Following last weekend’s bruising encounter with Port Adelaide, both McGlynn (calf) and Shaw (ankle) failed to pull up in time for selection, and will miss this Saturday’s match at the SCG.
Speaking to SwansTV for Centrum Team Selection, John Longmire said the pair were given every chance to prove their fitness, but came up short this week.
Sydney Swans v St Kilda Match Day Information
“We were hoping that both of them would get up this week, but unfortunately they haven’t,” Longmire said.
“Ben McGlynn had a sore calf during the course of the game (last week) and we expected him to be okay by the back end of the week.
“We put him forward in the last quarter of last week’s game and he played out of the goal square because his calf was sore during the course of the game, and unfortunately it hasn’t come up.
“Rhyce Shaw’s ankle that he hurt a few weeks ago is still a little bit sore from the game and he wasn’t able to train today at all.
“Not being able to train gives him no chance of coming up for the weekend, and his ankle is too sore to play.”
Longmire also confirmed that Nick Smith would miss a second match with back soreness, after the defender failed to participate in full training on Thursday morning.
“Nick hasn’t done a lot this week,” he said.
“He did a little bit of training today, but it was only a small amount and it wasn’t enough to get him over the line.
“He’s moving certainly better than what he was last week but it got to the stage where he was picking up a few ground balls and he still felt a little bit stiff and didn’t think he’d be able to get through the game.”
With defenders Shaw and Smith out of the side, Shane Biggs will be given his first senior opportunity this season, just over a week after the 23-year-old was elevated from the rookie list.
The last time Biggs played senior football was during the 2013 finals series, where the defender played in both the Swans’ semi final win over Carlton and preliminary final loss to Fremantle in Perth.
Following a season of consistent form in the NEAFL, Longmire said Biggs deserved another opportunity to step up to senior football.
“Shane’s kept persisting and has played really well consistently in our reserves for the whole season, and particularly in the last five or six weeks,” he said.
“It’s great to give him a chance and he deserves it.
“He did do a good job for us last year, so he’s played the level before and locked comfortable, so we look forward to giving him a game.”
Sydney Swans v St Kilda Match Preview
Longmire said Towers, who has played three matches since making his AFL debut in round 17 against Carlton, would add some valuable pace to the side this week in place of the injured McGlynn.
“Dean comes back into the team,” he said.
“We just needed that absolute speed in our team as we’re obviously losing a couple of quick players in Shawy and McGlynn.”
With just three matches remaining in the regular season, Longmire said he expected to face a number of tough decisions at the selection table with a handful of young Swans pushing hard for their opportunity.
The coach highlighted Brandon Jack, Zak Jones and Tom Mitchell as likely types, but said the trio needed to find consistency in the NEAFL before coming into the mix for senior selection.
“Brandon Jack, Zak Jones and Tom Mitchell – those guys have all been close, but they just need some more game time,” he said.
“Hopefully they will do that this week as those three in particular need to get a full game under their belt and need to make sure they are running a full game out in the reserves before they come back into the senior selection calculations.”
St Kilda have made three changes for Saturday with Cameron Shenton, Nathan Wright and Josh Saunders in for Josh Bruce (shin), Jack Billings (hamstring) and Brodie Murdoch.
Clinton Jones, Sam Dunnell and Murdoch are the Saints subs.
Sydney Swans v St Kilda
SCG
Saturday, August 16, 2014
1.45pm
B N.Malceski, T.Richards, J.Laidler
HB J.McVeigh, H.Grundy, D.Rampe
C G.Rohan, J.Kennedy, C.Bird
HF A.Goodes, L.Franklin, L.Jetta
F H.Cunningham, K.Tippett, S.Reid
Foll M.Pyke, L.Parker, K.Jack
I/C S.Biggs, D.Hannebery, J.Lloyd, D.Towers
Emg G.Hewett, Z.Jones, T.Nankervis
In: S.Biggs, D.Towers
Out: R.Shaw (ankle), B.McGlynn (calf)
Milestone: L.Franklin - 200 games
