Sydney Swans regain three stars against GWS, set to play sixth debutant in five rounds
WINLESS Sydney has regained three key players for the Sydney derby against GWS and will blood its sixth debutant of the year, Lewis Melican.
Sydney
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THE Sydney Swans have taken a massive gamble ahead of their do-or-die derby against GWS, with key defender Lewis Melican becoming their sixth debutant this year and their 13th in the last 13 months.
The Swans will welcome back Kurt Tippett, Isaac Heeney and Gary Rohan from injury for Saturday night’s Sydney Derby XII, while Jarrad McVeigh (calf) has been given another week.
While those inclusions were expected, coach John Longmire’s decision to blood Melican comes as a big surprise.
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The former Geelong Falcon has been brought in to deal with the Giants’ triple tall threat of Jeremy Cameron, Rory Lobb and Jonathon Patton.
The 20-year-old has had a shocking run with injury after the Swans took him with pick No.52 in the 2015 rookie draft. A fractured pelvis cost him 15 games in his first season and hamstring troubles kept him sidelined for another seven last year.
Much of that time was spent alongside fellow defender Alex Johnson who is close to returning after undergoing 12 knee surgeries since his last game five years ago.
“He’s an inspiration,” Melican told The Daily Telegraph.
“I spent most of my rehab time in the dungeon (altitude room) with AJ.
“He was really good and helped me get through it. When you’re in there you’re down on life and you wonder when you’ll get out of it.
“But you look at AJ and you realise you don’t have it so bad. He showed me if he can get through what he’s had to deal with then I can get through the minor things I’ve had to deal with.
“He gets all the boys up when he’s around, he has enormous energy.”
While Melican is playing his first AFL game he featured in three matches in the NAB Challenge last year and this year’s JLT Challenge, which featured a game at Blacktown against GWS.
“That match was good for my confidence,” Melican said.
“It was raining but as a group we did pretty well to quell them. Our defensive work was quite good.”
Saturday’s Sydney Derby XII at the SCG is certain to be a lot hotter than the pre-season fixture at Blacktown but Melican says he’s up for the challenge.
“It’s very exciting, Melican said.
“I’m very nervous but by the time the game comes around it will be just another game of footy. Every time we play GWS in the reserves it’s a big game, it is obviously a lot bigger in the seniors.”
Melican joins Ollie Florent, Robbie Fox, Nic Newman, Will Hayward and Jordan Dawson as this year’s Swans debutants.
Florent and Newman were omitted for the clash with GWS along with Aliir Aliir and Robbie Fox.
It’s an incredible influx of youth considering the Swans played in last year’s grand final.
The rebuilding Carlton and North Melbourne have blooded five new players this year.
Originally published as Sydney Swans regain three stars against GWS, set to play sixth debutant in five rounds
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