They knew it, their coach Rodney Eade knew it and their army of fans in Sydney watching the game on television knew it. They had worn down Melbourne and were finishing on top. That magical ingredient all teams need to win, momentum, was going their way. Daryn Cresswell put them ahead by three and then Brett Kirk stretched it to nine. Eade said later that, at that point, they should have won.
Little things can swing a game and they gained a second breath because of it.
It just shows you how much this game is played between the ears. 10points clear, there were 10minutes left on the clock. The game was there for the taking with Melbourne on the ropes. But instead of keeping up the momentum, the Swans went back into their shells. With just a few minutes to go, a Melbourne behind created Swans indecision, and then a free was awarded against Jason Saddington.