That’s more like it
Small forward Tom Papley could not have summed it up better to former player and Daily Telegraph journalist Neil Cordy following Saturday night’s 36-point win over Adelaide.
“I knew we would bounce back after the Giants game,” Papley said in the SCG change rooms. “That’s what the Swans do. I’ve been barracking for them all my life. They don’t get beaten twice very often.”
There is some merit to his observation. The Sydney Swans suffered back-to-back losses three times last season, but before then it had only occurred on 10 separate occasions since 2010.
Stunned after the GWS loss, the Swans bounced back in a big way by bringing a high level of intensity and ferocity to the contest.
They strangled the Crows into submission with unrelenting pressure, storming through to Friday night’s preliminary final against Geelong.
It was a bruising contest though and, with casualties and a six-day turnaround to prepare for, the question on everyone’s minds will be whether the Swans can replicate that performance against the well-rested and in-form Cats at the MCG.
All or nothing
Just one game stands between the Sydney Swans and a 17th grand final appearance.
The devastation of 2014 still lingers like a bitter aftertaste. Those left from that afternoon would want, more than anything, a crack at redemption.
Those who have come since would love to etch their names in the Club's history books.
It will be the Swans’ 85th final and 15th preliminary final. Of the three finals clashes (2005, 1934, 1914) against Geelong, they’ve come away with a win in each one.
The last proved to be one of the greatest finals ever played - the ’05 semi final at the SCG when Nick Davis did the impossible.
Finals, as everyone knows, are a different ball game so the Swans can’t afford to bank on recent results regardless of how favourable they might be.
Yes, Round 16 at Kardinia Park was a good night at the office but plenty of water has flowed under the bridge since then.
Geelong is in red-hot form after coming off eight consecutive wins and, if its qualifying final team remains unchanged, boast eight players from the Clubs’ golden era (2008-2011) who know how to perform on the big stage.
Michael O'Loughlin congratulates Nick Davis on his last-quarter heroics in the 2005 semi final against Geelong.
Injury concerns
The Sydney Swans find themselves in a similar position to this time last season when they braved a finals campaign missing key players, a list featuring Kieren Jack (knee), Luke Parker (leg), Lance Franklin (illness) and Nick Smith (hamstring).
Add Sam Reid (hamstring) to that mix, the key forward going down during the early stages of the qualifying final against Fremantle.
This time around the Swans are in far better shape despite clouds hanging over Jarrad McVeigh (calf), Kurt Tippett (jaw), Gary Rohan (knee) and Callum Mills (hamstring).
John Longmire said there was a possibility of all four being available for the trip to Melbourne, with Rohan and Tippett the most likely of the group.
But it’s a huge risk.
McVeigh’s leadership and decision making across half-back is so crucial and would, if absent, leave a massive hole while Tippett, Rohan and Mills’ importance to the side is also undisputed.
Longmire is renowned to not risk players who haven’t completed a full week of training but with a grand final on the line, does the coaching panel run the gauntlet even if one or two are travelling at - give or take - 70-80%?
Gary Rohan is helped off the ground in last weekend's semi final against Adelaide.
Winning form is good form, but what about the break?
The aforementioned pressure and intensity dished out to Adelaide will be crucial to claiming back-to-back victories.
Geelong are a combative side, boasting a hard-nosed midfield similar to the Swans, so one can only assume clean and effective contested possessions will be worth there wait in gold.
From the outside looking in, the course of Friday’s encounter could go one of two ways.
Will the Cats’ week off benefit them physically?
They’ve had the luxury of a break, having earned the right with a win over Hawthorn in the qualifying finals, playing only once in 27 days, so they’ll be free of any niggles and hungry to playl.
But that’s a long time with little game time.
Sydney is battle-hardened and momentum could play in the hands of the visitors beautifully.
But two bruising finals encounters in as many weeks would have to take its toll. If it comes down to a war of attrition deep into the game, will the Swans have the legs to get the job done?
Last weekend's clash with Adelaide was fierce.
The contests within the contest
In what should be a high-class and highly entertaining 1-v-2 spectacle, there’ll be plenty of individual match-ups which will keep commentators hooked to their binoculars and fans glued to their seats.
The most topical of them all has been whether Longmire will send a hard tag to Patrick Dangerfield, with Tom Mitchell floated as a potential suitor by experts having been given similar roles in the past.
On the other side of the coin, Josh Kennedy might be a player pinpointed by the Cats with Scott Selwood looming as a likely opponent having just had Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell for company in the clubs’ heated qualifying final.
At either ends of the ground, history suggests Lance Franklin and Tom Lonergan will go toe-to-toe while Heath Grundy can match Tom Hawkins for size.
On the back of restricting danger man Eddie Betts in last weekend’s win, Nick Smith may be the man to quell the likes of Daniel Menzel or Steven Motlop.
The ruck battle is also another intriguing duel with Kurt Tippett (pending availability) and either one of (or both) Sam Naismith and Toby Nankervis to square up against Geelong’s Rhys Stanley, Zac Smith and Mark Blicavs.
Sam Naismith goes head-to-head with Geelong's Zac Smith in the clubs' last meeting earlier this season.
