Playing it by ear
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, July 3
JARRAD McVeigh wants to play on next year but is fighting for his football life with the Swans yet to offer the 32-year-old a contract for next year.
The former co-captain was back in action in Friday night’s convincing win against Melbourne after playing just two games from the previous 13 due to hamstring and calf injuries.
He didn’t miss a beat quarterbacking the Swans defence and gathering 24 possessions and taking 10 marks, but he knows he will have to show a body of work if he is to return for a 15th season in red and white next year.
“If I’m playing at a high level I want to play on,” McVeigh told the Daily Telegraph. “I’ve been tested by injuries and I understand that but if I can play at a high level I definitely want to play on next year.”
Naturally the Swans are nervous extending McVeigh’s career with his recent history of soft tissue injuries but the veteran defender is confident he has his body right after pushing it too hard too quickly at the start of the year.
“Getting back to playing has been a long time coming and it’s been a frustrating year,” McVeigh said.
“Maybe I pushed it a bit hard when we were at 0-6 and I probably wasn’t ready but you live by that. I’ve worked hard to get my whole body right for the back end of the season and hopefully play out the rest of the season and finals. I took the extra time in my rehab to be able to play out the rest of the year, and that’s what it was about. To be able to play in a great win like this [Friday] we move onwards and upwards from here.”
Callum Mills' father opens up on Tomas Bugg hit, calls for AFL to bring in red cards
Andrew Wu
SMH, July 3
The father of injured Sydney defender Callum Mills has called for the AFL to introduce a red card system for serious offences like Tomas Bugg's hit on Friday night.
Darren Mills slammed Bugg for his "low act", which left his son concussed and Sydney down a player after less than five minutes.
The incident has sparked debate as to whether the league should introduce a send off rule for situations where players are unable to play out the game due to a clear illegal strike.
AFL greats Leigh Matthews and Chris Judd are among those in support of the idea. Bugg's strike on Mills comes a week after Richmond's Bachar Houli was rubbed out for four weeks for knocking out Carlton's Jed Lamb. Bugg is likely to face an even longer suspension with his case set to be referred directly to the AFL tribunal.
The Swans also have their worries with Zak Jones likely to come under scrutiny after appearing to make contact with his shoulder to the head of Melbourne's Mitch Hannan. Jones was returning after serving a one-match ban.
Mills will be closely monitored this week before a decision is made on his availability for the Swans' vital clash against fellow finals aspirant Gold Coast at the SCG on Saturday.
Mills' father said it was unfair Bugg was allowed to play on while the Swans were reduced to 21.
"It was a low act, not good for the game and I think the AFL need to look at some version of the red card," he told Fairfax Media.
"Once I could see Cal was up my biggest concern was that being a man down could have a big impact, so to me it has to be evened up during the game."
Alex Johnson on his AFL comeback
Hamish McLachlan
Herald Sun, July 2
ALEX Johnson grew up hoping to play AFL football.
Not a star as a junior, but he got better as he got older.
He was drafted at No. 57 in 2010 by the Swans. He debuted in round three in 2011. He played 45 games in a row.
His 45th was a premiership in just his second year. He hasn’t played AFL since.
In 2013, in a pre-season game, Alex ruptured his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and required a knee reconstruction. It didn’t go well.
In fact, nothing much has since. Five knee reconstructions and 12 operations later, Alex is still searching for his 46th AFL match.
It’s been 4½ seasons of surgery, disappointment, rehab, soul searching, watching and waiting. We spoke about the injury, the setbacks, the “dungeon” and the return game.
HM: You’ve always loved footy?
AJ: Yeah, from a pretty young age — probably from my Auskick days, I think. Maybe earlier. I remember excitedly going down to Glen Iris Park with a bunch of mates that I went to primary school with. Dad was involved and their dads were involved. Auskick was something that I really enjoyed and looked forward to on a Saturday morning. We all did. I just continued to grow a love and a passion for the game.
HM: Drafted to the Swans. A premiership in your 45th game. It all started as you dreamt it would.
