Sydney are assured recruit Taylor Adams will probably be match-fit for an opening-round debut after sustaining a knee harm throughout the Swans’ 25-point pre-season loss to Brisbane.
Adams had impressed in his first hit-out within the crimson and white on Thursday, earlier than a sort out from Brisbane’s Cam Rayner despatched him to floor within the third quarter at Blacktown Worldwide Sportspark.
The previous Collingwood participant instantly grabbed his left knee and was dominated out of the remainder of the AFL neighborhood sequence match with a light medial ligament pressure.
The Swans went on to undergo an 8.8 (56) to 12.9 (81) loss to the Lions of their remaining gown rehearsal earlier than the season opener.
Sydney assistant coach Jarrad McVeigh was optimistic Adams wouldn’t be out of motion.
“He acquired a knock to his knee so we performed that conservatively,” McVeigh mentioned after the sport.
“He’s nonetheless clearly an opportunity for subsequent week.”
Already pushed again as a consequence of sweltering climate situations, the match was delayed one other half-hour after the western Sydney venue, maybe taking a leaf out of the Gabba’s ebook, was plunged into darkness by an influence outage.
The Lions confirmed no indicators of a hangover from final yr’s grand remaining loss to Collingwood.
With the Lions close to full power, it was Brisbane’s common stars – Dayne Zorko (two objectives, 20 disposals), Lachie Neale (22 disposals, eight clearances), Keidean Coleman (19 disposals) and Hugh McCluggage (31) – who fired the guests to dominance.
A scare ran by way of the Lions camp when Neale, in his first hit-out following low season groin surgical procedure, appeared in ache after younger Swan Angus Sheldrick blew into the Brownlow Medallist’s shoulder within the second time period.
Neale nursed the harm and was capable of play the remainder of the sport.
Zorko stole the present early. The veteran midfielder, coming into his thirteenth season nonetheless chasing an elusive premiership, flashed the identical grit as his 23-year-old debutant self with a cultured objective within the opening 30 seconds.
Brisbane had no scarcity of firepower with eight totally different goalkickers, as Lincoln McCarthy kicked three objectives and Eric Hipwood two.
Although all eyes have been on Adams in his unofficial Swans debut, it was former Demon James Jordon who performed the very best out of the brand new recruits.
The 22-year-old had 31 disposals and 4 clearances, numbers rivalling these of powerhouse midfielder Errol Gulden (24 disposals, two clearances, one objective).
Earlier, Adams confirmed his class and racked up 15 touches and 7 clearances earlier than he was injured.
Adams’ former Collingwood teammate Brodie Grundy (27 hitouts) once more starred within the ruck.
John Longmire’s males have been with out star midfielder Luke Parker after the previous skipper broke his arm over the past quarter of their apply match towards GWS.
The 2016 All-Australian joins captain Callum Mills on the sidelines for the opening-round conflict with Melbourne on the SCG on March 7 and can meet specialists once more on Friday to find out a return-to-play timeline.
Tom Papley and Chad Warner (rested) have been additionally on the sidelines with defender Jake Lloyd (hip soreness).
Lions younger gun Devon Robertson may make a return when Brisbane host Carlton on March 8 after overcoming a wrist harm, whereas Tom Doedee stays out of motion with an ACL harm.
(AAP)
Suns not panicking regardless of pre-season thrashing
Adam Kingsley has secured early bragging rights over former teaching mentor Damien Hardwick, together with his GWS facet grabbing a pre-season win over the Gold Coast Suns in Canberra.
In Hardwick’s remaining rehearsal earlier than formally resuming his AFL teaching tenure, alarm bells have been ringing when the Suns fell 65 factors behind within the third time period on Thursday, earlier than rallying late to scale back the deficit to 44 within the 15.15 (105) to 9.7 (61) loss.
Kingsley, who coached beneath Hardwick at Richmond for 4 years, noticed his facet dominate clearances and contested possession on Thursday, whereas producing their trademark transition soccer to slice up the Suns.
It wasn’t the encouraging efficiency the Suns would have been hoping for, at one stage conceding 11 unanswered objectives as GWS ran rampant.
“We perceive it’s going to be a course of and a journey for us, we’re actually not the completed product proper right here, proper now,” Suns assistant coach Shaun Grigg mentioned post-game.
“It was nearly implementing a number of the issues we’ve been engaged on in the summertime and at phases we did see that.
“For the gamers to get a great understanding of what that appears like and what that seems like out on the sphere has been actually good within the first couple of apply matches.
“We really feel like there’s some glimpses there of what we need to obtain.”
The Suns have been warming up for his or her March 9 season opener towards Richmond, the place Hardwick will battle his former facet.
GWS tackle Collingwood later that day in a preliminary remaining rematch, and the Giants will probably be assured they will avenge that defeat after operating rings across the Suns at Manuka Oval.
Midfield bull Tom Inexperienced appeared as highly effective as ever, racking up 30 touches, eight clearances and a objective.
Winger Xavier O’Halloran (25 disposals) carved up the Suns by way of the center of the bottom.
This allowed their forwards to money in, captain Toby Greene wanting in mid-season type with three objectives as a relentless menace up entrance.
GWS assistant coach Ben Hart mentioned the show was “fairly robust” and an enchancment on the earlier week’s hit-out towards Sydney.
“Pre-season video games are all the time attention-grabbing as a result of generally they’re able to rock and roll and generally they’re not fairly there,” he mentioned.
“Final week was a little bit little bit of a get up name for us and as we all know the season comes round actually rapidly.
“In 9 days time we’re enjoying, so we have been actually comfy with what we noticed tonight.”
Effort appeared missing at instances for the Suns, who hit the entrance early when silky ahead Jack Lukosius slotted three straight first-quarter objectives.
What adopted was a 76-3 onslaught throughout which they appeared solely uncompetitive, maybe reminding Hardwick of the dimensions of the job in entrance of him on the Gold Coast.
Hardwick’s troops did rally late and booted 5 straight objectives within the second half when the Giants rested a few of their key cogs.
It was an evening to neglect for Suns key ahead Ben King.
After signing a two-year contract extension final week, King didn’t register a disposal till 30 seconds earlier than halftime. He completed the match with a miserly 4 touches to go along with a solitary behind.
(AAP)
