There are plenty of talking points after the AFL's semifinal weekend, with one of the biggest being whether the Swans can back up after such a breathtaking performance against Brisbane in their qualifying final.
Let's get to this week's overreactions column, where we judge the biggest takeaways as legitimate or irrational.
The Swans spent all of their emotional tickets in their stirring qualifying final win
Almost nobody gave Sydney a chance of knocking off back-to-back reigning premier Brisbane in their qualifying final at the SCG. The club was reeling in the aftermath of one of its biggest scandals in history, having dumped five players for their involvement in the Pullman Hotel saga, and appeared a prime candidate to depart finals in straight sets.
And yet for two-and-a-half hours they embarrassed the Lions, booting 21 goals to win by 53 points in one of the most unexpected, electric performances in recent finals history. Now a preliminary final date with minor premier Fremantle at the SCG awaits. Win that and it will be a sixth Grand Final appearance in 16 years and a third in the last five years.
Verdict: Overreaction
The question on everyone's mind ahead of Friday night's clash against the Dockers is whether the Swans spent too much emotional energy in that stirring win over Brisbane. It truly was a backs-against-the-wall type performance, the kind of unexpected victory that can lift an entire football club, and its fanbase, out of its mire.
Of course, I'm speculating and this is only a hunch, but I think they can keep the momentum rolling. Call me crazy, but I'd be far more concerned if Sydney had to back up the following week. Instead, the Swans players have been able to put their feet up for two weeks, gently float back down to earth after what was such an incredible high, and then switch their focus to their preliminary final task at hand.
Adelaide just showed us how an emotion-sapping win can come back to bite you the following week. The Crows held off the Bulldogs at home in a cutthroat elimination final last week, a game that reportedly saved Matthew Nicks' future and was a farewell to Taylor Walker's Adelaide Oval career, only to be thrashed seven days later by the Lions. Of course, the Lions are a competition benchmark, but the Crows' first five minutes looked like a team 'out of tickets'.
You also have to love how so many Swans either found form or carried on their purple patches against Brisbane last time out. Logan McDonald played the game of his life, kicking a career-high six goals. Charlie Curnow and Tom Papley were both electric with five goals apiece. And Errol Gulden might be the most in-form man in the competition.
With all due respect to the Dockers, beating Fremantle at the SCG isn't a more difficult task than beating Brisbane at the SCG.
-- Jake Michaels
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