had a couple of damp nights for the finals – not so today!

It’s nearly 32 degrees Celsius in Sydney this afternoon, heading for a top of 33.

The positive for the Swans is that the humidity has stayed away (just 21 per cent), and there is apparently somewhat of a cooling breeze.

We’ll see whether it favours anyone or not.

The Swans have run out on the SCG, looking determined – and perhaps a bit relieved to be able to get out on the footy field.

The banner reads:

“For Sydney, For South Melbourne, For you, our Bloods”.

• GF, 2025: WIN over Geelong by 47 pts (MCG)

• PF, 2025: WIN over Collingwood by 29 pts (MCG)

• SF, 2025: WIN over Gold Coast by 53 pts (Gabba)

• QF, 2025: LOSS to Geelong by 38 pts (MCG)

• GF, 2024: WIN over Sydney by 60 pts (MCG)

• PF, 2024: WIN over Geelong by 10 pts (MCG)

• SF, 2024: WIN over by GWS by 5 pts (Sydney Showground)

• EF, 2024: WIN over Carlton by 28 pts (Gabba)

• GF, 2023: LOSS to Collingwood by 4 pts (MCG)

• PF, 2023: WIN over Carlton by 16 pts (Gabba)

The one thing that jumps out at you from Brisbane’s recent history is that they don’t want a bar of one-and-done in finals.

It doesn’t matter whether they’ve started out in an elimination final or a qualifying final, they have found a way to make it to the grand final for three years running.

All up, they have had just two losses from their last 10 finals — and you’d have to say that they go into today as favourites to make it two from 11 – and that’s totally aside from a certain 60-point grand final cruise over the Swans two years ago.