Sydney back in finals contention but Callum Sinclair injury sours win over Gold Coast

Even without Lance Franklin, Sydney ensured history didn’t repeat against Gold Coast but the Swans have more injury concerns ahead of a season-defining clash against Essendon.

Sydney’s Oliver Florent evades Jack Martin. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Sydney’s determined fight to keep their slim finals hopes alive may have come at a major cost, with ruckman Callum Sinclair suffering a shocking shoulder dislocation in a big win over the Gold Coast.

The Swans ultimately banished the demons from last year’s horror loss to the Suns in the 93-51 triumph, with Swans coach John Longmire lauding the adaptability of a side who have routinely lost key players to injury all season.

Already missing superstar forward Lance, the Swans are now facing the prospect of losing key big man Sinclair, who left the field in agony after popping his right shoulder on two occasions.

Sinclair bravely attempted to play on after getting the shoulder popped back in the first time, but his night was over when it came out again just before quarter-time.

Despite the huge positional shake-up, the Swans lifted off the back of the even spread of goal-kickers to hand the Suns their 10th straight loss.

Sydney has rallied to win five of their past seven games, including their past three matches on the trot, although it can’t afford to drop more than a couple of games on their run home.

Next Saturday the Swans face Essendon, who are only one win ahead of them and currently in ninth place on the ladder.

Callum Sinclair is helped off the field after dislocating his right shoulder. Picture: Getty Images

“It’s been extraordinary (over the past eight weeks now), we haven’t finished a game off without losing a player and tonight it was in the first 10 seconds,” Longmire said.

“We’ve been able to show really strong resilience to be able to do two things. One is finish the game out really strongly. (And two), I’ve been really happy with the ability of the players to adapt to different roles.”

Aliir Aliir went to the ruck position and Longmire suggested he is likely to feature there at least in some capacity next week against Essendon, with the Swans ruck stocks ravaged.

Aliir kicked a crucial goal at the back end of the second quarter – just his second AFL major – and then a sharp effort from Zak Jones immediately after helped the Swans maneuver themselves off the ropes and get the momentum which from there they never yielded.

With fellow ruckmen Sam Naismith and Darcy Cameron both injured, the Swans may have no choice but to turn to former basketballer Michael Knoll, who they picked up off the scrap heap at the mid-season draft, to fill the massive ruck void.

“(Sinclair’s) shoulder came out a couple of times obviously, so that’s not ideal,” said Longmire.

“We’ve got (Michael) …(this is why) we loaded up on ruckmen in the pre-season draft and the mid-season draft because you can’t have enough of them.”

SUNS HOODOO

When Sydney suffered a humiliating 24-point loss to the Suns in Round 18 of last season, it was declared one of the biggest upsets in the modern AFL competition.

It also virtually extinguished any hope they had of winning the 2018 flag, and from there they limped into the bottom half of the eight.

Even a year on, Swans coach John Longmire declared at the start of this week that there were lessons his side had to take from that calamitous upset.

By halftime on Saturday he might have had to issue a reminder, after his former assistant Stuart Dew once again had his players primed for a Sydney ambush.

The Suns came to play and immediately turned the match into a contested game and denying the Swans space.

Darcy Macpherson kicked two goals but the Suns were overpowered after halftime.

Isaac Heeney marks in front of Gold Coast’s Charlie Ballard. Picture: Phil Hillyard

LONGMIRE CONTRACT NO DISTRACTION

Swans coach John Longmire’s contract saga doesn’t appear to be affecting the mindset of his players, as his young stars continue to evolve.

It took his chargers a while to get going without Franklin, but the likes of Blakey, Papley, Will Hayward, Ollie Florent, James Rose and Isaac Heeney are evolving nicely.

Blakey was ironed out by Suns ruckman Witts in the second quarter, only to spring to his feet and pilot the free-kick he was awarded home.

Witts may have a case to answer with the match review after striking Blakey high.

SYDNEY 3.3 6.3 10.6 14.9 (93)

GOLD COAST 2.3 5.5 6.7 7.9 (51)

GOALS

Sydney: Reid 2, Blakey 2, Ronke 2, Papley 2, Heeney 2, Jones, Aliir, Kennedy, Hayward

Gold Coast: MacPherson 2, Wright, Sexton, Scheer, Day, Miles

BEST

Sydney: Kennedy, Dawson, Parker, Heeney, Rampe, Hewett

Gold Coast: Miles, Harbrow, Swallow, Hanley, Witts, MacPherson

INJURIES

Sydney: Callum Sinclair (shoulder)

Gold Coast: O’Riordan (head)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Meredith, Findley, Dore

Official crowd: 26,194 at the SCG