Wayne Milera apologises after brutal Swans swipe as club legend Adam Goodes lifts mood

Sydney Swans legend Adam Goodes lifted spirits at the SCG on Saturday night with the premiership winning team of 2005 celebrating their 20th reunion, while Crows star Wayne Milera has apologised for his post-match swipe. The Adelaide Crows were far superior to the Swans on Saturday night having kicked 12 unanswered goals on their way to a 21.5 (131) to 5.11 (41) victory.

The Swans were expected to make a contest of the clash having celebrated the famed Bloods team of 2005, but the the Crows battered last year's beaten grand finalists without mercy. Adelaide now move to third (8-4) on the ladder with the Swans' finals hopes hanging by a thread.

Wayne Milera (pictured) has reportedly apologised for his post-match comments towards the Swans, while fans lauded the appearance of Adam Goodes (pictured right) at the SCG. (Images: Getty Images)

Swans coach Dean Cox described the performance as "unacceptable and embarrassing" on a night a group of legends were in attendance. "I didn't expect that on such a massive night for the footy club, when you have a 20-year reunion for a team that played desperate, uncompromising, ruthless football," Cox said.

"That was far from it." The 2005 winning team did a lap of honour at halftime to mark the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough premiership. 

And fans were thrilled to see legend Goodes among the group. Goodes is an Australian of the Year and two-time Brownlow Medallist, and is still close with the Sydney Swans. However, his relationship with the AFL isn't as strong.

Goodes was mercilessly booed by opposition crowds before he eventually retired in 2015, and the AFL later admitted it should have done more to stop the booing. He has been eligible for induction into the AFL Hall of Fame for several years, but appears no closer to accepting the honour. 

And he hasn't attended any official AFL functions since walking away from the game after calling out racism. However, Goodes was in attendance on Saturday night and the crowd adored the legend's appearance with the 2005 group in great spirits.

While the Swans were left embarrassed after the loss in front of club legelds, Crows star Wayne Milera took a dig at the side when they were down. The Swans made the final last year, before going down to the Brisbane Lions in a one-sided contest.

With John Longmire leaving at the end of the season, Cox has stepped in and struggled as injuries have hampered Sydney's season. But after the Swans were left chasing the shadows as seats emptied at the SCG, Milera took a post-match dig at Sydney.

Milera told ABC Sport the Crows could feel the Swans were rudderless at home after the 90-point drubbing. "You could sort of feel it as a group," Milera said after the match. "They were sort of a bit of a rabble, just hearing them on the ground." However, Milera reportedly apologised to the Swans for his comments after the game.

Speaking on the thumping, AFL great Matthew Lloyd was scathing of his assessment and claimed the coaching staff are lost. "Sydney have just fallen apart. They are all at sea," Matthew Lloyd said on Channel 9 in his breakdown of the game. "They just didn't adjust, they didn't adjust...they look dishevelled as a coaching team. Right throughout."

The comment will be a dagger for the Swans who now face 16th-placed Richmond next week. Josh Rachele and Ben Keays both kicked three goals, while Alex Neal-Bullen (25 disposals) and Josh Worrell (24) dominated possession.

Justin McInerney (pictured) and the Swans were embarrased against the Adelaide Crows.

For the Crows, coach Matthews Nicks hailed his group for a dominant performance. "In my short time as a coach, we haven't had a lot of fun up here - we've often gone away disappointed," former Swans player Nicks said.

"We knew Sydney would come out hard, and we had to match that. I'm trying to think through who our standouts were and from a coaching point of view, that's the most pleasing part of the performance - everyone contributed. The first key (takeaway) is we don't start talking about the second half of the season because we've still got a couple of games before the bye, so we just lock in now."

The Swans 2005 premiership winning team pose for a photo.

This article originally appeared on Yahoo Sport Australia at https://au.news.yahoo.com/crows-players-scathing-swipe-on-hapless-swans-as-club-legend-adam-goodes-lifts-mood-024914332.html

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