Assistant coach John Blakey believes a mixture of Ross Lyon’s coaching expertise and Matthew Pavlich’s milestone could make the Sydney Swans’ task of overcoming Fremantle on Sunday all the more difficult.
Blakey told SwansTV for this week’s Coaches Corner that the Dockers pose a genuine threat to Sydney’s hopes for a top two spot, when the two clubs do battle at Subiaco Oval, despite sitting 16th on the ladder with only three wins this season.
Lyon, a former assistant at Sydney, is as experienced and as successful as they come, boasting a winning percentage (61.19) which ranks sixth on the all-time list of coaches to have overseen more than 200 games.
Along with that, Pavlich will become the 15th player in VFL/AFL history to play 350 games.
Blakey says Lyon will be preparing a playing group galvanised and determined to help celebrate Pavlich's milestone in style.
“(Against) any Ross Lyon prepared side, you know you’re always in for a tough challenge,” he said.
“And it’s always made even more difficult when you’re playing them on your home deck.
“Pavlich obviously will play his 350th as well which is an outstanding effort. They’ll be keen to put on a good show for him.
“I imagine we’re in for a tough contest.”
Youth was the flavour of Sydney’s side which defeated Carlton by six points at the SCG on Saturday.
Nine players took to the field last weekend with fewer than 30 appearances and five with 10 or less.
Co-captain Jarrad McVeigh is a chance to return, which would add invaluable experience, but awaits a final fitness test on Thursday to see if he’s overcome the groin problem which sidelined him ahead of the Blues’ clash.
Ted Richards and Ben McGlynn, both omitted last week, also have a fight on their hands to regain a senior spot with Sydney’s younger crop making their mark.
So, as Blakey revealed, another sprightly squad may be taken to Perth for the Round 19 clash.
“What we do as a match committee is pick the best possible side that we have available to us and if that’s youth, so be it,” he added.
“We’ll be picking guys that are in form and a lot of those guys are our younger players.
“We’ve seen a lot of exciting stuff from Aliir Aliir; Callum Mills has been having a terrific year; Isaac Heeney is always dangerous as a forward.
“We’ll pick a side who we think is capable of beating Fremantle this week.”
Sydney hasn’t beaten Fremantle in Perth since 2011, with the clubs’ last encounter coming in last year’s qualifying final in which the Dockers prevailed against an undermanned Swans by nine points.
