Swans forward Sam Wicks burns off off-field drama to let ‘footy do the talking’ in win
He missed some footy after some off-field drama, but Sam Wicks made his presence felt in a big way on the SCG on Sunday as the Suns melted under the Swans' heat.
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There are not many better feelings for a kid who has grown up supporting the Swans than kicking a goal in front of a packed house at the SCG.
For Sam Wicks, his emotions were doubled after making a triumphant return in Sydney’s emphatic 53-point victory against Gold Coast.
It’s been a tough month for the Academy product who found himself the focus of headlines following an incident with a teammate. The 23-year-old missed two games of footy, took some time away from the sport and returned with a point to prove.
Two massive goals in the Swans’ win on Sunday afternoon was the perfect tonic to one of the toughest stretches of his career.
“It’s good to put all that other stuff behind me and let my footy do the talking now,” Wicks said.
“It’s awesome, there’s nothing better than playing at the SCG. We’ve got one of the best supporter bases in the comp and kicking a goal early felt really good.”
Wicks was named to make his return earlier in the week with many unsure whether he would be named as the sub for the third time this year. However, with that role given to Braeden Campbell, Wicks was unleashed from the first quarter to help lead their defence in the forward half.
While he only finished with one tackle inside 50 for the match, there’s no doubt that his presence was part of a wider improvement for the Swans pressure game. Sydney finished with 14 tackles inside 50, up from their average of 11 for the season and more than three times (4) the amount they had in the loss to Richmond.
“It was a big focus point for the whole team,” Wicks said. “I think we pride ourselves on being a pressure team the past few years.
“We dropped away from it the past two weeks and we ramped it back up today and we saw the result.
“I think it’s pretty clear when we put in a four-quarter performance what can happen.”
John Longmire praised Wicks’ return in what he felt was a “switched-on” defensive showing that had disappeared to a degree in their past two matches.
He also felt that it became a key turning point in the match as they nullified some of the Suns’ greatest strengths. The Swans ended the match with more than 60 points from turnovers as they capitalised on some sloppy movement from Gold Coast out of their own backline.
“Pressure around the ball and at the source in particular, if your forwards are able to put pressure on you can restrict their ability to intercept mark,” Longmire said.
“They’re a really quality intercept marking team. So we were able to bring the ball to the ground and when you mids and forwards get set right, your defenders can work as well.
“That’s all related to each other and we got that right more times than not.”
The match was only Wicks’ 54th in the AFL over the past five years as he’s often struggled to cement his place in the side. But he’s hoping his tenacity could see him become a key member of a Sydney forward line that has scored the second-most points in the competition.
“First of all, I just want to play my role for the team which is that forward tackling pressure,” Wicks said.
“Then the goals come of that. So I’ll play my role and go from there.”
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