We bring you all you need to know from the newspapers around the country in the latest Swans in the media.

Judgment of Swans under scrutiny after latest tight loss
Andrew Wu
SMH, July 4

Sydney have been accused of a "lack of judgment" in the closing stages of tight matches after another heartbreaking defeat that has left their top-four hopes in the balance.

The Swans' ability to win close games is again under the microscope after they failed to protect a slender lead against the Western Bulldogs – their third loss this season by 10 points or less.

The Swans were beaten after the siren against Richmond and were pipped with two seconds left on the clock on the weekend. Had they scraped home on both occasions the Swans would be a game clear on top of the ladder instead of being fourth among a pack of teams with 10 wins.

In a season where little separates the top eight sides, the two narrow defeats could be the difference between finishing in the top two or being consigned to a knockout final interstate.

Adding to the pressure, the Swans have a challenging fortnight, starting Friday night with one of the most daunting road trips in the league – Geelong in Geelong – before taking on triple premier Hawthorn at the SCG.

The Swans have blamed the Bulldogs loss on a poor third quarter, but questions are being raised about their temperament when the game is on the line towards the end.

While Sydney's inability to lock the ball in their forward 50 was costly against the Tigers, this time it was their failure to clear their back half in the last two minutes.

Papley chance to return from injury
Andrew Wu
SMH, July 4

Sydney forward Tom Papley is in the frame to make a belated return to senior football as the Swans search for extra scoring options to support Lance Franklin.

While Franklin starred again with five goals, the Swans' forward line lacked bite when their superstar forward was not involved. The Swans had only four other goalkickers, compared with the Bulldogs' 10, and they received little from Ben McGlynn and Isaac Heeney, whose form slump continues, while Gary Rohan was used in a variety of roles.

Papley was an early season revelation with his goal sense and ability to crumb the packs but has not been seen at AFL level since round eight due to a shin injury. He has played the last two games in the reserves.

"We'd have to sit down and work out if he's done enough minutes-wise. We want him back in the team as quickly as we can, it's just whether he's right to go," Swans coach John Longmire said.

"We know he's good enough to be in the senior company."

No excuse for Swans' latest fadeout
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, July 4

GUN midfielder Josh Kennedy has admitted Sydney have problems closing out close games and said it would be naive to chalk it down to bad luck.

The Swans have dropped two games at the death this season in results that could have put them clear atop the AFL ladder.

Instead, Sydney are stuck in a logjam of teams on 40 points vying for a top-four spot with key matches against Geelong and Hawthorn in coming weeks.

Saturday’s heartbreaking four-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at the SCG came via Jason Johannisen’s goal with just two seconds remaining.

It evoked memories of their round-eight loss to Richmond when Sam Lloyd kicked the winner after the siren at the MCG.

“In those two games if you go back and look at the tape there are some structural things we could have done better and a couple of efforts which could have been better,” Kennedy said.

Brain fades hurt
Greg Denham
The Australian, July 4

Player brain fades may cost Sydney a premiership this season.

The Swans missed a golden opportunity to grab top spot on the ladder when they lost by four points to the Western Bulldogs at the SCG on Saturday night in the last kick of the match.

It was a similar scenario to their kick-after-the-siren one-point loss to Richmond in round eight at the MCG when several brain fades proved costly.

Against the Bulldogs, midfielder Dan Hannebery committed the unforgivable when he gave away a 50m penalty to Dogs ruckman Will Minson in the final quarter, which resulted in an easy set-shot goal to the big man playing his first senior game this season, and a 19-point lead.

Hannebery, who had an outstanding 33-possession game, undid all his good work when he failed to correctly give the ball to Minson, who was awarded a free kick just backward of the centre of the ground.

Admittedly Sydney had plenty of time to regroup and hit the front against the extremely accurate Bulldogs, but such undisciplined acts as Hannebery’s lapse in concentration simply defy logic.

