Adam Goodes celebrate the win against North Melbourne with fans at Blunstone Arena Hobart. Picture: Richard Jupe Source: The Mercury
Ben McGlynn of the Swans kicks a goal during the round three AFL match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Sydney Swans at Blundstone Arena. Source: Getty Images
THE Sydney Swans have kicked their premiership defence into gear with a stunning 11-goal quarter against the Kangaroos in Hobart.
When it comes to goals, it was the best quarter the Swans had played since 1995.
The midfield brigade led with way again, co-captain Jarrad McVeigh continuing his stellar year with 28 disposals and two goals.
He was strongly supported by Josh Kennedy, Ryan O'Keefe, Luke Parker and Dan Hannebery.
"Mainly it was the players' intent which lifted in the second half,'' Longmire said. "I thought everyone lifted, it's always a full team defence when the opposition have got the ball. We seemed a lot more intent with our workrate.''
Longmire singled out the courage of small forward Ben McGlynn, who inspired his teammates during the third-quarter blitz.
"I thought there were a couple of good individual efforts like Benny McGlynn going back with the flight of the ball,'' Longmire said.
Jude Bolton also heaped praise on McGlynn's effort.
"We took enormous confidence out of Benny McGlynn going back with the flight (of the ball). It was a super courageous effort,'' Bolton said. "It got our intent going and our pressure from then on.''
As well as his courage, McGlynn was also very clean with the football, booting three second-half goals.
The 33-year-old Bolton is showing no signs of age and was outstanding with four goals.
His first three goals came in the opening half when the Swans kicked only five goals and looked under pressure against the Kangaroos.
"I'm not taking on another season without going hell for leather for another year. I didn't want to float through this year,'' Bolton said. "I want to be part of it and a really solid contributor.''
It was a fitting celebration for the dual premiership player, who racked up his 304th game for the red and whites and overtook Michael O'Loughlin to become second on the appearances list behind Adam Goodes (322 games).
It was a North Melbourne home game, but there was plenty of red and white in the crowd of 13,221.
After comfortable wins over expansion teams, the GWS Giants and the Gold Coast Suns, in the first two rounds, the challenge against North Melbourne was always going to be greater.
The Kangaroos were yet to win this season but had come close against quality opposition in Collingwood and Geelong to start the season.
The Swans were lucky the Kangaroos failed to capitalise on their first-half dominance.
North Melbourne could only manage a 14-point lead at the long break after leading the Swans in almost every statistical category.
In the first two terms, five of the Swans' forwards, including Goodes and Sam Reid, had only 16 kicks and four marks between them.
Both Reid and Goodes lifted their workrate enormously in the second half.
The road ahead sees the Swans facing Geelong on Friday night at the SCG before travelling to Wellington to play the Saints on Anzac Day in the first AFL game for premiership points to be played in New Zealand.
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