Dane Swan sets decision deadline on his playing future

INJURED Collingwood champion Dane Swan is still undecided about his playing future but says a decision will definitely be made before Round 23.

Collingwood star Dane Swan. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

INJURED Collingwood champion Dane Swan is still undecided about his playing future but says a decision will definitely be made before Round 23.

However, Swan said he had to be confident his recovery from a badly damaged foot will allow him to play pain-free next year.

“If I think I can go around and not be in pain with my foot and not ache, I’ll play on,” Swan told Triple M on Friday night.

“But if there’s any little doubt there that I don’t think I can get through a year without pain and sort of starting to resent footy, waking up aching and walking with a bit of a loser’s limp all day and doing more damage to my foot for the rest of my life, well, I won’t go on.”

Swan, 32, suffered three breaks in his right foot against Sydney in Round 1.

Dane Swan injured his foot against Sydney in Round 1. Picture. Phil Hillyard

The star midfielder is making steady progress and is running on an AlterG anti-gravity machine, but admitted he still had a long way to go.

“For someone who’s not particularly fond of running, it’s actually not bad to get out and have a sweat on the treadmill again,” Swan said.

“There’s some positive signs there but clearly there’s a long way to go. I still haven’t kicked and changing direction and running with my full body weight is certainly another issue.

“But at the moment it’s progressing as well as it could. I’ve had X-rays and the surgeon said it looks as good as it possibly could.

“There’s five or six screws still in my foot which need to come out in October, which will free it up a bit more but I’m going to have to make a decision before then.”

Swan said he wanted to make a decision on his future as early as possible so Collingwood can move forward with its list management.

“To be fair to the footy club I’m not going to hang around until October (before making a decision),” Swan told Triple M on Friday night.

“They obviously have to make list management decisions, and obviously I’m not going to play for nothing if I go on, so (there’s) salary cap issue and stuff like that

“I’m reasonably close to making it, I’ve just go to speak to the surgeon again and a couple of people in my trusted circle and go from there.”