If their performance in Wednesday’s intra-club match was any indication, then there will be plenty of healthy competition within the Sydney Swans’ ruck stocks this season.
The Swans newest big men – Tom Derickx, Sam Naismith and Toby Nankervis – all played in Wednesday evening’s hit out and impressed with their efforts in the ruck and up forward.
The trio combined for six goals in the 100-minute match, including a three-goal burst from draftee Nankervis in the third quarter.
Derickx showed equally strong signs, battling it out in the middle and contributing two goals up forward, while 205cm Naismith showed off his agility when he crumbed his own tap and snapped a goal late in the match.
Swans coach John Longmire said he couldn’t have been more pleased with the new rucks in Wednesday’s match.
“I thought they all showed different things at different times,” he said.
“Tommy Derickx, Sam Naismith and Toby Nankervis, I thought they were all pretty good.
“Toby kicked a few goals, big Sam – he’s 205cm and he can really jump - so they both showed a bit, which was good.”
It wasn’t just the Swans’ new ruckman who showed positive signs during the intra-club clash, with premiership ruckman Mike Pyke taking part in his first competitive hit-out this pre-season.
Pyke finished the match with two goals and worked hard all over the ground, and took a number of contested marks up forward.
Following Pyke’s late start to the pre-season, Longmire said he hadn’t made any decisions about the Swans’ ruck combinations in next week’s NAB Challenge against GWS in Canberra, suggesting that he would keep his options open.
“I’ve had some preconceived ideas at this time of year a few times over the last three or four years and we’ve had to make changes and have had to adapt as we get players back into our team,” he said.
“You don’t set something in stone in the middle of February; I’ve learnt that, so we’re trying to be flexible.
“The good thing is that they all showed a bit.”
Following Wednesday’s match, Longmire said he was also happy with the efforts of some of the club’s other late starters this season, including Sam Reid and Rhyce Shaw.
Both Reid and Shaw played extended minutes in Wednesday’s match and showed positive signs in their respective roles.
“Sam Reid got through well and I thought he looked pretty sharp and those blokes who missed a fair bit of footy last year have come in and are starting to look okay,” Longmire said.
“I also thought the longer the game went the better I thought (Shaw) got with his run and his timing.
"It's good to see those blokes coming in and doing well at the right time."
