John Longmire has announced a strong squad for this weekend’s final pre-season clash with the Gold Coast Suns at Blacktown International Sportspark.
Longmire revealed Marty Mattner, Ted Richards and Ben McGlynn would all take part in Saturday’s match, as well as young gun Daniel Hannebery, who will have his first taste of football action for the season against the Suns this week.
“We get four quality inclusions back into our team, which is fantastic,” Longmire said.
“(Hannebery) will play in the seniors but how much game time he will have is still to be determined but we were tossing up whether to play him last week in the seniors.
“We know he is a really good player for us at his best, so he will be back for us this week.”
Longmire said this weekend was the group’s last chance to secure much needed match time ahead of next weekend’s round one clash with cross-town rivals GWS.
“Teddy Richards, Marty Mattner and Benny McGlynn have all played at different times over the pre-season so we just want to get them back into the team before next week’s game,” he said.
“Daniel Hannebery is one we wanted to get back into the team and just get him playing. He won’t play the entire game but we want to get him back into the senior team and get him going because we know he is a quality footballer.
“If he plays this week he is right in the mix for round one.”
While the club is set to boast a strong team against the Suns this weekend, Longmire said they will be without the services of Ryan O’Keefe, who is still recovering from a case of bone bruising to the knee.
“Ryan (O’Keefe) won’t be playing,” he said.
“Bone bruising is really tough to monitor and changes from week to week, so we just have to make sure that he is actually going to be right.
“I think if he misses this week, which he will, he will be unlikely to be fit for next week.”
Longmire said the club’s number one priority was fitness, and said injured players would not be rushed to return in time for round one.
“Everyone gets hung up on round one, when the reality is 22 players will play next week in round one, but we used 35 last year across the season,” he said.
“Round one is important but so is every other round and we’ve got to make sure that we get our players right for a good season of quality AFL football, whether that means round one, round two or three.”
Match Day information for the game at Blacktown can be found here.
The full 25-man squad for Saturday afternoon's game can be found below:
NAB Challenge
Sydney Swans v Gold Coast Suns
Saturday March 17, 2012
1.00pm
Blacktown International Sportspark, Sydney
2 SHAW Rhyce
3 McVEIGH Jarrad
4 HANNEBERY Daniel
9 MALCESKI Nick
11 LAMB Jed
12 KENNEDY Josh
13 EVERITT Andrejs
14 BIRD Craig
15 JACK Kieren
16 ROHAN Gary
20 REID Sam
21 McGLYNN Ben
24 BOLTON Jude
25 RICHARDS Ted
26 PARKER Luke
29 MATTNER Martin
30 ROBERTS-THOMSON Lewis
32 JETTA Lewis
34 JOHNSON Alex
37 GOODES Adam
38 PYKE Michael
39 GRUNDY Heath
40 SMITH Nick
41 MUMFORD Shane
44 CUNNINGHAM Harry
