1. The Eagles made a poor start, completely out-worked by Sydney who were disciplined and energised running hard both ways. The result was a dominant first half that saw the inside 50 count at 39-10 by the main break. Conceding those sorts of numbers is rarely going to end well and by the completion of the match Sydney enjoyed a 65-29 advantage in penetrating the attacking arc. That was damning and so was the contested possession count at 111-148 and the clearances at 27-35, which was better than it looked.

2. There was a media report during the week indicating the Eagles were more effective scoring when Nic Naitanui was off the ground. That’s proof you can manipulate stats to read the way you want. With the three-time all-Australian sidelined for a couple of months with a knee injury, the responsibility in the ruck fell to two developing tall options Hugh Dixon and Bailey Williams. They are both more forward/rucks than the reverse so are still learning the ruck craft. They had good moments but Sydney were dominant out of the middle, which contributed to their dominance.

3. It is a gross understatement to suggest it has been a testing start to the 2022 campaign, but the silver lining continues to be the form of wingman Patrick Naish. A late addition to the list as a supplementary selection player, he was again among the Eagles best, one of the few players around the middle who was running on top of the ground. He had 26 possessions, took five marks and gained 481 metres through his possessions. He is one of only three players to have played all five games this season – the others being games record holder Shannon Hurn and developing half-back Luke Foley.

4. The will to compete is one of the under-rated traits in ‘small’ forward Liam Ryan. He always figures prominently in the pressure act count and was again top four against Sydney. Despite the lop-sided inside 50 count, Ryan managed to hit the scoreboard, kicking three goals from his 10 possessions and four marks.

5. The defence was under siege against the Swans and one man who did all he could to hold up against the avalanche was Tom Barrass, who has had a solid start to the year. Barrass had 16 possessions and six marks – four of them intercepts. With rebounding defenders Alex Witherden (a team high 496 metres gained from 23 possessions) and Liam Duggan, they did all they could to repel the advancing opposition. Duggan also had stints in the middle, rotating with Elliot Yeo.