Dan steers a course towards Port berth
Neil Cordy
The Daily Telegraph, March 28
Star Sydney midfielder Dan Hannebery is bashing the door down for inclusion in Sunday’s showdown with Port Adelaide at the SCG.
The three-time All Australian was close to boarding the plane for Perth last week to face West Coast but was given an extra week to prove his fitness as he recovers from a calf injury that kept him out of most of the Swans’ pre-season matches.
“Hanners played on Friday night and got through really well,” Swans coach John Longmire said.
“His GPS numbers were terrific and he felt great. That’s the next step up from where he’s been the last few weeks in a training sense.
“He’s done a lot of work training-wise and to get to the game situation and come through that with confidence and playing well was a good sign for him.
“We just have to make a decision on whether he’s done enough to play seniors this week. If he gets through training he’s in the frame.”
Swans’ agony of riches for Port showdown
Greg Denham
The Australian, March 28
Sydney will have to make a tough call at the selection table this week, with up to three regulars poised for possible returns.
Following their first-up win over West Coast in Perth, Dan Hannebery, Sam Reid and Gary Rohan could all available against Port Adelaide at the SCG on Sunday.
Reid was a late withdrawal against the Eagles with a hamstring issue but his replacement Will Hayward was lively and kicked the last two goals of the game.
Hannebery returned from a calf injury in a practice match last Friday, while Rohan stayed at home to be with his wife, who is close to giving birth to twins after issues with the pregnancy.
Three-time All Australian Hannebery was playing in his first game for the year last week and Longmire said his effort was sound. “He got through and pulled up really well, so we’ve just got to make a decision on whether he’s done enough to play seniors this week,” Longmire said.
“His GPS numbers were terrific, he felt great, and that was the next step up from where he’s been in a training senses for the last few weeks. He’s done a lot of work training-wise so to get him into a game situation and have him come through that and feeling confident, was a good sign for him.
“We know he’s a class player, and if he gets through training, he’s certainly in the frame.”
Swans star Dan Hannebery in the frame for SCG homecoming
Andrew Wu
The Age, March 28
Star midfielder Dan Hannebery is on the cusp of returning to the Sydney team in another boost for the premiership favourite.
Hannebery is considered the most likely of the star Swans in the frame to come back for Sunday's clash with Port Adelaide - a team coach John Longmire rates as one of the best in the competition.
Hannebery, who missed the win over West Coast after an injury-interrupted pre-season, impressed in a hit out with the Swans' reserves on Friday. The three-time All Australian running machine needs only to complete training on Thursday for the Swans match committee to sign off his unveiling for 2018.
"His GPS numbers were terrific but he felt great. That's the next step up from where he's been at a training sense for a number of weeks now," Swans coach John Longmire said.
"He's done a lot of work training wise and to get in the game situation and come through that really well and confident and play well was a good sign for him. Another week with that load under the belt is a good sign for him. We know he's a class player, he'll be in the frame no doubt about that."
Creating more one-on-one contests allows key forwards like Lance Franklin to kick bags again
Sam Edmund
The Daily Telegraph, March 27
Dual premiership coach Malcolm Blight says Lance Franklin’s eight-goal haul could hail the return of the centurion goalkicker.
Franklin, the last player to kick 100 goals in a season as a Hawk in 2008, feasted on a glut of one-on-one opportunities to destroy West Coast in a performance that wound back the clock.
Figures supplied by Champion Data reveal Sydney was able to engineer eight one-on-one opportunities for its marquee forward against the Eagles — twice the amount the Swans could manage each game during last year’s 0-6 start.
In the 2017 semi-final loss to Geelong, Franklin was allowed only three one-on-ones inside 50m.
“Going to sleep on Sunday night ... made for the most beautiful recurring dream. There is going to be more than one player genuinely chasing 100 goals this season,” Blight said.
“The declaration that — in this ‘modern era’ of team defence and team attack — there will never again be a 100-goal AFL forward is hogwash.
“The dream is alive again.”