So instead of sitting as ladder leader with 11 wins and percentage clear of Hawthorn before a tough fortnight, the Swans now sit in a cluster of teams from second to seventh — all on 10 wins. With such an even spread at the top of the ladder, a top-two finish — which guarantees a finals double chance and potentially two home finals — remains up for grabs with eight rounds remaining.

Swans grounded by Bulldogs' dying bite
Neil Cordy
Sunday Telegraph, July 3

A GOAL in the dying seconds of the match from comeback kid Jason Johanissen has given the Western Bulldogs a stunning four point win over the Sydney Swans at the SCG.

Their four point win against the Swans in Round 5 last year inspired a brilliant season for the Dogs and this victory could have the same effect.

Johannisen’s 20 possession performance was an amazing one as he made his return from a hamstring tendon tear he suffered 10 weeks ago. He missed nine games and didn’t play a single match in the reserves leading up to the match and showed he’s lost none of his brilliant speed especially early in the match.

“JJ was as cool as a cucumber,” Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said of his shot for goal.

“He was very, very good, the five boys who came in had heavy contributions. There was a bit of risk attached but it worked. Clay Smith was good as well coming back after another knee reconstruction as well.”

Bulldogs break Swans' hearts at the death
Tom Decent
SMH, July 3

Sydney have squandered a chance to go top of the table over Hawthorn after Western Bulldogs defender Jason Johannisen sunk the Swans' hearts with a goal from the last kick of the match to secure a thrilling 83-79 victory.

Despite trailing by 16 points in the third term, the Bulldogs clawed their way back to lead by as many as 17 before Lance Franklin booted consecutive goals, one from 55 metres out, to wrestle back momentum and bring a strong SCG crowd to their feet.

The dying minutes were far from polished footy and although the Swans held onto a slim two-point lead, Johannisen's final kick from 40 metres with seven seconds remaining put a dampener on a game the Swans will hope won't come back to haunt them later in the year.

The loss means Sydney remain in a top-eight logjam with Geelong, GWS and North Melbourne on 10 wins apiece.

"Challenging is a word for it," said Swans coach John Longmire of the defeat. "We shouldn't have got to that point. Our third quarter was poor. They out-hunted us in that third term in contested ball, uncontested ball as well as clearances. We didn't get it right in the end."

Franklin became the first player to crack the half-century in season 2016 with a scintillating five-goal haul, overtaking West Coast's Josh Kennedy, who kicked three majors against Essendon on Thursday.

Franklin has now booted more than 50 goals in eight of his last nine seasons and although his magical mark of 113 in 2008 looks to be a little out of his reach, he could very well better his second-highest tally of 82 in 2011.

It could have been a night to remember for gun midfielder Luke Parker, not least for his 34 disposals and 15 handballs but his clever off-the-deck strike for his second of three goals.

"We had some players that played pretty well," Longmire said. "Franklin obviously, Parker, he's got back into that really good touch and a few others but we need to be a bit more consistent across that group."

Zak thrives after heeding brother’s advice
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, July 2

WHEN Melbourne captain Nathan Jones offers advice most people listen.

Not little brother Zak Jones — he didn’t want anything to do with Nathan’s wisdom as a 16-year-old who enjoyed partying with his mates.

It took a couple of years before the penny dropped but Zak now understands exactly what his big brother was talking about and the results will be there for everybody to see when he runs out against the Western Bulldogs at the SCG on Saturday.

Jones has been outstanding in his role as Rhyce Shaw’s successor, providing committed defence and plenty of run and carry out of the backline.

Five years ago Nathan could see his younger brother’s AFL dream slipping away as he tried to combine partying with his mates and football.

But he didn’t want to listen.

It wasn’t that Zak was arrogant, he just didn’t want the advice coming from his big brother.

“I just thought Nathan was against me,” Jones told The Saturday Telegraph.

“I was taking Nathan’s feedback on board but I wasn’t using it in a positive way.

“It was a hard thing at that age. I thought everyone was against me and I thought Nathan was.

“I wasn’t having a bar of it and didn’t understand where he was coming from. Nathan has helped me a lot. I had the right attitude coming into games, it was just preparation and things like that. I often bit back at him.”