Sydney Swans midfielder Oliver Florent has revealed which of his young teammates he thinks have what it takes to excel in their first final when the Swans face Greater Western Sydney in a do-or-die clash on Saturday.
Sydney has re-emerged after two seasons without finals due in part to the rapid development of a young group that has helped refresh both the playing list and its preferred style.
While the team that thumped Gold Coast last week sparkled with nine players aged 23 or under, the Swans also had 10 players that are yet to feel the heat of finals football.
That will change when they take on the Giants in a knockout final on Saturday, but 23-year-old Florent is confident his younger teammates will rise to the occasion and has named three finals debutants to watch.
"We've played a few games this year that felt like finals intensity or have been really close games, and a lot of the young guys really stepped up,” Florent said.
"Justin McInerney is definitely one to watch, he’s not afraid to take the game on. Errol Gulden is another one with his attack on the ball and the way he uses it.
"Sam Wicks doesn't mind some niggle and is always talking to the opposition, so I think he'll step up as well.”
The number of young Swans playing their first final is likely to grow if Callum Mills doesn’t overcome his ongoing Achilles issue, with second-year players Chad Warner and Dylan Stephens potential options to replace him.
Mills, who was named in this year’s All-Australian squad, would be a costly loss for the Swans, especially with co-captain Josh Kennedy also in doubt due to a hamstring strain.
Florent has spent more than 70 per cent of his playing time on a wing this season but could take on more of an onball role against the Giants if Mills and Kennedy are sidelined.
"I'm definitely ready for the challenge of helping out when someone goes down, I always feel like that's a time I need to step up and provide something,” Florent said.
"It's unfortunate that those boys are still trying to overcome their injuries, they're super players and we want them in our team.
“We all complement each other really well in our different roles, but we're always rotating and getting each other into the game, so it's not necessarily about a hierarchy of onballers, which is good for our balance and will help if they miss out.”
While several Swans will play their first final this week, Florent is one of three – along with Will Hayward and Tom McCartin – that played against the Suns last week and have only played in one final.
The trio made their only finals appearance so far in 2018 in what is about to feel like a familiar scenario – an elimination final against crosstown rival GWS.
The Swans’ No.11 pick in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft has a pretty simple message for his teammates set to make their finals debuts this week.
"This is my fifth year and I've only played in one finals game, so the main message is they don't come as often as you might think and when they do come you have to make the most of it,” Florent said.
"The older guys have had a lot of experience in finals and you just sit back and listen to them tell their stories, but I want to have my own.
"I want to be telling the new kids on the block what it was like playing in finals, and telling them about this year on the road and in lockdowns, making it to the finals and doing something special. It would make a pretty good story.”
