That’s it from the Sydney Cricket Ground where the Sydney Swans have defied a skinny midfield to inflict a 22-point defeat on the Melbourne Demons. Thanks for your company tonight and best wishes to you and your clubs for the 2024 season!

Sydney are whooping it up in the sheds surrounded by greats – 1982 captain Dennis Carroll, club great Greg ‘Diesel’ Williams (who reminds us he kicked six and notched 52 disposals) on this ground. Injured veteran Luke Parker calls this a “massive win” for the club and says he’s recovering well from his injury. Paddy McCartin reckons his brother Charlie is better than he ever was. Kieren Jack, a homegrown hero from the Pennant Hills Demons club north of Sydney, is in the mix. Former Swans skipper Jude Bolton has shed his imaprtiality as a commentator to embrace new ruck Grundy. “I spent the best part of 12 months studying Maxy,” says Brodie. “It was a great battle but right now I’m overwhelmed. It’s great to be back on the park competing and having fun.”

Q4: 1 mins remaining. Sydney 12.14 (86) v 9.10 (64) Melbourne The Demons dig it out of their end and Billings does well to advance it inside 50. But the Dees know it’s over and after some more fumbling and bumbling the siren sounds on a first round defeat for Max Gawn’s men. A comprehensive win from the Swans in the end.

Q4: 2 mins remaining. Sydney 12.14 (86) v 9.19 (64) Melbourne Nick Blakey logs his 25th possession of the night and seeks out Fox b ut Langdon dives to get it back for the Dees and Howes finds Sparoow who offloads to Lever then Langdon. Clayton Oliver is the final link in the chain but his kick from the right flank looks tired and falls short. Bayley Fritsch hasn’t lost his hunger though. He kicks his fourth.

Q4: 3 mins remaining. Sydney 12.14 (86) v 8.19 (58) Melbourne The Dees are turning on each other now as May berates Lever for not rushing into the contest with McDonald. As the Sydney Sydney Sydney chant goes from an SCG crowd of 40,112 , Lever gets it to Petracca who is taken high. Melbourne can’t take advantage though. Sydney slowly pinball it out of their territory and into the middle, then forward. Sparrow takes a bouncing ball and is taken around the collar. He gets it to Viney but he air swings. Petracca does better but not good enough to goal.

Q4: 6 mins remaining. Sydney 12.14 (86) v 8.8 (56) Melbourne Beautiful clearance by Fox to Campbell and suddenly Sydney are pressing again. Melbourne look tired but it’s Heeney marking and then cramping. He could kick for goal but instead he stabs a smart ball to Logan McDonald who climbs high to claim the mark from 25metres out. Goal!

Q4: 7 mins remaining. Sydney 11.14 (80) v 8.8 (56) Melbourne Gawn is really hobbling now. He’s been beaten by Grundy tonight so his ego must be bruised but his body is broken too. The 208cm Demons skipper stays on the field though and he helps Oliver set up Chandler but it comes to nothing as Sydney spoil in the goal mouth. Melbourne have it locked in but time is running out.

Q4: 9 mins remaining. Sydney 11.13 (79) v 8.8 (56) Melbourne Bang! McLean bashes May in the contest and Sydney get the ball back. Grundy and Gawn come together, and the new Blood gets his fist to it first sending Gawn sprawling to the turf and getting up very gingerly. Campbell slips it inside to Fox who shoots fast and wide. Still in play though. Hayward snaps but the Dees smother. Good work by Caleb Windsor again. He;’s had a good game the youngster. Robbie Fox still gets a shot but he fox it up royally.

Q4: 11 mins remaining. Sydney 11.13 (79) v 8.8 (56) Melbourne Sydney have stolen another one! This time it’s a ground level kick from Robbie Fox. Two in two minutes! But then a bit of bizarre luck/ skill for Jacob van Rooyen who gets a boot on one as he’s falling and flukes a major. Is that a turning point to ignite a late Melbourne surge?

Q4: 13 mins remaining. Sydney 10.12 (72) v 7.8 (50) Melbourne Sydney have surged to a game-high lead of 16 now. They have eight inside 50s to Melbourne’s one in this quarter. Again they advance on goal, but McDonald stiff arms a Dee and gives away a free. It doesn’t natter. Sydney zig and zag through traffic through Warner and McVee’s mark goes pear shaped as Sydney kick another. Make that a lead of 22!

