If previous form is any guide, then Swans’ forward Ben McGlynn should be looking forward to this weekend’s clash with St Kilda.
In the Swans’ last two matches against St Kilda, McGlynn has been a stand-out performer for Sydney, averaging 21 possessions and seven tackles against the Saints, and kicked two important final quarter goals in last year’s elimination final victory
But when asked about his form, McGlynn told sydneyswans.com.au he was more focused on fulfilling his team role than any individual brilliance.
“(My performances) might have been a bit of luck, but in both those games I had some shut down roles on a couple of their key players and obviously in a final you want to contribute to the team as best you can,” he said.
“I was on (Leigh) Montagna and (Nick) Dal Santo, who are two of their key play-makers in the middle so it was good to get on them in the final.
“We were very lucky to play them twice within a four week period, so we knew their game plan pretty well and both times I was lucky enough to play on the same opposition.”
McGlynn hopes to take on a similar role for the Swans at some stage this year, with the 26-year-old aiming to build up his forward line form for more roles in the midfield this season.
“I’m just doing little bits here and there, but obviously want to contribute more to the team,” he said.
“I’m playing a lot forward at the moment, and that is where I can start to get back into some form and hopefully get in the midfield.
“I’ve been talking to (assistant coach)Stewie Dew a bit and trying to hopefully get in there in weeks to come, but forward at the moment is where I want to get into some form and apply some pressure.”
McGlynn said he hopes to mirror the inside game of team mate Kieren Jack, who has successfully bridged the gap between small forward and midfielder.
“I guess with the bigger bodies in (the midfield) I need to be able to play on bigger opposition and obviously Kieren Jack is the perfect example of being a similar size to me, and he holds his own in there,” he said.
“Just being able to play that defensive side in the midfield as well as the offensive will allow me to get in there and learn and adapt to the level that it is inside.”
Playing in Melbourne for the second time this season this weekend, McGlynn said the team’s poor performance against the Tigers a fortnight ago was the ‘reality check’ they needed to get back on track this season.
“The Richmond game - you can’t take too much out of it - but it was a bit of a wake-up call for us because we were going OK before that,” he said.
“It is good to get a reality check every now and then just to see where we’re at, and it showed that there are probably a few areas that we needed to work on, and we managed to do that on the weekend against Melbourne.
“Hopefully we can continue that winning form this week and get a win in Melbourne.”
