IT WAS the full Kozzy Pickett experience.

Unfortunately for Sydney, it was on the receiving end of the Narrm star's Sunday afternoon masterclass, falling by a season-high 53 points.

As the sun set on the MCG, Pickett drilled five goals to lead the Demons' 19.17 (131) to 12.6 (78) victory, taking them to five wins from their last six starts.

Narrm was ruthless and persistent, baring its fangs and clamping down on the visitors, with the only blemish on the performance its early conversion, albeit it was still enough to put on its highest score since round seven, 2023.

Things went from bad to worse for the Swans, with captain Callum Mills – playing his first game of the year – sure to come under scrutiny for a high bump on Charlie Spargo, adding to the club's most ill-disciplined season since 2008.

Pickett's ability to find acres of space around stoppage, and then slide forward and lose any direct opponent in the process, was endlessly threatening.

His class bore 24 disposals, six clearances along with his five majors for the match, while Clayton Oliver (31 disposals, 12 tackles, one goal) enjoyed a well-rounded performance by providing just as much defensive pressure as he did attacking movement.

Sydney lacked the precision in its disposal required to effectively execute its desired style of play. Narrm's awareness and ability to defend the corridor and repeatedly pick off any marginally inaccurate kicks inside made it deadly on turnover heading back into attacking 50.

It was a masterful full-ground defensive effort from the Demons; not simply through positioning behind play but sheer work rate to swarm and worry the ball carrier, and those on the receiving end.

Narrm was urgent, but not panicked, with its slick hands out of contested situations and the Swans were often caught trailing the Demons as they exited the affray. The home side ultimately led the contested possessions 157-130 in a key indicator of its dominance.

It was a testament to the form of Demon Jake Bowey (17 disposals, 401 metres gained) that Sydney tagger James Jordon was sent to him early in the game, but so impressive was Christian Petracca (28 disposals, one goal) over the opening half that the Swan made the shift after the main break.

The Demons should have shut the door on the game in the second term, with 11 scores from 23 inside 50s, but only converted three majors. Sydney, meanwhile, generated just five forward entries and lived dangerously in its defensive half for the duration of the quarter.

Despite his side failing to gather any sense of momentum or control throughout the match, Isaac Heeney kept his head high, with three of Sydney's 12 goals to go with 22 disposals for the afternoon.

Kozzy, Kozzy, Kozzy
Kysaiah Pickett, put simply, is a matchwinner. His ability to hit centre stoppages at pace, and generate genuine attack from the scramble is impressive in itself, let alone the way he then slips forward to get dangerous in front of goal. Initially it was forward-turned-defender Sam Wicks responsible for the handover as Pickett moved inside 50. But the communication between the Swans was less than effective, as the Demon repeatedly found space and time to do plenty of damage. Adding to Pickett's impressive five goals and 24 disposals across the match, he did so wearing an Indigenous guernsey designed by his father, in Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

The moment
It was a moment that said plenty. In the fourth quarter, just as Narrm re-affirmed its stronghold on the game, maligned star Clayton Oliver intercepted the footy 40m from goal. The 2021 premiership star went back to kick truly, putting the Demons up by 42 points and beyond reach. The goal was clearly an important one, but more important was the showing from his teammates in celebration, all running to him as if it were the first of his career. Coming from the ground after the goal, he received a deafening round of applause from the 38,520-strong crowd, and a warm hug from Trent Rivers once he reached the bench. After a troublesome few years, Oliver is back playing great footy for a club that has embraced him.

NARRM       3.3    6.11    11.15   19.17 (131)
SYDNEY      2.1    4.1    7.3   12.6 (78)

GOALS
Narrm: Pickett 5, Melksham 3, Sharp 2, Sparrow 2, Fritsch 2, Petracca, Salem, Gawn, Petty, Oliver
Sydney: Heeney 3, Ladhams 2, Campbell, Hayward, Hamling, Blakey, Mills, Warner, McLean

BEST
Narrm: Pickett, Oliver, Petracca, Salem, Gawn, Rivers
Sydney: Heeney, Warner, Rowbottom, Roberts

INJURIES
Narrm: Nil
Sydney: Wicks (hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES
Narrm: Harry Sharp (replaced Charlie Spargo in the third quarter)
Sydney: Taylor Adams (replaced Sam Wicks in the third quarter)

Crowd: 38,520 at the MCG