Blue-collar Swans worthy victors over brave Magpies in yet another AFL classic

Before we get to Saturday’s preliminary final, forgive me as I shake my fist at a cloud. For reasons no-one can explain, or take responsibility for, they now blare music after every goal at the MCG. The stadium was one of the last to succumb to this execrable trend. But in a finals series where more than quarter of a million people have turned up to three MCG games, apparently the atmosphere needs to be augmented with lashings of Kool and the Gang, Kenny Loggins and Chad Kroeger.

Preliminary final weekend is supposed to be the people’s round. The following week is for the corporate and the fortunate. At preliminary finals, it’s a pure football crowd. But there’s nothing pure about “What’s New Pussycat?” following a check-side goal. There’s nothing pure about a perforated eardrum.

They play music at the SCG too. But it works there. It suits the market. It suits the ground. Going to the football at the SCG is more of an event than a ritual. When the Swans are winning and the house is full, the SCG has a feel unlike any other stadium. Not that Saturday’s game needed musical accompaniment. The crowd was febrile. Tickets had sold out in 20 minutes. Thousands of Collingwood diehards had been bused in. It was the third biggest ever crowd at the ground.

As the sun was going down, they were witnessing a rout. Lance Franklin was in one of his moods. The Collingwood back six were in disarray. The clamps were on Jordan De Goey and the Daicos brothers, Josh and Nick. Every ounce of luck seemed to have deserted Collingwood. Every weak link was being exposed. The Pies wanted a hypersonic game. Sydney wanted a knife fight, and they had one. There would surely be no miracles this week.

Most other sides would have waved the white flag,