![\"Cox](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cbeae723b278122e3e318d2df4c4391e.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nThe Sydney Derby has always been a tale of two teams. <\/p>\n
The established Swans defending their turf and the Giants trying to stake their claim on new territory. <\/p>\n
Over 14 years, the match-up has reached the highest of highs. Nail-biting finals and last-minute goals keep the Harbour city\u2019s fans on the edge of their seats. <\/p>\n
But on Saturday night, as the Giants fell to a debilitating 51-point defeat, the AFL\u2019s youngest side delivered their most uncompetitive performance in a Derby in recent years.<\/p>\n
Even in their first season when Kevin Sheedy was in charge, the Giants\u2019 team full of kids at least showed heart and effort. <\/p>\n
Yet as the Swans ran riot, and well and truly breathed light back into their premiership campaign, the Giants almost stood back as they watched their finals chances blow right past them.<\/p>\n
The end result wasn\u2019t necessarily a surprise. Adam Kingsley\u2019s side are as depleted as they\u2019ve ever been, missing at least nine players from their best 23. Conversely, the Swans\u2019 ladder position is a more accurate reflection of their superiority coming into the match than their recent form suggests. <\/p>\n
However, as the Giants went through a banner pre-game that had the words \u2018Never Surrender\u2019 proudly displayed, there were stages during the game where they may as well have been waving the white flag. <\/p>\n
Within the first 30 seconds of the game, Braeden Campbell had the Swans\u2019 first of the day with their first inside 50 entry. Charlie Curnow then added two majors and in the blink of an eye, Sydney had pulled away. <\/p>\n
Another couple of goals to James Rowbottom and Jai Serong opened the margin to 30 points inside 15 minutes. The Giants have come back from worse positions before, but it already felt like this was too big a mountain to climb. <\/p>\n
The Swans were back to their damaging best running the ball out of their defensive 50. They had endless space to roam through the corridor and attack the Giants with their devastating handball chains. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It was also through the middle where the Giants simply weren\u2019t at the races. After six weeks of football where they\u2019ve been the worst clearance team in the comp, Brodie Grundy\u2019s inspired stoppage performance made the Swans look like the AFL\u2019s best midfield. <\/p>\n
By the main break, Grundy had 17 disposals, 10 score involvements, four clearances and a goal. The Swans were +11 on clearances, had 10 more inside 50s and were leading their cross-town rivals by 53 points. <\/p>\n
The big concern for the Giants was that their opponents dominated without getting out of second gear. The Swans had room to roam and time to pick out players inside 50. It looked more like a training run, and after an already demoralising week licking their wounds following a loss to Essendon, things will get worse this week for Kingsley. <\/p>\n
![\""Better](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ee66b0b800016e37f52cf93decd6bcfb.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
The Giants pushed hard for a response in the second half. Stephen Coniglio, who played in all of those deflating losses in 2012 and 2013, was easily their best on ground with three goals. Xavier O\u2019Halloran also tried to have an impact on the game. <\/p>\n
But every time they pushed, the Swans had an answer. <\/p>\n
Kirk-Ward Medal winner Errol Gulden came into his own once the result was all but over, conducting traffic through the corridor and becoming the first Swan to ever finish with more than 1,000 metres gained in a match. <\/p>\n
Chad Warner also continued his scintillating form, as he was unmatched for speed around the stoppages while also showcasing he had a silky left boot with a remarkable finish in the pocket. <\/p>\n
The final margin flattered the Giants. The Swans left plenty of goals on the ground as they controlled the game and started looking ahead to next week\u2019s clash against St Kilda. <\/p>\n
For Kingsley, it\u2019s time to find answers from his playing group. <\/p>\n
They look devoid of confidence, are constantly found out, and are their own worst enemy with conceding points from turnover. <\/p>\n
And it could be another year of unfulfilled potential from a team full of talent. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Sydney Derby has always been a tale of two teams. 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