Jetta, Reid rise against Lions
The re-found form of Sam Reid and Lewis Jetta helped the Sydney Swans account for the Brisbane Lions by 60 points at the SCG on Sunday
After a quiet month of football for both Sam Reid and Lewis Jetta, the pair rose to the occasion on Sunday afternoon and were both among the Swans multiple goal scorers for the game.
Speaking to SwansTV after the match Reid, who finished the game with three goals and six marks, said he felt he was on the right track to rediscovering his best form.
“I felt a bit better than I have in previous weeks, and obviously I’ve been working on a few things, so I was able to attack the ball a bit more and I was a bit more successful,” Reid said.
“There are still things to work on and the job isn’t done and I’ve still got a fair bit of improvement to go.
“Today there were a few things that I wasn’t super happy with, but I’m on the right track I think.”
The 21-year-old, who was the dominant forward, particularly in the first half of Sunday’s match, said his aim was to further improve his work in attack each week as the season continues on.
“I’m trying to get that balance back because obviously my defensive work has been pretty good throughout the year and it’s just a matter of getting my offence up to that level as well,” Reid said about his performance as a forward target.
“Like I said, it’s on the right track but there are still some things I’d like to clean up from today.”
Following a week of external scrutiny regarding his start to the year, Reid said he took no notice of what critics outside the club thought of his early season efforts.
“As silly as it sounds I’ve just been avoiding the newspapers because we know internally what I needed to do,” he said.
“I’ve been working really closely with the coaches and the other players as well and I honestly didn’t read a bit of it in the media and I think that was really helpful because it was really clear what I needed to do inside the club.”
Swans speedster Lewis Jetta, who has been under similar external scrutiny in recent weeks, was also able to find some of his most exciting form in Sunday’s match.
Fans at the SCG were treated to a number of Jetta’s trademark long runs down the middle of the field as well as two brilliant goals from outside 50.
Jetta told SwansTV after the match that today’s game, where he also collected 21 possessions and three goal assists, was his best game after a ‘bad’ string of performances.
“It was good. I had a bad month, but that’s what I’ve been working on through training … to get back to my best and it feels like I started to do that today,” he said.
“If I can do that every week it will help out the boys and it will be good.”
Jetta, who turned 24 on Saturday, said he was also pleased to get his name back on the Swans’ goal-kickers list after scoring just two goals in the five weeks before Sunday’s match.
“That’s what I have always wanted – to kick some more goals and get dangerous again - and I feel that I did that today, so it was good,” Jetta said.
“I’m just being a team player this year and I think maybe I might have to be a little bit more selfish and kick some more goals myself, but if one of the boys is having a bad game and I can get them into the game by giving them a kick and letting them kick the goal then I’m happy to.”
The Swans will face one of their toughest tests yet next Saturday night, when they travel to the MCG to take on last year’s grand finalists Hawthorn, but Jetta says the team will be ready for the challenge.
“It’s going to be big; it’s going to be hard and tough,” he said.
“I’m just going to prepare myself and keep my body right through the week and get ready for a big match against the Hawks.”