Sydney Swans still have four Friday night prime time clashes this year despite 25-year low
The Sydney Swans must carry the sporting hopes of the city this weekend despite the fact they are languishing dead last on the AFL table and may not get Lance Franklin back to face Essendon.
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The Sydney Swans are stone motherless last for the first time in 25 years with nowhere to hide.
On a weekend when the NRL has taken its entire round to Brisbane, the battling Swans will take centre stage under the searing bright lights of Friday night football at the SCG.
Superstar Lance Franklin is no guarantee to return from a hamstring problem and arguably the Swans’ form player of the year Harry Cunningham has been ruled out for up to six weeks.
Sydney’s backline stocks are absolutely decimated, Sam Reid’s form is under a microscope and question marks are being asked about whether AFL veteran Kieren Jack’s battered body is still able to cut it at AFL level.
Not since 1994, have the Swans languished at the bottom of the ladder later than round 7.
That year they slumped to last for round 7-8 and then from round 10 to the end of the year where they collected their third wooden spoon in as many years.
Those dark days are a long way in the rear-view mirror thanks to the consistent force the Swans have been built into under Paul Roos and John Longmire.
But now the Swans are in the midst of a test they haven’t experienced for a quarter of a century and they risk being sprung in the floodlights once more by Essendon on Friday night.
“It's fair to say we're not thrilled about it. That'd be an
understatement," Longmire said, when asked about occupying last spot.
"There's no hiding from it. You just have to get on with it.
"We need to get out and do something about it. It's not something we
take lightly. It's not something we sit back and just accept.
"Regardless of the personnel involved and available, we understand
it's a different team (compared to recent seasons), but we've still
got to return to that core part of how we play."
The fact Sydney failed to get 30,000 to the local derby against GWS a fortnight ago raised concerns over whether the club will be able to maintain crowds this season when they appear destined for a bottom-of-the-table finish.
The support of the Swans faithful will receive no greater acid test than this Friday night against the Bombers, when they are the only show in town.
This will be the third occasion Sydney have featured on the AFL’s top prime time billing on either Thursday or Friday nights and they still have three more Friday night clashes in 2019, including SCG blockbusters against Collingwood and Hawthorn.
Featuring on Friday night prime can inject significant sponsorship dollars into a club’s coffers, but Sydney face a freeze out by the AFL, Seven and Fox Footy next year as a result of their crashing form.
The AFL simply won’t schedule underperforming teams for their banner matches, and the Swans face a major cut.
The silver lining is if they remain last they will receive prime access for the mid-season draft and the crucial end-of-season draft.
Longmire declared the white flag hasn’t been raised.
“The game teaches you about resilience," he said.
"We'll nurture, care, develop and teach."
Longmire described Franklin as a “chance” but lamented the loss of Cunningham.
"He's been a really, really good player for us this year,” Longmire said.
"He was important through our midfield then when we lost Jarrad
McVeigh, so we threw him back into our defence and he's been very good
back there.
"So we'll have to find another replacement for that back six — and it
won't be coming from (injured veterans) McVeigh, Heath Grundy or Nick
Smith ... we'll have a look at who is available."
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