AJ: It actually started a lot better than I ever dreamt it would! I wasn’t the most talented kid growing up. I played a lot of seconds football in years 9, 10 and 11 — I couldn’t break into the As! It wasn’t until I was 16 that I thought I might be talented enough to have a crack at it as a career. My No. 1 goal throughout my draft camp was just to get picked up by a club. It didn’t matter whether it was in the draft or the rookie draft, I just knew that if someone gave me an opportunity, I’d be able to make the most of it. It wasn’t something that I thought would happen so quickly, but I knew I could be valuable to a club. I played 45 games in my first two seasons in Sydney — that was well beyond my wildest dreams.
Tom Bugg must be suspended for six weeks
Glenn McFarlane
Herald Sun, July 2
MELBOURNE’S Tom Bugg must be suspended for six weeks for the sake of the game that has already taken enough recent blows to have parents concerned about their kids playing it.
Bugg’s flush left jab to the chin of Callum Mills doesn’t belong on a football field. In fact, it doesn’t belong anywhere. Do that sort of things on the streets, with accompanying with CCTV footage, in this age of the campaign against coward punches, and you could end up on a charge.
That fact alone is surely enough for the AFL tribunal to come down in the hardest possible terms on the controversial Demon when it sits early next week.
It wasn’t brave; it wasn’t a part of the game; and it could have had a much more sinister outcome.
Thankfully, it didn’t, and at least Bugg has since been contrite and embarrassed — as he should be. The Demon doesn’t deserved to be damned forever, but he must serve his penance, and begin to regain the trust of his own teammates, and the rest of the football community.
In a week in which the Bachar Houli tribunal case and subsequent appeal finally ended in a four-week ban over the Richmond defender’s backhanded swipe to Jed Lamb’s jaw, this is the last thing the AFL needed for the image of the game.
Don’t forget that until an in-season and belated crackdown on jumper punches, it had been deemed acceptable for players to make short and sharp contact to the face and the chest so long as there was a jumper attached to it.
Public confidence was lost as a result, and there had to be a change.
Now the AFL tribunal, which came under intense scrutiny for an original manifestly wrong two-week penalty for Houli before it was challenged by the AFL, must punish Bugg to show that AFL football provides a safe working environment.
Johnson makes emotional football return in Sydney Swans NEAFL game
Fox Sports, July 2
FOR the first time in 1736 days, Alex Johnson has played — and successfully completed — a competitive game of football.
And an inspirational goal from the luckless Sydney Swan produced a beautiful celebration.
After undergoing five knee reconstructions, Johnson made his long-awaited Australian rules comeback on Saturday, representing Sydney in a NEAFL clash with the Canberra Demons in Canberra.
And it didn’t take the 25-year-old long to make an impact.
Johnson pushed forward to kick a goal during the early stages of the clash against the Demons at Manuka Oval.
Predictably, fans at the ground — which included around several Swans teammates like Lance Franklin, Dan Hannebery and Dane Rampe that played in Friday night’s AFL game against Melbourne at the MCG — were elated while Johnson was immediately mobbed by his Swans teammates.
“I was pretty rapt about that,” Johnson told the NEAFL website post-game.
“The fact that every bloke on the field came and got around me – it was just an awesome feeling.”
Sydney’s win against Melbourne overshadowed by Tom Bugg’s hit on Callum Mills
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, July 1
LANCE Franklin bounced back to form on Friday night with four goals to help the Swans to a 35-point win over Melbourne and return to the top eight.
But the match was overshadowed by a shocking behind-the-play hit from Melbourne’s Tom Bugg on Sydney’s young star Callum Mills.
The left jab to Mills’ jaw came just minutes into the blockbuster clash at the MCG and left him semi-conscious on the ground.
He was treated where he fell before being assisted off by medical staff.
He went straight into the rooms to be assessed for concussion and was ruled out of the match shortly after.
Adding insult to injury the umpires turned the free kick and certain goal around after Tom Papley remonstrated with Bugg.
In a bad night for the umpires this was one of their worst, rewarding the team who knocked out a player with the ball and saving them a goal.
The added penalty came with the Swans being forced to play almost the entire match one man short.
Just a week after Richmond’s Bacha Houli produced the ugliest incident in years, Bugg trumped him in the worst possible way.
