Grundy eclipsed Gawn and won 15 disputed balls, Heeney, pushed in to the middle, was excellent (18 contested balls and 12 clearances), and the 40,000 were on their feet whenever Nick Blakey set off on one of his weaving runs. Blakey and Heeney combined for more than 1100 metres gained - serious damage on the shorter SCG. Blake Howes made an outstanding debut in defence, Chad Warner had a fine second half.

Still, the larger question of this opener surrounded the Demons. Indeed, the Oliver query - how would he cope with a summer of distraction and strife? - also applied to the collective Melbourne Football Club.

From what we saw, it cannot be said that Melbourne were lacking in resolve. They were tough and hard in the contest for a half, but out-gunned and out-run over the second half, particularly the final quarter. Their guns - Petracca, Gawn and Steven May - were only reasonable.

While Petracca had bouts of brilliance - a goal from a centre bounce, and the creation of one for Bayley Fritsch in the third term - these spurts weren’t sustained.

Viney was probably their best, followed by Fritsch and Christian Salem. When the Swans smashed them in the contest ( minus 23 after half-time), the Demons - who rely on winning contests - fell away.

Later, the Demons did not blame the enervating conditions or slippery deck. Simon Goodwin pointed to the contested ball reversal. “That’s what made the game swing their way,” said the Melbourne coach. “They were a lot cleaner and in the end, that’s what makes you look a little bit tired.”

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Oliver himself was respectable, given that he’d played VFL only in February-March (twice), had a period away from club training and spent the summer fending off controversy rather than tacklers.

He gained enough footy - close to 30 touches, several clearances and a slightly under-par 10 contested balls.

Goodwin, thus, could argue that Oliver did more than enough to justify hurrying him back in to the seniors.

Conversely, it’s arguable that Melbourne had an opportunity to make a powerful statement by forcing him to spend more time in the twos. In making their call, the coaches clearly felt playing would benefit Oliver and the team.

“It was a typical Clayton game,” said Goodwin. “He was tough around the clinches in the contest, he’s still got some work to do, probably fumbled the ball a little bit at times...it’s just to see him healthy, happy and back in the program and we’ll get him back to his best pretty quick.”

Like the Demons, Oliver put up a performance that, as the AFL tribunal would say, was reasonable in the circumstances. But neither he nor Melbourne did enough to get over the line against a well-prepared opponent.

SYDNEY SWANS
3.3 4.3 7.10 12.14 (86)
MELBOURNE
1.6 2.8 7.8 9.10 (64)
GOALS - Sydney Swans: McLean 2, Hayward 2, Florent, McInerney, Warner, Heeney, McDonald, Papley, Wicks, Fox. Melbourne: Fritsch 4, Viney 2, van Rooyen, Petracca, Langdon