Swans’ strength in depth
Peter Lalor
The Australian, September 5
Sydney stole a win against Essendon in the dying moments of their thrilling round 14 clash, but Swans coach John Longmire believes that is not the most relevant guide to their elimination final at the SCG on Saturday.
“We tend to focus on the recent form of the Bombers, which has been really solid,” he said yesterday. “We looked at that game, we did some things quite well, they did some things really well, got their noses in front and we had to do everything right in the last few minutes.
“(It) Probably sums up the season in terms of how tight the season is. You have to play well for four quarters right up until the final siren to give yourself a chance of winning. I’m sure this week will be no different to that.”
The Bombers were all over the Swans in the second half of that game but conceded a 19-point lead in the dying moments, losing the match when Gary Rohan plucked a mark on the goal line with moments left on the clock.
The Swans were buoyed by the news injured ruckman Sam Naismith played well in the NEAFL preliminary final on Saturday.
Threes a crowd in Swans ruck
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, September 5
TWO’s a pair and three’s definitely a crowd when it comes to big men in the Swans line-up and Sam Naismith looks set to spoil Callum Sinclair’s fun in Saturday night’s elimination final against Essendon at the SCG.
Naismith’s return to fitness and health is crucial to the Swans’ premiership push. He is their only genuine ruckman and will be hugely important in the stoppage battles with Essendon’s Tom Bellchambers.
Kurt Tippett is a capable back-up in the ruck and also a bigger threat in front of goals than Sinclair.
The pressure of finals football and the close confines of the SCG will put added value on the hit-outs. Naismith is athletic and, at 206cm, is 7cm taller than Sinclair at 199cm.
The only question mark is on Naismith’s fitness after missing the past four games of the season with an abdominal injury. But the popular ruckman from Gunnedah was back in action in the NEAFL preliminary final on Saturday at Blacktown and earned a tick of approval from John Longmire
“He did quite well, he played 80 minutes,” Longmire said.
“He ran the game out really strongly and his ruck work was really solid. He ended up pulling up well and feeling good today. He’s a chance (to play), as is a number of others.
“The reserves had a fantastic win, they’re through to another Grand Final which is terrific news for them. We’ll sit down as the week progresses, work out who’s fit and available and what team we think is the best to face the Bombers.”
The match is the only one Naismith had played in a month but he had been back in full training for three weeks.
Swans face squad dilemma with Tippett injury cloud
Andrew Wu
SMH, September 5
Kurt Tippett's injury record has left his place in Sydney's team in question as ruckman Sam Naismith's 11th hour bid for finals selection gains momentum.
Coach John Longmire is facing a giant dilemma heading into the elimination final against Essendon with Naismith, Tippett and Callum Sinclair vying for two ruck berths.
Incumbent duo Tippett and Sinclair had the inside running before injuring their ankles against Carlton while Naismith has pulled up well after making a strong return in the NEAFL preliminary final against Gold Coast.
Tippett is a walk-up start in the Swans' best 22 when fit but the big man has been dogged by ankle and hip injuries throughout this season and his form has suffered accordingly.
Unlike Sinclair, Tippett was unable to play out the game against the Blues. He sat out the last quarter and managed just 34 per cent of game time compared to Sinclair's 76.
Bombers bullish on Hurley, Fantasia, Hooker
Anthony Colangelo
The Age, September 5
Essendon are confident that star trio Michael Hurley, Orazio Fantasia and Cale Hooker will be fit for their elimination final against Sydney on Saturday, however they're still not willing to declare any of them fit to play.
Hurley (calf), Hooker (leg) and Fantasia (hamstring) will all have to get through Wednesday's main training session unscathed to be considered for selection, as well as satisfy a series of "benchmarks" throughout the week in regards to their fitness.
The trio satisfied those benchmarks throughout the bye week and will have their training loads increased in the lead-up to the Bombers' first final since 2014.
Hurley is understood to be the most likely to play, with more doubt held toward the fitness of Hooker and Fantasia. However Bombers' general manager of football Rob Kerr told SEN on Monday that Fantasia, who tore his hamstring in round 20, is "a good chance" to play.
"It was acknowledged that it was going to be touch and go but the way he [Fantasia] has approached his rehab and the way he has responded, he lifted his running speeds on Friday and got through that OK without soreness which was a pretty good sign," he said.
"Percentage wise he is getting up around that 80 per cent mark. The doctors are keen to hold him back until the session later in the week. He has moved forward in terms of pace without incident which is obviously pretty important."
Call to scrap bye for radical Round 23 plan
Chris Cavanagh
Herald Sun, Daily Telegraph, September 5
TWO of this year’s AFL Finals ambassadors have called for the post-Round 23 bye to be scrapped, claiming it robs top-four teams of their advantage and interrupts continuity for players.
Introduced for the first time last season, the bye came under fire from four-time Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson last month and his views were echoed by three-time premiership coach Mick Malthouse and AFL games record holder Brent Harvey.
Malthouse said he was “a bit confused” why the bye existed and threw up an unlikely but radical alternative.
“I wouldn’t have the bye,” Malthouse said.
“The thing I would have, the last round of the year should be played identically, all over the country, the same time ... so that no club is aware, outside of the information you get at quarter-time and three-quarter time by your coaches, ‘listen, we need to step on the accelerator, because over in Adelaide they’re three goals in front’ or whatever the case is. I think you can do that.
“By having a bye, you really do rob the top-four sides of any advantage. I know they’ve got the double chance, but I’m not 100 per cent sure the sides that win this weekend will like having another week off — it’s quite drawn out.”
