Don't miss any of the news involving the Swans as we bring you everything from the newspapers around the country from Thursday 17th September.

In his amazing 407-game career, the 37-year-old averages fewer than 20 disposals per game against just two teams — St Kilda (18.56 per game) and Sydney (18.67).

Now he faces an opponent who was just two years old when Harvey made his debut in 1996.

Harry Cunningham has had the most recent assignments on the Kangaroos’ great and is set to play a pivotal role in Saturday night’s semi-final at ANZ Stadium.

In Harvey’s last five outings against Sydney he’s been restricted to 16, 14, 15, 19 and 22 disposals.

THE Sydney Swans must recover from their worst kicking display of the season to have any hope of beating North Melbourne in their semi-final at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

The Swans are 0-6 this season when they kick for goal at under 41 per cent accuracy and 16-1 when they are above the 41 per cent threshold.

Arguably their best win of the year came against Hawthorn at the MCG in round eight when they achieved a 64.7 per cent accuracy, which was their second-best goalkicking performance of the season. Their best came in round nine against Carlton when they kicked 19.8 at 67.9 per cent.

When a doctor revealed AFL player Lance ‘‘Buddy’’ Franklin had a chronic health condition that would require treatment for the rest of his life, whether he played in the big arenas or the bush, it was just another football story.

Various ailments shadow our more seasoned athletes, not surprisingly, carried around like battle scars depicting as much their past glories as current limitations.

The main news bulletins didn’t register when Franklin was trying to get back to full health, struggling in one game then having to be ruled out of another. In big money sports, such as AFL, the more a player is paid the greater the expectation they will stay fit, so Franklin’s health had become a regular back-page story.

A Sydney Swans official assured fans the dynamic forward was a competitor keen to get back to his best.

It may be the last time Swans fans see Adam Goodes on home soil - and is certainly the last home game for premiership player Rhyce Shaw - but three days out from the Swans' do-or-die clash with North Melbourne two thirds of the tickets at ANZ Stadium remain unsold.

By Wednesday night almost 27,000 tickets had been sold for the semi-final. There are 82,000 seats at the ground in its AFL configuration.

Organisers are hoping for a crowd of more than 40,000, but a lift in sales and a big membership turnout would be required. Just over 4000 tickets were moved on Tuesday and just under 3000 on Wednesday.

A small attendance for such a crucial match would be another indicator of Swans fans' uneasy relationship with the stadium, which hosted the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games 15 years ago this week. The Swans' deal with ANZ Stadium finishes at the end of next year.

There are no rugby league games in Sydney on Saturday night, only the Roosters/Bulldogs clash at Allianz Stadium on Friday night, and the beleaguered Swans, struggling with injuries and fatigue, need support to help them overcome the fully fit and firing Kangaroos, who scored a stirring 17-point win over Richmond in their elimination final last Sunday.

However, there are several possible reasons to explain why sales have been slow. The Swans are coming off a loss and will be without major drawcard Lance Franklin due to illness. Franklin is joined by other absentees Luke Parker, Sam Reid and possibly co-captain Kieren Jack - an ANZ Stadium ambassador - who is battling to return from a medial ligament strain and faces a fitness test on Thursday.

SWANS chairman Andrew Pridham has shot down a slew of vicious rumours surrounding superstar forward Lance “Buddy” Franklin.

Franklin won’t play again this season due to mental health issues but the football world is awash with claims about the cause of his ­absence.

ANDREW Swallow says last year’s preliminary final thumping at the hands of Sydney will spur his side against the Swans on Saturday.

And almost 12 months on, it appears as if the rematch favours the Kangaroos.

The North Melbourne captain admitted the Kangaroos were probably cooked going into last year’s final, which they lost by 71 points, after tough encounters against Essendon and Geelong.

This time around they’re well rested after Brad Scott’s Round 23 masterstroke, they’ve added Jarrad Waite and Shaun Higgins to the mix and the Swans will be missing Lance Franklin, Luke Parker, Sam Reid and possibly Kieren Jack, who’s listed as a test.