If Houli copped four weeks for his hit on Jed Lamb then Bugg could be facing six.
The Seven commentary team were damning in their assessment of the incident
“He was taken out of the game and punched in the face, do the maths,” Matthew Richardson said.
Sydney Swans too strong for Melbourne Demons
AAP, July 1
SYDNEY have continued their astonishing AFL turnaround, downing Melbourne by 35 points in a hot-tempered Friday night clash.
Lance Franklin booted four majors as Sydney powered their way to an 11.19 (85) to 7.8 (50) victory at the MCG.
Melbourne kicked four goals in quick succession to lead at quarter-time but quickly ran out of puff and were thoroughly outplayed.
The impressive win — Sydney’s fourth in a row — propels them into the top eight after a 0-6 start to the season.
But it was marred by an ugly behind-play hit on Callum Mills from Melbourne’s Tomas Bugg, which left the Swans youngster concussed.
Bugg was reported after knocking out Mills with a nasty left hook to the chin in the opening minutes of Friday night’s game.
The 24-year-old is likely to be referred directly to the tribunal, and after a week where the fallout from Bachar Houli’s hit on Jed Lamb dominated the headlines, Bugg could face a lengthy suspension.
Melbourne also went a man down after halftime with co-captain Jack Viney succumbing to a foot injury.
Sydney roll on as Dees fall victim to their finals push
Courtney Walsh
The Australian, July 1
The resurgent Swans could well be cemented in the top eight after a completed round for the first time this season after humbling an increasingly bruised and battered Melbourne by 35 points at the MCG last night.
After dropping the first six games for the season amid a spate of injuries, Sydney’s hopes of playing in September for the seventh season in succession were considered improbable.
But should Fremantle defeat St Kilda at Domain Stadium tomorrow, the Swans will hold their spot in the eight with a largely favourable draw to come.
It has been a remarkable effort by coach John Longmire to retain the confidence and belief of his squad, with personnel senior and junior now firing.
As incredible as it would have sounded after the loss to Carlton at the end of April, another premiership is within scope if the Swans can maintain their form over the past two months.
Despite entering the match with three strong wins, the picture is less rosy for the Demons. They were comprehensively outplayed despite holding a quarter-time lead. The Swans fianally won 11.19 (85) to 7.8 (50).
Sydney Swans too good for Melbourne Demons in spiteful match
Andrew Wu
SMH, July 1
At stages this season it seemed as if the competition had not only caught up to Sydney but sped right past. Melbourne had appeared to be one such side but on Friday night they became the latest side to fall victim to the red hot Swans.
Sydney are back in the eight and though they are likely to drop out by the end of the weekend, in the form they're in it's only a matter of time before they return.
The quality of Sydney's scalps is growing, as is the manner in which they are winning. Their 35-point victory over the in-form Demons was not pretty - due mainly to inaccurate kicking - but full of merit nevertheless.
The win was marred by an ugly hit off the ball by Melbourne's Tomas Bugg, which floored Callum Mills and ended the young Swan's night prematurely. Bugg had his number taken and is staring at a lengthy suspension.
The Demons started the week in premiership discussions but finished it crashing back to earth with a thud. Capping off a horror night, skipper Jack Viney finished the night on crutches after missing the second half with a foot injury.
So badly were the Demons travelling, Viney's absence would not have changed the result.
This was a smashing everywhere but the scoreboard, though the margin was still considerable. The Demons have won respect this year after finding a harder edge but were hustled and bustled out of the way by the masters of pressure football.
Early on, it seemed the Swans were going to pay a heavy price after frittering numerous opportunities in front of goal. At one point they had kicked an ugly 1.11.
Alex Johnson makes inspirational return for Sydney Swans in NEAFL against
Caden Helmers
SMH, Canberra Times, July 1
Inspirational Sydney Swans defender Alex Johnson has taken the biggest step in his remarkable football comeback story by completing a game for the first time in 1736 days.
Johnson was mobbed by his teammates after he nailed a goal midway through the second term in a celebration that sent shivers down the spine.
Johnson has been forced to battle back from five knee reconstructions, 12 operations, and rare infections - but from the opening bounce he knew nearly five years of heartache was all worth it.
