Franklin's football smarts key to Swans' charge
Andrew Wu
SMH, September 27
He has been hailed as one of the best athletes to have played the game but it's Lance Franklin's football smarts that are emerging as a major driver behind Sydney's tilt at this year's flag.
Franklin came to the Swans to win a flag but, like the club's key decision makers, does not believe the Swans need to achieve this in order to justify his $10 million recruitment.
If Franklin's career in the red and the white is judged by the Swans' line that he was recruited to help them regenerate rather than win flags, then the superstar's time in Sydney is already an unbridled success.
The criteria, of course, is more wide ranging but it's clear his impact on the club cannot be assessed purely on facts and figures or his contribution to the scoresheet.
The idea of Franklin showing the way for youngsters may once have been considered a worry but the influence he is having on the development of the Swans' inexperienced forward line is proving immense.
He may not be the most confident public speaker but his teammates feel comfortable seeking his counsel because he is happy to give it. And when Franklin talks, young Swans listen.
"He knows his football, he loves footy, he watches a lot of it and he knows footy really well," Swans coach John Longmire said.
"A lot of players, talented players in particular that may not be the case always but he's one of those blokes ... that's really valuable for the younger players."
Rohan hopes to end years of pain
James Buckley
SMH, September 27
When Sydney Swans forward Gary Rohan says losing the 2014 grand final to Hawthorn is the worst experience of his footballing career, it pays to heed his words.
They come from a man who suffered a sickening leg injury in 2012, a compound fracture that at the time looked career-threatening and that ultimately led to the AFL changing the rules around players sliding in down low when going after the football.
Rohan suffered another injury just a week and a half ago and his season looked over after leaving the field on a mobile stretcher in the first half of Sydney's semi-final win over Adelaide. But he made a miraculous recovery to play against Geelong last Friday.
Now he has another shot at winning an AFL premiership, a chance he was denied by that broken leg in 2012 when the Swans won their last flag.
As bittersweet as missing that grand final was, the 63-point shellacking dealt out to the Swans in the 2014 decider still rankles more frequently in Rohan's mind.
"That feeling I had after that game was the worst I've ever felt. Hopefully I can come back with the win this year, be more upbeat," Rohan said.
Time running out for injured Swans to prove fitness
Andrew Wu
SMH, September 27
Wednesday is shaping as D-day for Sydney defender Aliir Aliir but even if the youngster misses out on the grand final it may not be enough to give veteran Ted Richards a fairytale finish to his career.
The Swans' injured trio of Aliir, Jarrad McVeigh and Callum Mills did not join the main group at training on Monday as planned, which means they have only the club's main session on Wednesday to prove their fitness.
McVeigh and Mills did what was asked of them on Sunday and took part in handball drills on Monday, as did Aliir, though he did not break into a trot with his knee injury. McVeigh, with 286 games under his belt, is likely to have the most say on his fate but Mills and Aliir will need favourable medical assessments to play.
"He's [McVeigh] an experienced player, when you're talking about the younger players compared to the experienced players, the experienced players have got a bit more to draw upon as far as experiences in the bank as to what they can play with and what they can't," coach John Longmire said.
Our man of steel feared the worst
Ben Horne
Daily Telegraph, September 27
WHEN he felt a thunder bolt through his right leg, Gary Rohan instantly went into panic mode.
Instead of the excruciating pain being concentrated on the point of impact, it surged right through him from his ankle to his hip.
The titanium shaft left over from the horrific compound fracture he suffered in 2012 acted almost like a lightning rod for the agony he felt just 10 days ago, when he collided mid-air with an Adelaide opponent in a spectacular marking contest gone wrong.
Incredibly, Sydney’s man of steel will line up in Saturday’s Grand Final, but not before his mind and body was rocked to the core.
Rohan not only felt the titanium rattle, but in a flash the mental demons of that shocking injury five seasons ago came rushing back.
Before he’d even hit the SCG turf or the medicab had sped out to carry him from the field, he was convinced that not only was this season was over, but next year as well.
You’d think at 25 and with four years to run on his contract that Rohan’s AFL future looks safe, but when you have such a cursed injury history, how can you not be terrified when lightning strikes twice?
Parker gives top cat a run for his money
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, September 27
THERE was no denying Patrick Dangerfield but Swans midfield gun Luke Parker gave him a run for his money pushing him all the way before finishing second on 26 votes, nine votes behind the Geelong star.
Swans’ Dan Hannebery finished in equal fifth with West Coast’s Andrew Gaff and Collingwood’s Adam Treloar on 21 votes.
Parker got off to flyer polling 10 votes in the first five rounds including back-to-back three-points to start the count.
He was still tied for the lead with Dangerfield after round 15 before the Cat ran away in the closing rounds.
Stephen Coniglio was the best for the Giants with 17 votes to finish equal 15th ahead of Callan Ward (12) and Tom Scully (7)and Dylan Shiel (7).
Adam Goodes was the last Swans winner when he won his second Brownlow in 2006.
The Swans have won more Brownlow medals than any other team with 14 including three to the legendary Bob Skilton. Their opponents in Saturday’s grand final the Western Bulldogs are second in the tally with 10 wins.
Young Dogs set for hard-nosed Swans
Glenn McFarlane
Herald Sun, September 27
WESTERN Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli is undaunted by the prospect of his young midfield going head-to-head with Sydney’s hard-nosed onball core, saying the battle could decide the premier.
But he insisted the Bulldogs’ nailbiting four-point win in Round 15 wouldn’t have any bearing on the outcome of the Grand Final.
