SYDNEY has pulled off the ultimate escape, with Jai Serong slotting the winning goal to secure a thrilling two-point victory over St Kilda and send a packed SCG into raptures on Sunday afternoon.

Desperately needing someone to step up in the dying moments, Serong did exactly that, delivering the decisive blow to clinch the 15.14 (104) to 15.12 (102) win.

SWANS V SAINTS Full match details and stats

There was very little separating the two sides throughout the match; while the Swans briefly edged the inside-50 count 64–59, the Saints got the upper hand in the clearances, winning the battle 44–34.

In his explosive return to the side after recovering from a calf injury, sparkplug forward Liam Ryan fired home a game-high fifth goal to go along with 12 disposals, capping off his stellar performance by soaring over Brodie Grundy to haul in a spectacular grab for his final major.

At the other end, Sydney's four-tall forward setup delivered mixed early results, as Charlie Curnow and Logan McDonald both missed first-quarter set shots. 

However, the Swans' big men responded strongly in the second term; Hayden McLean scored out the back, McDonald atoned with a straight set shot, and Joel Amartey shrugged off a tackle to snap truly. Curnow then capped the surge with a composed finish to claim his first goal, before adding a second late in the third term. 

McLean later took a strong contested mark and stood tall to convert, cutting the deficit to just one point in the fourth quarter. However, the momentum stalled slightly when Amartey sent a subsequent shot completely out on the full, before another behind to Curnow minutes later as Sydney desperately tried to hit the front.

Compounding the attack, Malcolm Rosas jnr impressed in his return from an ankle sprain, finishing with two goals, while Isaac Heeney also starred with two goals of his own.

The Swans' resurgence came despite a mounting casualty ward. After Justin McInerney was subbed out at half-time with hamstring tightness, Sydney suffered another injury scare with Tom McCartin coming from the ground following a crunching collision with Ryan early in the third term. Although slow to his feet, the defender was able to run off with the aid of trainers, but he took no further part in the match. 

Sydney's medical room was stretched even further late in the game, with Riley Bice (quad), Blakey (ankle), and Callum Mills also picking up knocks.

Celebrating his 100th match, tireless defender Sam Wicks worked hard for his 22 disposals. 

Meanwhile, making his AFL debut just a week and a half after joining the club via the mid-season draft, small forward Campbell Lake finished his first outing with 11 disposals.

Despite McInerney cleaning up a spilled ball to open the scoring, the red-hot Saints quickly dominated the rest of the first term. Ryan turned Callum Mills inside out to snap his first before drilling a set shot 30 seconds later, while Cooper Sharman followed suit with a quick-fire double of his own. 

Jack Sinclair then capped off the opening surge with a monster goal from outside 50 after the quarter-time siren, handing the visitors a 17-point lead and their highest first-quarter score of the season.

Mitch Owens picked up where the Saints left off, maintaining the momentum as St Kilda led by as many as 33 points early in the second term after banging through three straight goals, capped by Ryan adding his third.

However, the Swans kicked the last four goals of the half as Sydney’s forwards finally clicked into gear, cutting the lead to just eight points at the main break. 

The Saints booted the first goal of the third quarter via Ryan — who celebrated with some Michael Jackson dance moves — and Tom De Koning added a second shortly after, yet the Swans refused to back down. 

Once again, Sydney fought back to close the margin to just one goal at the final break.

Warner’s second goal set the stage perfectly, paving the way for Serong to step up and seize his own defining moment.

Returning Saints spark sizzling first half
Returning from a four-week calf injury, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was prolific in his return, collecting 18 disposals and gaining 421 metres in the opening half alone. He also proved a constant threat up forward, registering three shots on goal to finish the half with 1.2. Fellow returnee Liam Ryan was equally impactful after his own five-week calf injury, booting five goals for the match.

Hamstring injury halts McInerney
Having been pulled from last week’s game after rolling his ankle, Justin McInerney endured more injury heartbreak when he was subbed out of the game at half-time with hamstring tightness. Racing to pick up the footy on the boundary line late in the second term, McInerney appeared to tweak the muscle after executing a dribble kick, immediately grabbing at the back of his right leg in obvious discomfort. Despite the setback, he had already played a crucial part in the Swans’ late fightback, finishing the half with 14 disposals, two clearances, three tackles, and a goal.

SYDNEY       3.3    9.9    12.9    15.14 (104)
ST KILDA     6.2    11.5    13.9    15.12 (102)
 
GOALS
Sydney: Rosas jnr 2, Heeney 2, Curnow 2, McLean 2, Warner 2, McInerney, Rowbottom, McDonald, Amartey, Serong
St Kilda: Ryan 5, Sharman 2, De Koning 2, Hall, Sinclair, Owens, Wanganeen-Milera, Wilson, Hill  

BEST
Sydney: Heeney, Warner, Blakey, McDonald, Serong
St Kilda: Wanganeen-Milera, Hall, Garcia, Sinclair, Marshall
 
INJURIES
Sydney: McInerney (hamstring), McCartin (concussion)
St Kilda: Nil

Crowd: 42,143 at the Sydney Cricket Ground