Sydney co-captain Kieren Jack won the Brett Kirk Medal for his best on ground effort of three goals and 25 disposals. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: The Daily Telegraph
WHEN it was time for a Sydney Swans leader to step up last night, co-captain Kieren Jack was the man.
It was also fitting that a Sydney boy born and bred took out the Brett Kirk medal as the best player in the "Battle of the Bridge", showing how far the code has come in this city.
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"It was good to lead the boys out for the first time, that was something that meant a lot," Jack said.
"There are some really good people in there, some really good players I respect. To lead them out was something I'll always remember."
To claim the award named in honour of his former teammate and one of the Swans' most celebrated players was
"I respect the bloke enormously and he's a player I tried to model my game on," Jack said.
It wasn't pretty, but the premiers did what they needed to as they got the better of a much-improved GWS Giants in the season-opener.
"The first game of the season you want to get off to a good start and we did," Swans coach John Longmire said.
"If we knew we would take a 30-point win before coming here tonight, I would have taken it."
Norm Smith medallist from last year's grand final, Ryan O'Keefe, gave Jack a run for his money as best on ground, shutting down Giants youngster Toby Greene.
O'Keefe kept Greene to 11 possessions while chalking up 27 touches himself.
The Swans led at every change, with a four-goals-to-nil opening quarter setting up the victory.
Grand final hero Mike Pyke celebrated the birth of his first child just eight days ago with the opening goal.
Fellow ruckman Shane Mumford was unstoppable as he took three contested marks in front of goal but could only convert one of them.
The Giants' Jonathon Patton and Jeremy Cameron didn't bother the stats sheet in the first quarter but made up for it in the second when they helped their side wrestle the lead back at one point.
Patton's two goals were eye-catching, the first coming from a 55m bomb and the second with a strong mark on the lead.
When Devon Smith slotted a banana kick from the boundary line, GWS had their noses in front by five points.
The Giants' run only served to spark the premiers into action. Jack swooped on some costly mistakes to snap two goals and Pyke marked and goaled to establish a 26-point lead at the long break.
Jack was lucky to get away with an ankle tap his rugby league champion father Garry would have been proud of
as Stephen Coniglio ran into an open goal.
The frustration began to show on Giants young gun Jeremy Cameron who punched the fence in anger and cut his knuckles.
GWS were still well in the match when Liam Sumner goaled and could have been closer when he missed on the run from close range.
A running goal to Adam Treloar closed the gap to 19 points but the Swans steadied again through Sam Reid and Jude Bolton.
The Giants were gallant but didn't have quite enough experience to really threaten the reigning champion.
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