AFL recap: Swans players in tears after win caps week from hell

Thanks to everyone who tuned in as we live blogged the Swans’ women’s and men’s games today, at the end of a hellish week for the club.

Both teams enjoyed wins, with the Lucy McEvoy-skippered side winning by 24 points and Callum Mills and his teammates collecting a 53-point victory.

There’s still plenty more of this Swans story to play out. For starters, there is an ongoing Victoria Police investigation.

Have a good night.

I’ll sneak this little Cal Twomey nugget in before signing off:

Gun midfielder Errol Gulden and star ruckman Brodie Grundy led the way for the Swans in their emotional 53-point win over the Kangaroos at the SCG.

Gulden finished with a game-high 41 disposals, as well as three goal assists, as Grundy recorded 27 hit-outs and 26 disposals.

Sydney’s Charlie Curnow, Logan McDonald and Billy Cootee booted three goals each.

The Swans now have a week off, having wrapped up second place on the ladder in last week’s win over the Bombers.

Dean Cox’s team will then host Brisbane at the SCG in a qualifying final.

North Melbourne, on the other hand, is done for the reason, having failed to scrape a wildcard spot.

The Roos finished the season in 14th on the ladder.

Some emotional pictures are flushing through after the Swans’ win.

Here are some of them:

Swans 17.21 (123) def. Kangaroos 10.10 (70)

Tears are flowing after the Swans capped their catastrophic week with a 53-point win over the Kangaroos in front of 30,058 spectators at the SCG.

A week after the Melbourne hotel incident that triggered a police investigation and led to five Swans players being stood down for the rest of the season, Sydney has completed its regular season with a 17.21 (123) to 10.10 (70) win over North Melbourne.

The Fox Footy broadcast showed captain Callum Mills and star midfielder Errol Gulden crying at full-time.

The scenes in the coaches’ box were also emotional at full-time, with head coach Dean Cox seen walking around giving out hugs.

And despite the hellish week, there was quite a bit of support for the men’s team at the SCG.

Although some fans stormed out in protest after the women’s team’s win over Essendon, a decent crowd remained for the men’s match.

Plus, chants of Syyyyyd-neyyyyy rung out at full-time, and there was clapping and cheering.

“I’m so grateful for our fans for sticking with us,” Mills told Fox Footy.

“And how we stayed so united as a club this week, I’m really proud of that.”

Swans chairman Andrew Pridham has declared the club is committed to a cultural review and change in the wake of the Melbourne hotel scandal that’s rocked the game.

Pridham spoke at the Swans’ official AFLW function ahead of the win over the Bombers at the SCG this afternoon.

“While we are deeply shocked and disappointed with what transpired, we believe that since it occurred, we have acted with honesty, dignity and urgency,” Pridham said.

“We have not sought to hide. We have sought to protect and care for those impacted, and make clear our intolerance for the actions of those who have done the wrong thing.

“Now we begin the process of healing and moving forward.

“Moving forward involves gaining a better understanding of how our cultural pillars failed to prevent such a thing from happening.”

Five Swans player were stood down for the rest of the season by the club: Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice.

“This last week has tested us all. Now it is about responding in the face of adversity,” Pridham added.

“We aren’t defined by one event. Failure is not fatal. It’s the courage to continue that counts.

“We respect that and we know we must rebuild trust. We will do this honestly and with humility.

“But these are just words. It is our future actions that will define us.”

North forward Jack Darling has left the field early in the third quarter after copping a finger to the eye from Sydney defender Joel Hamling.

Darling and Hamling were about 50 metres away from a contest on the wing, but the Swans backman went to shove his opponent and accidently got him in the eye.

Darling, a member of West Coast’s 2018 premiership team, is receiving medical attention on the bench.

“That could be nasty,” Lions great Alastair Lynch said on Fox Footy.

“Dare I say, we’ll keep an eye on that,” added play-by-play caller Dwayne Russell.

There was a healthy applause from Swans fans as the team walked off at half-time.

Swans 9.7 (61) leading Kangaroos 5.5 (35)

The Roos reduced the deficit late in the second quarter with two goals but the Swans have a 26-point lead at half-time.

Zac Banach and Jack Darling booted a goal each in the dying minutes of the first half, breaking a run of five straight Swans majors.

All-Australian Swan Errol Gulden is leading the disposal count with 17, ahead of teammates Callum Mills (16), Brodie Grundy (16) and Jesse Dattoli (14).

North’s leading disposal winner is Tristan Xerri.

A reminder that this is the Roos’ last game of the season. Alastair Clarkson’s team didn’t quite scrape into the wildcard round.

Sydney will have a week off before taking on reigning premiers Brisbane at the SCG in a qualifying final.