Q4: 15 mins remaining. Sydney 9.12 (66) v 7.8 (50) Melbourne Again Grundy gets the better of Gawn from the restart. Big Maxy is getting his pants pulled down tonight. Blakey snakes into the action and gets it to Hayward who shimmy shimmy shakes through the clinches and then pauses a beat before snapping a gorgeous goal.

Q4: 16 mins remaining. Sydney 8.12 (60) v 7.8 (50) Melbourne Bad clearance by Tomlinson plonks it right into Sydney’s mitts and again Tom Papley is johnny on the spot. But from around the corner he sprays it again. These misses could be costly for the home side. But it doesn’t matter when Grundy finds Chad Warner and he latches onto one from way over 50 out and split the sticks with a booming long range goal. We’ll have a replay here but Sydney are celebrating.

Q4: 17 mins remaining. Sydney 7.11 (52) v 7.8 (50) Melbourne Grundy gets a couple of touches then kicks clear. It’s a speculator though and Hayward can’t clean it up. Tomlinson reefs it back for the Dees and again Grundy outdoes Gawn from the throw-in. He’s been hungry all night has the new Sydney ruckman. If his fingers had been a little stickier he’d be having a blinder. Papley skitters down the left wing and scuds a shot into goal but it’s across the face. Gulden has a shot from the ensuring mnelee but that’s wide too.

Q3: 1 mins remaining. Sydney 7.10 (52) v 7.8 (50) Melbourne This game has suddenly come alive! Now Christian Petracca surges onto a loose ball from the centre bounce and there’s clear air in front. He kicks a fantastic opportunistic goal to get Melbourne back within a point. Now Sparrow makes a steal from the restart. But McInerney gets it back and finds Blakey who makes a swerving lizard run downfield, sidestepping a couple. Who’s waiting? Tom Papley. He plops it in Hayward’s lap for a shot. It’s a shocker but the ball stays in play and gives the Swans a final sniff. McLean lines up from the right wing as the siren sounds but puts it just left.

Q3: 3 mins remaining. Sydney 7.8 (51) v 6.8 (44) Melbourne McLean again takes another fine mark on his chest but Tomlinson manages to jar the ball loose before it’s paid. It spills Rowbottom’s way but his shot sails wide. But Heeney has been taken out in backplay. Looked accidentl to me but and Blakey swoops and hands it off to Hayward who will get a chance to put the Swans back in front. It’s long enough. It’s high enough. It’s straight between the posts!

Q3: 3 mins remaining. Sydney 6.8 (44) v 6.8 (44) Melbourne Almost another for Sydney! Again it was Heeney who sent a terrific kick inside. Rowbottom fluffed the shot but this is great counter-punching by boith teams now. Amartey is off for the zSwans – just three touches for him tonight. John Longmire is trying to find mojo and speed. Sydney have won the clearance s 31-to 23 so far tonight. Both teams concede turnovers until Blakey gets into the goal square for Heeney who is moving too fast this time. Melbourne counter-attack through Christian Petracca who has a swarm of Dees with him. There’s a fumble by her Dees but it’s called a shove and Jack Viney gets a lucky shot from 50metres out… which he nails! Goal to Melbourne!

Q3: 8 mins remaining. Sydney 6.7 (43) v 5.8 (38) Melbourne Ouch! Jake Bowey has popped a shoulder and is being taken down below for treatment. The feisty ginger shakes his head. His night looks done. But Sydney’s night isn’t. Heeney’s second effort means he gets a flying toe to a ball Melbourne should clean up in goal. But they charge at it and it slips though. Hayden McLean picks it up and pings it through for a major.

Q3: 8 mins remaining. Sydney 5.7 (37) v 5.8 (38) Melbourne Again Grundy gets involved, winning it back on the left wing and getting it to Joel Amartey on the fly. Amartey has time and space but rushes a kick and it flies wide. And Melbourne make them pay! Bayley Fritsch is alone in space, Sydney are waiting for the whistle and Fritsch kicks a huge goal for the Demons!

