Three Swans with AFL experience will return for Sydney’s clash with Southport at the SCG on Saturday afternoon.
Midfielder Dan Robinson and utilities Robbie Fox and Dean Towers will bolster the Swans in a match with the competition’s front-runners.
Lively forward James Rose has also been named among a total of nine changes, while QBE Sydney Swans Academy stars Nick Blakey and Kyle McKellar will make their NEAFL debuts.
Blakey and McKellar turned in outstanding U18 Academy Series campaigns and on Wednesday earned Allies selection for the U18 National Championships.
Fellow Academy stars Joey Reinhard, Josh Stern and Sam Wicks will also return as arguably the strongest Swans outfit of the season prepares for battle.
And the timing couldn’t be sweeter.
The first-placed Sharks are flying off the back of a 73-point win over the Northern Territory last Saturday.
The Sharks have won five games and lost one and were unstoppable in a return of 27 goals in their match with the Thunder at Fankhauser Reserve.
Swans development coach Jeremy Laidler said a tough encounter awaited.
“They’re a very high-scoring team and they’re really good at the stoppages,” Laidler said.
“Our boys will have to be on their game and it’s another big challenge for our ruckman Darcy Cameron against their ruckman who’s pretty dominant.
“Our inside mids and listed players are also set for a really big challenge.”
Cameron went toe-to-toe with GWS ruckman Dawson Simpson last week and on Saturday will face Fraser Thurlow.
The big man tips the measuring tape at 199 centimetres, weighs in at 102 kilograms and is running fourth in the NEAFL in most hit-outs to advantage per game (nine).
Small forward Mitch Johnson is another of Southport’s biggest threats and is sure to be brimming with confidence off the back of an eight-goal haul last Saturday.
The 23-year-old is running second (23) behind Redland juggernaut Matthew Hammelmann (25) in most goals kicked this season.
Laidler said backman Jack Maibaum would be tasked with stopping Johnson but stressed the importance of a team effort.
“Jack has been putting a really solid good month of footy together,” Laidler said.
“He hasn’t been beaten that often and he’s just doing the basics well and putting his best foot forward and defending really hard.
“It’s going to be a massive challenge against Johnson. He’s a really dangerous forward. He can take a grab and be dangerous on the ground.
“It’s not just going to be up to Jack – it’s going to have to be up to Harry Marsh, Colin O’Riordan, Aliir Aliir and all the other backs. So it’s going to be a team challenge.”
The NEAFL fixture will bring in Sydney’s match with Fremantle and Laidler said the side would relish the opportunity.
“Whenever we get the chance the boys really enjoy it and we get an extra kick out of it.”
The Swans are set for their third curtain-raiser of the season after facing GWS in Round 1 and Aspley in Round 5.
Sydney Swans NEAFL side
B: 56. Joey Reinhard 21. Jack Maibaum 31. Harrison Marsh
HB: 38. Colin O’Riordan 36. Aliir Aliir 28. Nic Newman
C: 22. Dean Towers 45. Angus Styles 33. Ryley Stoddart
HF: 27. Dan Robinson 49. Nick Blakey 1. James Rose
F: 55. Bailey Stewart 46. Joel Amartey 50. Sam Wicks
Foll: 17. Darcy Cameron 42. Robbie Fox 19. Matthew Ling
Inter: 58. Mitchell Rogers 52. Josh Stern 59. Kyle McKeller 54. Jeremy Shumack
Emer: 53. Connor Flanagan 51. Dylan Smith 57. Michael Carroll
In: 42. Robbie Fox 27. Daniel Robinson 1. James Rose 22. Dean Towers 56. Joey Reinhard 52. Joshua Stern 50. Sam Wicks 49. Nick Blakey 59. Kyle McKellar
Out: 41. Jake Brown (injured) 49. Isaac Bartholomaeus (omitted) 59. Lachlan Dent (omitted) 51. Jacob Dol (omitted) 56. Dylan Smith (omitted) 52. Kyle Veerhuis (omitted) 57. Adam Tipungwuti (omitted) 53. James Webster (omitted) 60. Reed Van Husstede (omitted) 50. Aidan Watling (omitted)
New: 49. Nick Blakey 59. Kyle McKellar
