Sydney’s relentless pressure and triple-headed forward monster delivered a record-breaking 110-point humiliation of Geelong at the SCG on Thursday night.
The Swans’ sixth straight victory lifted them above Geelong on the ladder into second on percentage as they underlined their flag credentials with a 22.16 (148) to 5.8 (38) demolition.
It eclipsed their previous biggest winning margin over Geelong – set 71 years ago – by one point.
Fresh off a bye, Sydney’s maniacal commitment to defence harried Geelong into numerous errors and in Kurt Tippett (5.3), Lance Franklin (4.3) Adam Goodes (3.1) they had too much firepower for an overworked Geelong defence.
Already without Tom Lonergan and Corey Enright, the Cats lost fellow defender Andrew Mackie to an injury at three-quarter time.
Goodes apologised to Cats captain Joel Selwood after collecting him with a bump in one of the few anxious moments for Sydney.
The Cats were held goalless in the first quarter and to 1.3 by halftime, one of the lowest scoring halves in their history.
The margin should have been even greater but the Swans kicked out of bounds on five occasions and Sydney missed with five successive shots in the second quarter.
The Swans were more accurate in the second half, kicking 14.7.
Tippett kicked 2.2 in the first quarter and goals to Goodes and Franklin – his 600th – set up a 28-3 Sydney quarter-time lead.
With midfielder Craig Bird, who tallied 14 touches in the first quarter, goaling and Tippett getting his third, Sydney stretched their lead to 40 points before Geelong got their first major.
Dawson Simpson kicked truly from near the boundary to end Geelong’s goal drought, but it was a rare moment of joy for the visitors.
Goals to Goodes and rookie Jake Lloyd ensured the scoreboard more accurately reflected the home team’s dominance, as they expanded their lead to 48 by halftime.
Two goals to ruckman Tom Derickx and another to Goodes helped inflate their buffer to 73.
Tom Hawkins, who spent time off the ground with an ankle issue, returned to kick his team’s second goal but Franklin booted two majors to make it a 79-point gap at the final change.
In the last quarter, Swans slammed on eight more goals.
Nick Malceski tallied 37 touches for Sydney, who dominated the clearances, hitouts and stoppages and had 30 more inside 50s.
