Sam Reid facing a month out with quad injury as Giants seek back-up for injured ruckman Rory Lobb
SAM Reid was a shining light in Sydney’s gutsy win over GWS but his return to AFL football was short-lived. But the Swans aren’t the only ones counting the cost of the Round 3 clash.
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THE Sydney Swans’ gutsy win over the Giants has come at a heavy price with Sam Reid facing a month on the sidelines with a quad injury and Lewis Melican picking up a hamstring strain.
Reid pulled up sharply running towards goal in the last quarter and went straight to the bench to ice the injury and didn’t return.
It was the swingman’s first game of the year after missing the opening two rounds with hamstring tightness.
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He didn’t play the entire 2016 season with calf and hamstring injuries.
“The worrying thing is the fact he’s had soft tissue injuries before but it’s far too early to jump to any conclusions,” Swans Football Manager Tom Harley said.
“It was late in the game which suggests there is fatigue involved and we’re hoping it’s not too significant. He will have scans on Monday. It was a very solid game.”
Reid is a vital cog in the Swans’ set up with the ability to take contested marks in the forward line and do a similar job in defence.
He can also help out in the ruck when needed. His inclusion in Saturday night’s derby win over the Giants again showed how valuable he is the team allowing Lance Franklin to roam further up the ground and use his athleticism and his superb field kicking.
Unfortunately Sydney’s problems don’t end there with key defender Melican also in doubt for next week’s clash with the Western Bulldogs.
“Lewis is in a similar boat to Sam,” Harley said.
“We are hoping it is just a cramp in the hamstring as well. There was nothing that jumped out in the game and again it was right at the death. He will have a scan as well tomorrow.”
Melican was also involved in a heavy clash with Giants forward Matt de Boer during the third quarter but managed to keep playing.
“It was a fierce contest from both sides,” Harley said.
“It was one of those things that sparked a momentum surge for us. It came off the back of that individual effort which was great.”
One of the brightest lights for the match was the form of Callum Sinclair who dominated the ruck against Rory Lobb and Jonathon Patton winning the hit outs 45-23.
He also went forward with great effect taking three strong marks inside forward 50 and converting each of them.
“It’s amazing how players respond when they are one out in a job,” Harley said.
“Some players enjoy that responsibility. Callum has had three games with some pretty good form. The fact he can go forward and hit a target is pretty good for us. They were the things we saw when we were scouting him at West Coast. He’s an important player and a popular team mate as well.”
INJURY MIGHT GIVE GWS GIANT HIS CHANCE
JOURNEYMAN Dawson Simpson is the perfect replacement for injured ruckman Rory Lobb and the right man to take on the biggest man in football when the Giants face Fremantle’s Aaron Sandilands in Canberra on Saturday.
Simpson has been breathing down Lobb’s neck in the fight for the number one ruck spot since Shane Mumford’s premature retirement at the end of last year.
Lobb played on with a knee injury in Saturday night’s loss to the Swans at the SCG but is likely to struggle to recover in time to face the Dockers with a limited pre-season under his belt.
“We’ve got a couple of players competing for a spot and Dawson has had a good summer and he’s eager to get in there,” Giants coach Leon Cameron said.
“We’ll assess that over the next two or three days as we come up against a fantastic ruckman in Sandilands for Fremantle next week down in Canberra.
There will be a lot to consider, whether Rory has recovered, that will be the first thing and who will compete against Sandilands. We know what he can do when he gets first hand on the footy. We will wait and see what the wash up is with Rory and where Jon (Patton) sits as well.”
When it comes to persistence few can compare with the 29-year-old Simpson who has been hampered by injury and opportunity playing just 30 games in his 12 season in the AFL, 28 for Geelong and two for GWS.
His early years at the Cats were cruelled by back and knee injuries but at last his body is holding up at the Giants and his form in the NEAFL has been outstanding.
In his two matches in the AFL last year against Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs he looked comfortable at the top level.
Lobb picked up the injury when he landed awkwardly in on his left leg in the second quarter.
He made it back onto the field late in the term playing up forward with a heavily strapped knee. Although he managed to play out the match he was clearly labouring.
The only other concern for GWS is the report on Matt de Boer who went into the book for a high bump on Lewis Melican in a third quarter marking contest.
The small forward looks highly unlikely to cop a suspension with no apparent contact to Melican’s head and the Swans defender able to play on immediately after the incident.