THE SYDNEY Swans will have to wait another week for Daniel Bradshaw's return from knee surgery after the star forward withdrew from the team to face Richmond on Friday afternoon.
Bradshaw, who has missed the past four games, was named in the side to face the Tigers but coach Paul Roos said before training that he wouldn't take any risks with his leading goalkicker.
"There's still a long way to go in the season. [Bradshaw] needs to be comfortable and the medical staff need to be comfortable that he's pain-free and ready to play the last eight weeks, rather than play and then not play," he said.
Bradshaw's late withdrawal opens the door for West Australian recruit Trent Dennis-Lane to make his AFL debut after a seven-goal game in the reserves last weekend.
Defender Ted Richards replaces Bradshaw in the Swans' extended squad.
It was more promising news for defender Tadhg Kennelly, who is rated a 95 per cent chance of playing against Richmond after missing the round 13 clash against Collingwood.
As promised by Roos earlier in the week, the Swans will field a remodelled forward line against Richmond, with Henry Playfair and Jarred Moore confirmed starters.
Roos was particularly pleased to welcome Moore back into the fold after the small forward proved he had overcome a troublesome ankle.
"He was a really important player for us earlier in the year and the only reason he went out of the side was because he rolled his ankle," Roos said.
"He organises down there, he's hard over the footy, he tackles really well. [They're] some of the things that we've probably missed from him, which he gives us when he comes back in."
Moore, who was recently added to the Swans' leadership group in a mid-season review, said it had been difficult to watch as his teammates suffered a four-game losing streak in his absence.
"I'm not a big fan of watching the side, especially when they're losing. You just want to get out there and help them," he said.
"For a couple of the games I have missed, I've been down in Canberra and I haven't been able to watch the game, so that's helped."
Moore moved to allay any fears about his sprained ankle, saying he had already played a number of games under duress in 2010.
"I hurt it in about round three and that's when it really started. I was able to play about four games through the injury but it just got worse from there," he said.
"I'm pretty confident I can play through most of the season with it."
Regardless of his final team, Roos said the Tigers would present a vastly different challenge to the outfit that lost by 55 points in round three at the SCG.
"With a new coach coming in, it takes a while with new players, young players and getting used to AFL football and the tempo," he said.
"They're a lot better team than when we played them earlier in the season.
"Young players get confidence from wins. If they get beaten all the time, they tend to lose confidence. They're on the right track now, they're up and about and they're playing with a lot of confidence."