“It comes back to a clean slate, really. It is a fresh game, and we will review their weekend (win over Geelong) a bit later in the week,” he said. “It is going to be a hot contest.”
Bontempelli, 20, said it was “humbling” to receive so much support from Victorians as the Bulldogs chase the club’s second premiership.
But he said the players wouldn’t deviate from the path that had got them through to the Grand Final.
“You do recognise it, and that’s important for us to do that,” he said of the mass of support. “Fifty-five years (since the Bulldogs’ last Grand Final) is a long time, but we are just enjoying it day by day and taking it minute by minute.”
“It’s going to be a different week, but the attitude of the players and the club is still business as usual. We won’t change much of our routine.
“We’ve had that sort of mentality since the start of the finals — we are on a journey to experience whatever really comes our way (and) as long as we keep doing that, it will keep us in good stead.
“Momentum is a strong thing and it can carry you to new places ... that’s certainly been the case for us.”
Big bucks no burden for Buddy
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, September 27
Lance Franklin says he doesn’t need to win a premiership to vindicate his $10 million deal with the Swans.
Critics of the unprecedented nine-year contract say it can’t be judged a success unless Franklin and the Swans win at least one grand finals.
Franklin will be playing in his fifth decider when the Swans take on the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Saturday.
“I love playing football, I’m living in Sydney now and I don’t have to justify it by winning a premiership,” Franklin said.
“We’ve got the chance to win one and I’ll be doing everything to get that.”
While the Bulldogs have celebrated wildly after making their first grand final in 55 years the Swans have made it clear they aren’t happy with simply qualifying for the last game of the season.
“I’m reasonably happy with the way I’ve gone this year but at the end of the day it means nothing,” Franklin said.
“All I want to do is win this premiership. I’ll be trying my best to get the win for the team and the boys will be doing the same.”
McVeigh shapes as wildcard
Ben Horne
Daily Telegraph, September 27
ALIIR Aliir may not have the runs on the board to convince Sydney he can play through injury in a Grand Final, but Ted Richards won’t be replacing him if Monday’s heartwarming send-off at the SCG was anything to go by.
To be chaired off the field for your farewell game is sport’s ultimate salute to a champion.
Sadly for Sydney favourite Richards, that moment came in front of a few hundred loyal supporters at a training run, and seemingly won’t be repeated on Grand Final day.
Of course, no decisions have been made yet on the Swans selection puzzle, and young star Xavier Richards still holds some hope that he will be able to fulfil a dream and play alongside his elder brother on Grand Final day.
But skipper Jarrad McVeigh returning from a calf injury to replace Aliir, who is battling a medial strain in his knee, is shaping as the most likely scenario for the Swans, as coach John Longmire revealed his philosophy on trusting players with injury.
Longmire says you need seasons of AFL experience — which McVeigh has — to learn what it’s like to play through the pain barrier, and working against Aliir is the fact he has just 13 games to his name in this his rookie campaign.
“We did make the decision last week not to push Jarrad and I’m pretty confident that was the right call in the end,” said Longmire, who will look at how McVeigh, Aliir and Callum Mills all pull up from Wednesday’s session before making his selection calls.
Franklin steps up to deliver
Peter Lalor
The Australian, September 27
Lance Franklin and coach John Longmire have dismissed suggestions the forward needs to justify his nine-year $10 million deal by delivering the Swans a premiership on Saturday — and maybe one or two more down the track.
The towering forward came to Sydney from Hawthorn in the most controversial trade since Ron Barassi left Melbourne for Carlton last century. Franklin’s shift infuriated fans and other clubs who could not comprehend how Sydney could fit Buddy under the salary cap so soon after luring Kurt Tippett from Adelaide.
Northern neighbours Greater Western Sydney were miffed and so too was the AFL, who had wanted Franklin to help the start-up club. The angry administration imposed trade sanctions on the Swans despite admitting the club had operated completely within the rules.
The 29-year-old has been at the Swans for three seasons. He was in the side humbled by Hawthorn in the 2014 grand final, but withdrew from the final series last year with mental health issues.
“I love playing football and living in Sydney, and I don’t have to justify it by winning a premiership,” Franklin said yesterday.
Hard hat Heeney
Peter Lalor
The Australian, September 27
He’s got that laconic demeanour, a disarming surfie’s grin and bed hair, but you would not be advised to mess with Isaac Heeney.
The kid’s as hard as a cat’s head.
One of his first Sydney coaches tells the story that he can often judge how a boy is going to go in the contest by asking them if they’ve ever been in a fist fight.
Most look a little horrified and indicate they aren’t that keen on violence. Heeney, apparently, smiled and said he might have been in a couple of scraps here and there.
Well, he is a Newcastle kid after all. The blue collar port town isn’t exactly known for its lattes and yoga.
Heeney is not a thug, but he plays football with the sort of fearlessness that makes mothers cover their faces and even hard nuts like Jude Bolton worry for his safety. Bolton observed once that the lad’s only failing might be his lack of fear.
So far, however, it hasn’t come at a cost.
On Friday night the second year player was one of the Swans’ most influential in the win over Geelong and it was his relentless tackling that really stood out. That and a nonchalant one-handed mark in defence that we’ll get back to in a minute.
Heeney laid seven tackles in the game and none was better than one stopped Mark Blicavs inside the Cats’ 50m arc during the second quarter. The Swan concedes 10cm, 15kg and considerable experience to the ruck rover, but dragged him down and locked his arm in a wrestling move that won him a free kick.
Heeney says he learned how to tackle playing a hard-hitting brand of league on the family farm at Stockrington, a small town between Newcastle and Maitland.