The Swans premiership winner last played an AFL match in the 2012 grand final and finally got another taste of football in the NEAFL at Manuka Oval on Saturday.
For the record, the Swans hammered the Canberra Demons 20.18 (138) to 7.5 (47), but what mattered most was the fact Johnson got through the match unscathed.
He played the first half before being rested for the remainder of the match as he added another chapter into one of football's most remarkable comeback stories.
"It's been a long time between drinks between playing," Johnson said.
"Just to get back out there, finally at the end of a road of a lot of hard work and a pretty tough journey, it's awesome."
Rising star returns after five knee reconstructions
Courtney Walsh
The Australian, July 1
Along with the rest of Sydney’s most recent premiership team, Jude Bolton’s heart skipped a beat when it was confirmed Alex Johnson would return to football today.
It is a sentiment undoubtedly shared by the whole AFL community given the misfortune the Swan has endured in recent years.
He was considered a rising star of the competition when he starred in Sydney’s 2012 premiership in just his second season of football but Johnson has not played a senior game since.
The 25-year-old required a knee reconstruction after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament for the first time the following pre-season.
In the 1737 days since scaling football’s highest peak, Johnson has undergone another four reconstructions, among 12 operations and a rare infection.
Hawthorn managed a three-peat, the Swans played in two grand finals and the Western Bulldogs ended a drought dating back to 1954 as Johnson dreamt of playing again.
But after years of rehabilitation and recuperation, his comeback will take another step forward when he plays in a NEAFL clash against the Canberra Demons in the nation’s capital today.
“It is just something within me that I have been able to keep positive and keep everything in perspective,” Johnson said.
“There are a lot of people worse off than me in the world and I have still had a really good job over the last few years, where I come to work with really good people and keep fit for a living.
“I have always had that goal of returning to the field and that is what I want to achieve.
Sydney Swans down Melbourne Demons by 35 points, Tomas Bugg reported
The Australian, July 1
Sydney have continued their astonishing AFL turnaround, downing Melbourne by 35 points in a hot-tempered Friday night clash.
Lance Franklin booted four majors as Sydney powered their way to an 11.19 (85) to 7.8 (50) victory at the MCG.
Melbourne kicked four goals in quick succession to lead at quarter-time but quickly ran out of puff and were thoroughly outplayed.
The impressive win — Sydney’s fourth in a row — propels them into the top eight after a 0-6 start to the season.
But it was marred by an ugly behind-play hit on Callum Mills from Melbourne’s Tomas Bugg, which left the Swans youngster concussed.
Bugg was reported after knocking out Mills with a nasty left hook to the chin in the opening minutes of Friday night’s game.
The 24-year-old is likely to be referred directly to the tribunal, and after a week where the fallout from Bachar Houli’s hit on Jed Lamb dominated the headlines, Bugg could face a lengthy suspension.
1736 days later: Alex Johnson makes his return for Sydney Swans in the NEAFL
Sarah Olle
Fox Sports, June 30
ON THE eve of his first competitive match in 1736 days, Alex Johnson has revealed there were fears he could have lost his leg after his first knee reconstruction in 2015.
Ten days after surgery his knee “blew up”, prompting doctors to immediately admit the young defender to hospital.
“That was the worst reaction I’d ever had,” Johnson said on Fox Footy’s AFL Tonight.
“I went and saw another surgeon and they admitted me to hospital straight away because he was worried about my leg and my general health as well because of how the knee looked.
He thought it could get really bad, which I wasn’t overly worried about. I mean I was in a lot of pain. I couldn’t bend it or walk on it or anything like that. I knew it wasn’t great.
“But he was a lot more worried than me. When he told me I started to get worried so that wasn’t great.”
When asked how serious the surgeon’s concerns were, Johnson replied: “Losing my leg.”
“It was only a brief thing which I didn’t really think about because I didn’t think it would come to it,” Johnson said.
“I don’t really know if he told me either. He spoke to the doctors and said, ‘we really need to get him into hospital as soon as possible because if it does take a turn and he’s at home, the time could be too long’.”
Johnson, 25, has overcome five knee reconstructions since playing his last senior AFL match — the 2012 premiership in which he starred.