Q3: 10 mins remaining. Sydney 5.6 (36) v 4.8 (32) Melbourne That goal hurt the Dees and straight away Simon Goodwin turjns to a veteran to turn the tide. Bailey Laurie is off and Jack Billings is on. He has 155 games under his belt for St Kilda but this is his first for Melbourne. Can he make an impact? Grundy and McDonald do well for the Swans but they’re rushed over the boundary and Spargo and Chandler combine down the right wing. There’s a shot but it’s way right. Judd McVee makes amends though, intercepting and chipping it inside to Bayley Fritsch who leads well and kicks truly. Melbourne are back!

Q3: 12 mins remaining. Sydney 5.6 (36) v 3.8 (26) Melbourne That was a wonderful mark and a terrible miss by McLean. Viney chips a nice kick over the top but McLean, still angry, gets a fist on it. Heeney goes high on Lever but gets away with it. Now McLean steals a march and lines up another shot. It’s a better kick this time… GOAL!

Q3: 13 mins remaining. Sydney 4.6 (30) v 3.8 (26) Melbourne Papley snaps but it’s across the face for a point. Grundy nails Sparrow in a tackle. He has started this half superbly, getting under Gawn;’s griull in the middle and hunting possession on the fringes. Windsor is having a good first game but he gets barrelled over the boundary. Cunningham puts it on Hayden McLean’s chest but it bounces off and it takes Laurie to scoop it off the deck and find Salem. There’s a tussle on the ground and Sysney win the free. New boy Jordon pumps a low ball into the goal square and McDonald gets a shot from the left wing. It’s wide and short but Hayden McLean redeems his earlier fumble and takes a great mark. Only to deliver the worst kick of the night for a behind.

Q3: 17 mins remaining. Sydney 4.4 (28) v 3.8 (26) Melbourne Grundy wins the bounce again and then gets involved on the wing, winning it back with clean ball to McDonald who puts it inside 50. Sydney snaps but it has skimmed the post. Behind.

Q3: 18 mins remaining. Sydney 4.3 (27) v 3.8 (26) Melbourne Here we go for the second half! Grundy surges into the circle and taps it back. Honours even in the first half between Grundy and Gawn. The clearance finds Blakey whose delivery is pinpoint. Not so the next kick. Viney tackles Heeney and Melbourne surge back. Sparrow finds Petracca at speed and he offloads to Fritsch. Good play by Melbourne and they’ve kicked the goal!

Q2: 1 mins remaining. Sydney 4.3 (27) v 2.8 (20) Melbourne Can Melbourne find something before the long break? Schache tries but whether the ball is slippery neither tem can make it stick in the mitts for long. Melbourne have 13 free kicks to Sydney’s eight as we enter the final minutes of the half. Melbourne tempers starting to fray and Blakey wins a free. Cunningham takes a shot but it’s a wobbly one and Oliver clears, Petracca is on his hip, he swivels past Rowbottom and finds Windsor who punches it to Ed Langdon who lines up the shot 45 out… and kicks it! Great strike by the Dees.

Q2: 3 mins remaining. Sydney 4.3 (27) v 1.8 (14) Melbourne Sydney attack through Cunningham but Melbourne’s pressure has improved and they win back possession through Howes. Well played young man! Oliver is leaning into the contest now, he slips a magic ball to Viney but Jordan gets it back for Sydney and goes wide. Rampe is roaming in midfield and he sends it to Grundy who fumbles the mark but gets a handball to a teammate. Tomlinson and Schache combine on the right wing to defuse the surge.

Q2: 5 mins remaining. Sydney 4.3 (27) v 1.8 (14) Melbourne Papley skirted the boundary to 45 metres out but Melbourne did well to snuff the opportunity. Salem clears but again Sydney pinch it only to push the handball to McInerney over the boundary. Sydney get it back but May is taken out of the contest and wins a crucial free. The Dees clear through Salem but Petracca fumbles and Sydney swarm and the crowd jeer the Melbourne champion. Gawn is off so Oliver picks up the cudgels and finds his boyhood mate Petracca on the fly. Good kick on the run 30 out… but it hits the post.

Q2: 8 mins remaining. Sydney 4.3 (27) v 1.6 (13) Melbourne Oh no! Strike that and reverse it. Replays show a fingertip on the Neal-Bullen kick. A goal becomes a behind and Melbourne fans slump a little deeper in their seats. They recover though and Salem gets it back into the Sydney red zone. But Rampe delivers a massive don’t argue fend on Rivers and gets it out of danger. Melbourne are static, their forwards are just standing still waiting for the ball whereas Sydney are kinetic.

