Sydney Swans defender Lewis Roberts-Thomson will make his long awaited return to competitive football in tomorrow afternoon’s reserves game against Belconnen.

Roberts-Thomson completed two quarters of a reserves practice match at the end of March, but has not played an official game since he tore his hamstring in last year’s round 15 win over North Melbourne at the SCG.

Roberts-Thomson is looking forward to returning to the field after enduring a long off-season marred by gluteal and calf-related setbacks.

Fellow defender Tadhg Kennelly will feature in the reserves for the third week in a row on his return from a knee injury, with senior coach John Longmire saying yesterday that Kennelly was just a little bit short of the match-fitness required at AFL level.

“He’s played two games which is fantastic,” Longmire said of Kennelly.

“There’s no doubt the intensity of AFL football and the time that players are staying on the ground has gone up, therefore you’ve got to make sure they’re fit when they come into play.

“Even the star players need to play some reserves games when coming back from injury…and we’ve got to make sure he’s ready (in terms of fitness) in the short, medium, and long term - not just the short-term.”

Small forwards Jarred Moore and Trent Dennis-Lane will also get their opportunity to build match fitness in their second week back from ankle injuries.

Ruckman Mike Pyke will return to the side having stayed with the senior team in Perth last weekend as an emergency.

The Sydney Swans reserves will play Belconnen at the SCG from 3.40pm as a curtain-raiser to tomorrow night’s much anticipated senior game between the Swans and the Geelong Cats.

NEAFL - Round 2
Sydney Swans Reserves v Belconnen
Saturday, April 16 2011
SCG - 3.40pm

1 SEABY, Mark
7 MEREDITH, Brett
8 DENNIS-LANE, Trent
10 CURRIE, Daniel
11 LAMB, Jed
17 KENNELLY, Tadhg
23 JOHNSTON, Lewis
26 PARKER, Luke
28 MCNEIL, Dylan
30 ROBERTS-THOMSON, Lewis
33 MOORE, Jarred
36 MCKAIGUE, Chris
38 PYKE, Mike
43 KRUGER, Euguene
45 GORDON, Nathan
46 HAREN, Ben
47 POTTER, Jackson
48 GUTHRIE, Blake
49 KENNY, Nathan
50 BRAIN, James
51 LYNCH, Jack
52 THOMPSON, Mitch
53 MURPHY, Kane
54 WALES, Tim