The Sydney Swans travel to South Australia this week to take on Port Adelaide under Saturday night lights. Senior coach John Longmire has named side with two changes for the Adelaide Oval clash.
Fan favourite James Rowbottom will make his return to the team after sustaining a knock to the cheekbone in Round 18. He will be a much-needed addition with star personnel out with injury including Tom Papley, Justin McInerney and Dane Rampe.
Aaron Francis is set to play his fourth match this season as he replaces Lewis Melican. The defender was subbed out during last weekend's match with hamstring tightness.
Speaking to Sydney Swans Media, Longmire wanted to err on the side of caution.
"Melican obviously has had a history of some soft tissues, so we didn't want to push him too hard, so we made the decision to be conservative," Longmire noted.
He continued, touching on Rowbottom, "It's great to have James back in the team. He's really energetic in our midfield and goes after the opposition really hard."
The team remains first on the ladder but will be looking to reaffirm their place in the winner's circle after two recent losses.
The last time the Swans met Port was in Round 4 of the 2023 season. The red and white went down by two points after a goal from the visitors late in the final quarter. Port Adelaide have won four of their last five matches.
"They've got some terrific midfielders, there's no question about that," the senior coach said.
"They're a high energy team, they play a high energy brand of footy. So it's good to get back to the Adelaide Oval. We expect a big crowd and a red hot contest."
The Swans will run out on Saturday, August 3 from 7:30pm local time. Sydneysiders can tune in on Channel 7, Kayo or Fox Footy from 7:00pm AEST.