Q2: 10 mins remaining. Sydney 4.3 (27) v 2.6 (18) Melbourne Melbourne look scattered and rattled at the moment. Even Petracca can’t find the answers he usually does. He has found plenty of the pill against the Swans in their recent contests, averaging 27.8 touches, 5.8 inside 50s and 4.4 clearances in his last five games. But so far not tonight. Melbourne have had 24 disposals inside 50 to Sydney’s six at this stage. But finally the Dees convert through Neal-Bullen, producing a goal out of nothing to get back in it.

Q2: 11 mins remaining. Sydney 4.3 (27) v 1.6 (12) Melbourne Windsor does well for Melbourne on the flanks. Grundy looks like he’s heading to the bunker to cool his jhets. He’s done well so far but just the one touch thus far for fellow Sydney debutant James Jordon. Now another first-gamer gets. chance as Howes puts a kick near goal but agains Sydney swamp the contest and win it back. Cunningham slows it down, gets it to Rampe who reefs it bacjk into the middle. Good defence by May forces the turnover though.

Q2: 14 mins remaining. Sydney 4.3 (27) v 1.6 (12) Melbourne Warner splits the Dees! His kick finds Spargo though. He clears but errantly and Nick Blakey sets Sydney up afresh. Papley surges and handballs to McInerney who pivots in the sling tackle and gets good purchase on his left. Goal!

Q2: 15 mins remaining. Sydney 3.3 (21) v 1.6 (12) Melbourne Tomlinson wobbles a short kick to May and the Dees move it downfield but Fritsch spills the pill. Heeney intercepts and gets it to Hayward who tries to hook a right footed kick over his left shoulder but there’s no oomph on it and the Dees steal it back a few metres from goal. Fast movement by Salem gets it inside 50 but again Melbourne fail to make Sydney pay.

Q2: 18 mins remaining. Sydney 3.3 (21) v 1.6 (12) Melbourne Bounce is true and Heeney gets the best of it. McInerney gets the worst of the contest, he goes down with an eye injury. Gawn wins the free though and he dishes it up to Spargo who looks for Fritsch but can’t find him. The Swans swarm for the clearance and win it but Windsor is dispossessed and Sparrow finds Viney who shoots… but misses by plenty.

Q1: 1 mins remaining: Sydney 3.3 (21) v 1.6 (12) Melbourne Here come the Dees. Jake Lever intercepts and puts it long on the toe and finds Sparrow who offloads to Oliver and Lever sends it inside -50 but again the banana fails and the kick sprays across the face. Seven scoring shots to six but the Dees are nine points behind.

Q1: 2 mins remaining: Sydney 3.3 (21) v 1.5 (11) Melbourne Great tackle by Gulden on Clayton Oliver but the key Dee has had nine touches already and won’t be cowed tonight. But just when Melvourne looked like reverseing the momentum Papley latches onto a loose ball and scuds a kick that bounces end over end and finally dribbles between the big sticks. Goal!

Q1: 3 mins remaining: Sydney 2.3 (15) v 1.5 (11) Melbourne Brilliant mark by Bayley Fritsch but he botches the kick and it’s another ugly behind. Blakey has gone off for a spell as Jack Viney dumps James Rowbottom like a WWE wrestler. The arm wrestle is on here. Petracca takes a shot but he skies it and Sydney gets a touch to scuttle the goal.

Q1: 5 mins remaining: Sydney 2.2 (15) v 1.2 (9) Melbourne Grundy wins another bounce but Viney pinches it. The Dees squander it again though and another low direct kick from Blakey finds a diving Cunningham. Spargo makes the steal from the mongrel punt that follows though but he’s tackled in the middle. High tackle on Gulden by Salem earns the free and Sydney set up through Brayden Campbell. Grundy is down there to take the tap but is too slow to split the sticks.

Q1: 8 mins remaining: Sydney 2.2 (14) v 1.2 (8) Melbourne Error from Howes the Demons debutant here and Chad Warner swoops like a seagull on a chip and sends it long. Joel Amartey gets there in time but Melbourne spoil. Last five inside 50s have been Sydney’s as the home side stretch their dominance without converting it on the scoreboard. But then Nick Blakey delivers a sublime chip off the inside of his left boot and Heeney takes the mark 30m out. And he’s on target with the kick. A second goal to the Swans!

