Experienced Ryan's season reset
Ryan O'Keefe, one of three Swans players to have played more than 18 finals, says the season starts again tomorrow
The Sydney Swans will bring a wealth of experience to tomorrow’s Qualifying Final against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
As a list, the Swans have played 100 more finals games than the current Crows list (184-84), including four players who have notched up more than 14 finals matches each.
Among those players is Swans midfielder Ryan O’Keefe, who has played 18 finals throughout his 12-year career at the club.
The 31-year-old caught up with SwansTV earlier this week to talk about his finals’ experience.
“Obviously any finals win you have is memorable because the games are so important and they mean so much, so any win is great,” O’Keefe told SwansTV.
“The ultimate win was obviously in 2005 and that was pretty special.
“Finals series, unless you do win it on the last Saturday in September, they can end on sort of a sour note but I think we’ve had some pretty good battles over my journey.”
O’Keefe has played in three top four sides in his career before this season, including 2003, 2005 and 2006.
Despite earning a second chance in this year’s finals series, O’Keefe said a greater reward for the Swans’ efforts this season would be a home Preliminary Final which would be secured with a win over Adelaide tomorrow.
“(The double chance) does give you room to manoeuvre a little bit, but I think it’s more the reward you get for winning in the top four,” O’Keefe said.
“You get that week off and go straight into that home prelim, which I think is a much bigger reward than having a safety game under your belt.
“They say finishing top four puts you in the best position and we’ve done what we’ve done to get to this position, but it all starts again (in the finals).”
While the Swans boast plenty of finals’ experience, there are also a number of players in the club’s senior side who have limited big game experience.
Of the 22-man squad who faced the Cats last week, 14 players have played less than five finals each.
O’Keefe’s advice for the less-experienced Swans ahead of this week’s first final was to treat tomorrow’s match like a regular game.
“You’ve got to prepare just as if it’s a normal game and just treat it as another game,” he said.
“Obviously the hype and the media coverage and the focus on the game obviously increases and the games do mean a lot more, but you have to prepare exactly the way you’ve done for the whole year because that (preparation) is what has got you in that position.
“The motivation is pretty high so you don’t have to look too far for that at finals time.
“It’s just about doing the basics well and just don’t have any regrets, and to just do your best and don’t be shy or overawed with the whole experience.”
Swans finals’ experience
Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton: 20
Ryan O’Keefe: 18
Lewis Roberts-Thomson: 14
Jarrad McVeigh, Ted Richards, Marty Mattner: 11
Rhyce Shaw: 10
Nick Malceski: 8
Kieren Jack: 6
