Fremantle Taklukkan Sydney Swans 100-40 pada AFL Putaran 18

Fremantle Dockers berhasil menundukkan Sydney Swans dengan keunggulan 38 poin setelah mendominasi babak kedua pertandingan putaran ke-18 AFL Premiership Season pada Kamis, 10 Juli 2026.

Kekalahan telak dialami Sydney Swans setelah paruh waktu ketika tim tuan rumah mencetak 100 poin berbanding 40 poin milik tim tamu, dengan keunggulan statistik perebutan bola 147-121 untuk Fremantle.

Pelatih Sydney Swans, Dean Cox, mengakui adanya penurunan intensitas performa yang krusial dari anak asuhnya setelah jeda pertandingan, yang membuat barisan penyerang jangkung Fremantle leluasa mencetak angka.

"That's what we've got to fix – the consistency between that," kata Dean Cox, Pelatih Sydney Swans.

Evaluasi menyeluruh dinilai perlu segera dilakukan mengingat posisi tim yang saat ini masih menduduki peringkat kedua klasemen sementara AFL.

"At the minute, we sit second on the ladder, but some of the football we're playing at times, we need to be better at. That's the biggest part of footy we need to get right," ujar Dean Cox, Pelatih Sydney Swans.

Ketidakmampuan memanfaatkan peluang pada awal laga juga disesalkan oleh pihak manajemen Swans, setelah tendangan mereka meleset menjadi 3.6 dibandingkan Dockers yang meraih 0.5 di kuarter pembuka.

“That's probably part of what you have to do in these games against really good opposition – you've got to take your chances when you get them," tutur Dean Cox, Pelatih Sydney Swans.

Kegagalan mengonversi kesempatan emas ini diakui terjadi pada kedua belah pihak yang bertanding di lapangan.

"We didn't at times, but Fremantle missed a fair bit in the first half as well. So both of us probably left some out there," ucap Dean Cox, Pelatih Sydney Swans.

Terkait keraguan psikologis pemain setelah sebelumnya juga kalah dari Brisbane, pihak kepelatihan menegaskan fokus penuh pada perbaikan performa tim.

"No, that's something that we've got to work through and make sure that we work as hard as we possibly can on that area of our game," sebut Dean Cox, Pelatih Sydney Swans.

Statistik keunggulan di kuarter pertama dinilai menjadi bukti bahwa tim sebenarnya mampu bersaing ketat.

"In moments like the first quarter, we were plus seven (in clearances). It shows you can do it; you just can't do it for long enough at the minute against the really good teams. That's what we have to strive to be like," jelas Dean Cox, Pelatih Sydney Swans.

Secara taktik, penugasan James Jordon untuk mengawal Caleb Serong dan Andrew Brayshaw menyisakan ruang bagi Murphy Reid yang akhirnya memberikan kontribusi besar bagi kemenangan Dockers.

"One thing you look at is that he plays forward-mid a lot, and the ability between him and Shai Bolton to do that. At times, they got off the chain doing that, so we need to be better in that space," ungkap Dean Cox, Pelatih Sydney Swans.

Pihak Swans berencana melakukan analisis video lebih lanjut untuk mempersiapkan strategi penahanan transisi pemain lawan pada pertemuan berikutnya.

"We just thought what Andrew Brayshaw does and gives them in a transition sense was one thing we could look at. We'll probably reflect on it – would we change it if you take him off someone else, and someone else has a bit of an impact?" kata Dean Cox, Pelatih Sydney Swans.

Fleksibilitas taktis Jordon tetap mendapat apresiasi positif dari tim kepelatihan meskipun hasil akhir pertandingan tidak sesuai harapan.

"The pleasing thing I find with James Jordon is his ability to be able to change in-game or set himself for a target. We'll have a look and make amends next time we play," ujar Dean Cox, Pelatih Sydney Swans.