John Longmire speaks to the media on all the latest at the Swans, including an update on Peter Ladhams, Tom Hickey and facing St Kilda in Pride Game at the SCG this weekend.
On Ladhams:
We’re going to accept the one week. I had a chat to him today about it, he’s a 24 year old that’s played 40 games and he’ll learn from it. He’s still learning about his footy, still developing as a player, and he’s been good for us. He didn’t get that part of the game right but we all learn from things from this and I have no doubt Peter will come through this, and learn from it and be a better player because of it.
I think the moment of playing against the old team probably built up a little bit. He grew up a street and a half away from Alberton Oval, so it’s the first time he’s been able to do that. It was just one of those things where he let the moment get to him a little bit, and as I said he’s a 40 game player, he’s still learning about what the game provides, how he plays the game, but also the emotional aspects of the game. He’ll be fine, he’ll work through this. He didn’t get that part of it right but he’s been good for us overall this year.
On Tom Hickey coming back from injury:
Hickey played VFL, we had a number of players play well in the VFL. It was good to see him get through a full week of training last week, get through a game so he’s obviously the logical one. Callum Sinclair has pulled up a little bit sore, but it was good to see Tom get through the game and pull up well today.
We’ve got choices, but in the end Hickey has done a couple of weeks of work at training, he’s played a game. The situation is, is he right to go this week? We back the fact in that he’s had some experience and he plays well, he knows what he’s doing on a footy ground.
The Saints have got two quality rucks and a bit of the decision will be how we combat that and understand that’s one of our oppositions real strengths. If we move down the line of picking Tom this week, we’ll be confident he can do the job for us.
On the battle to stay in the top eight:
It’s a reflection of the season, it’s very competitive. It’s how the season has ended up. We understand, and every team understands that it’s really competitive. Any team on any given day is capable of beating anyone else. It’s just how it lines up. Port Adelaide on the weekend, they’ve been preliminary finalists and going into that game they were 5 and 2 from Round 6 onwards. We play the Saints this week who are a very good footy team this year. I just think it’s a reflection of the season, and all clubs are faced with this. It’s what the AFL aspires is to have an even season, and anyone on any given day is capable of beating anyone else. That’s what the AFL wants and that’s what they’ve got.
On St Kilda:
Their best is really good, and is capable of beating anyone else. If you look at last week for instance, in the first half we were on top in contested possessions. We kicked two goals and didn’t take our changes, Port Adelaide got on top in the third quarter and took their chances. St Kilda are a bit the same, we’re a bit the same. I think a lot of teams look in the competition are looking like this, that there’s opportunities where you look like a good strong team for periods of the game, then the opposition get their game going and then it’s about reducing that momentum when they get it and trying to make the most of those opportunities when you get it.
St Kilda when they’re playing well, we saw the start of the third on the weekend when they were able to get their game going and hit the front, in that game there they were very good in periods of the game.
On mid-season draftee Hugo Hall-Kahan finishing with 5 goals and 23 touches in VFL:
He was terrific. He played his first game after meeting the boys the day before, on the MCG. That was a bit of a daunting experience saying g’day to everyone and then going out the next day and playing on the MCG. He’s had a week or two to now get to know the players a little bit better. He’s a great kid, and we saw on the weekend he certainly looks like he’s got some talent, he looked very comfortable at that level and hopefully that continues. He’s still learning, he’s still getting to meet his teammates.
