Terry Wallace urges Sydney to go with youth for clash against Geelong
ALARM bells are ringing in the midfield for the Swans ahead of their clash with in-form Geelong this Saturday, but ex-Richmond and Western Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace has the solution.
Sydney
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FORMER Richmond and Western Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace says it’s time for Sydney coach John Longmire to flick the switch and play young guns Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills, Zak Jones and Jake Lloyd in the midfield.
With an in-form Geelong waiting on Friday night, the alarm bells are ringing for the Swans after their surprise loss to Adelaide.
The Crows fielded a second-string on-ball division with Rory Sloane and Brad and Matt Crouch out injured.
They also had the third-youngest team for the round, while the Swans had the oldest.
“If the Swans don’t get smarter with their rotations through the middle of the ground they are going to get left for dead,” Wallace said.
“This is something I was talking about during the trade period last year.
“The staples in there need to be Heeney, Mills, Jones and Lloyd. They have to go for the new generation, the Swans have to regenerate.
“It doesn’t mean the other blokes don’t play but they have to completely change it up or get left behind.”
Sydney’s holy trinity of Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery and Luke Parker were below par against the Crows.
Kennedy had two handballs in the first quarter and six possessions at halftime. Parker had two handballs in the opening term on the way to just four at the long break.
The lack of ball use didn’t just start on Friday night at the SCG.
Kennedy’s 22.2 disposals per game this year are his lowest since 2011.
Hannebery’s season average of 20 disposals per game are his poorest since 2009.
Parker was very good in the opening two rounds with 32 against the Eagles and 27 against Port but has fallen away to 18, 21 and 17 in his past three matches.
Wallace has watched all but one of the Swans’ games live this year working for SEN Radio.
He believes part of the problem stems from the sudden retirement of Kurt Tippett and the season-ending knee injury to Sam Naismith, which has left part-time ruckman Callum Sinclair to carry the ruck duties.
“It’s causing a double problem,” Wallace said.
“It’s having an effect on the midfielders’ confidence to attack the ball with gusto and it’s having an effect on the forward structure. It’s Buddy (Franklin) or nothing.
“With (Sam) Reid going down, you have no one to go in behind Buddy.
“It wasn’t long ago they could have had Reid, Sinclair or Tippett in that role. Now it’s no one.
“After quarter-time they had 53-29 inside 50s for a 10-point victory. You should be winning by six goals.
“Without the extra targets, the defenders all know it’s going to Buddy and they are leaving their opponents and going to Buddy ridiculously early. It’s terribly predictable for the defence.”
There is no immediate ruck fix but Wallace believes there is for the lack of possession in the midfield — play the youngsters.
Heeney has been the Swans’ best player this year and Jones was the pick of Sydney’s midfielders against the Crows.
Fox Footy analyst David King has also weighed in on the Swans, saying they are paying the price for a lack of investment in classy outside ball winners.
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Originally published as Terry Wallace urges Sydney to go with youth for clash against Geelong
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