Q1: 10 mins remaining: Sydney 1.2 (8) v 1.2 (8) Melbourne Another costly turnover by Sydney but Melbourne fumble their chance and Logan McDonald sends it long. It’s off the side of the boot though and the Swans are penalised for scooping it back infield. Heeney wins it back on the wing now but he gives it to Lever instead of Amartey and Tom Papley has to get involved. He gets a shot from the right but it’s across the face and May gets rid of it with ease

Q1: 13 mins remaining: Sydney 1.1 (7) v 1.2 (8) Melbourne Bad miss by Spargo! Oliver lobbed the ball into his hands from 20 metres out but the young man rushed the kick and pushed it left. Now Errol Gulden gets involved, selling some candy to Petracca and delivering inside 50 to Tom Papley who paddles it back into traffic. Gulden produced a career-best 42 touches against the Dees last year. Prior to that, however, he had totalled 57 touches in his previous four against the red and blue at an average of 14.25

Q1: 15 mins remaining: Sydney 1.0 (6) v 1.1 (7) Melbourne Oliver does well from the bounce hoofing it way downfield to set up Gawn but Dane Rampe, captaining tonight in the absence of Callum Mills, leads the defence and it’s held up. But not for long, the Dees steal it back and send it to Viney who, despite two Swans tackling him to the deck, gets a left peg to it a metre out and scores. Melbourne ahead!

Q1: 16 mins remaining: Sydney 1.0 (6) v 0.1 (1) Melbourne First score… but it’s a proppy left-footed behind from Max Gawn who had Swans hanging from his other three limbs. Swans recover and Isaac Heeney stabs a kick to Chad Waerner who takes Petracca on. Grundy looks nervous. His handball to Nick Blakey misses him by three metres but Swans hang on inside 50. But what’s this? Ollie Florent picks up the crumbs in space and scores the first major of 2024!

Q1: 19 mins remaining: Sydney 0.0 (0) v 0.0 (0) Melbourne Grundy wins his first bounce as a Swan but messy midfield communication from the Swans forces a turnover and it’s Melbourne’s Jack Viney to notch the first inside-50. Dees in the red zone from the get-go but Sydney clear. Melbourne wins it back but put it into the crowd.

A minute’s silence for former AFL umpire Jessie Baird and his partner Luke Davies.

Baird began his umpire journey in 2011 in the Northern Football and Netball League (NFNL), before moving to Queensland in 2017 and then making his debut on the AFL umpiring list in 2020. In 2023 Jesse moved to Sydney for work and to continue to his AFL umpiring career, which spanned 62 AFL matches, including two finals.

“Jesse developed many close friendships his umpiring career and time at the AFL. He was such a vibrant, fun-loving person, who was deeply committed to umpiring,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said earlier this week.

Players from both sides are wearing double black armbands tonight in tribute to Jessie Baird. This is also the first Sydney-Melbourne clash since the great Ron Barassi , a coach of both clubs, passed away.

Here comes the home side… a nervous looking Brodie Grundy the last man out, no doubt looking forward to leading not from the front but the ruck tonight. The Swans went 12-11 last year and finished eighth but they were deeply erratic, dropping games they shouldn’t have and their finals run was snuffed before it really flared. Can they overcome the loss of such key personnel as Parker, Mills and Franklin to get their 2024 off to a flier? Paul Kelly, Josh Kennedy and Mickey O in the crowd to celebrate the Bloods’ 150th season. Word just in from the box office: tonight is officially a sell-out.

Here come the players onto the field, Melbourne first, keen to best their 16-9 win-loss record last year. ‘Farewell summer, we’re on a mission. All fired up!’ reads the banner. Simon Goodwin says he switched off briefly while swimming at Bondi Beach this morning but now he’s back in ‘scenario planning’ looking forward to “the best version” of Clayton Oliver and unleashing his “big-bodied mids” on this understrength Sydney midfield.

As dusk settles over the Harbour City and crowds flood into the SCG, spare a thought for two former talismans for these two sides who are watching from the sidelines tonight.

Melbourne premiership-winner Angus Brayshaw endured the most difficult offseason of all, with changes to his brain detected over summer from the effects of concussion during his career forcing him to retire at the relatively young age of 28.

Sydney champion Buddy Franklin has 20 seasons and 1066 goals to look back on but, although his later years were wracked by injury, he was never one to sit idle…