We bring you the latest news with some red and white flavour from the newspapers across the country in the latest Swans in the Media.

The Jack is back
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, March 24

KIEREN Jack has cut it fine but will be back for Saturday’s season opener against Port Adelaide at the SCG after proving his fitness at training.

Jack has not played any of the JLT series games after being rested for the first match against North Melbourne and then picking up a hip injury.

Despite the lack of match practice coach John Longmire is confident his former co-captain will be up to the job against Port after completing virtually everything else in the pre-season.

“Kieren did all the training and felt fine,” Longmire said.

“He did everything required of him this week and just needed to tick the box of training hard today.”

Naismith wins battle for top ruck spot
James Buckley
SMH, March 24

Sam Naismith has emerged as the Sydney Swans' number one ruckman and will take on a rejuvenated Paddy Ryder in an intriguing battle of the big men against Port Adelaide on Saturday at the SCG, while former captain Kieren Jack will line up after overcoming a hip niggle.

The 206cm Naismith pipped Callum Sinclair to the post and will rotate with Kurt Tippett throughout the game, the latter making up a towering Swans forward line which also includes Lance Franklin and Sam Reid.

Up against them at the coal face this weekend will be ex-Bomber Ryder, exiled from the game in 2016 after the Essendon supplements scandal but back to prove a point following a 12-month ban.

"Paddy Ryder's had a year off so it's going to be interesting," Naismith said.

"It's going to be crucial for our mids this week, we've got to try and win that contested ball around the stoppages. That's going to be a focus for us going into the game.

"I've just been trying to work on my craft week in, week out. I got an opportunity in round 16 last year. When you get an opportunity to play senior footy, you've got to take it with both hands, you can't just rest. 

"It goes up to another level from playing state league footy so you've just got to take opportunity and do what the coaches ask, it's all about effort."

Lockett more for the rookies
Adrian Warren
The Australian, Daily Telegraph, AAP, March 24

For Sydney fans it’s a match made in heaven but don’t expect to see too many more photos of Lance Franklin taking goalkicking tips from Tony Lockett. At least according to Swans coach John Longmire, who says his prolific star forward’s game doesn’t need much tweaking — even from the AFL’s all-time leading goalkicker.

Franklin was snapped on Wednesday in his first training session with a trimmed-down Lockett, who has returned to his former club as a part-time specialist forwards coach.

The pair conferred as 30-year-old Franklin geared up for tomorrow’s round-one match with Port Adelaide at the SCG.

But Longmire expected Lockett to direct more of his expertise towards the club’s emerging forwards than those already established such as Franklin, Kurt Tippett and Sam Reid.

“Really I don’t think he’s going to be working a whole heap with Lance,” Longmire said.

“His focus is probably going to be a little bit Lance, a little bit with Reidy, a little with Kurt and a lot with the younger players.

“I get really excited when I see him working with James Rose and those guys.

“I don’t think he’ll be tweaking Lance too much, Lance has got a lot of experience in how to kick the ball.” 

Young says Power ready to break Swans hoodoo
Jesper Fjeldstad
The Advertiser, March 24

Port Adelaide will welcome facing Sydney’s specialty — contested and congested ball — after making it a chief concern over summer.

The Power’s round one match at the SCG is expected to be an old-fashioned slog because of the small confines and the Swans’ stoppage-driven style and could be exacerbated by a heavy ground if it continues to rain in Sydney.

But forward Aaron Young says the conditions would also play into Port Adelaide’s hands if it became a game of grit rather than flair.

“Obviously the SCG is a much smaller ground so contested ball becomes a big part of the game,” Young said.

“That’s probably what Sydney pride themselves on and we’ve just got to match them in that area.

“If we can get the ball going our way we’ve got some fire power up forward to kick some goals.

“It’s raining up there at the moment ... hopefully the forecast is for it to dry out by Saturday.

“But if not we go back to old-fashioned footy. You get the ball going your way and hopefully put a couple of goals on the board early and hold on from there.

“We like contested ball; that’s our go as well. We like to tackle and hunt around the contest so the ground should suit us.

“If it’s wet it makes it a bit harder for the skills.

“It’s always hard to get outside ball against them, especially up at the SCG. But if you can win the ball inside and get it out to a runner that would be really handy.”