A Swans boost as McVeigh returns to tackle Demons
Ben Horne
Daily Telegraph, June 2

SYDNEY will welcome back its most experienced star Jarrad McVeigh for the cutthroat Friday night clash against Melbourne at the MCG.

The Swans are set to make two changes to the side that trumped Essendon last week, with Zak Jones to also return from suspension.

McVeigh, 32, hasn’t played since Round 9 due to a hamstring injury, but his big-game ­experience out of the backline is seen as ­crucial to Sydney’s chances of creating history.

He has played precious little football this year but with every match virtually a do-or-die semi-final for the 10th-placed Swans, McVeigh’s ability to absorb pressure and deliver will be invaluable.

It’s thought he can have a major influence on the back end of the season as Sydney continue to strive for a complete performance after slowly bouncing back from an 0-6 start to the season.

There is no bigger stage to return on than a blockbuster against the in-form Demons but McVeigh is ready.

“Jarrad was really good in the NEAFL last weekend,” team boss Tom Harley said.

“He was modified in his time in the sense he wore a GPS unit and we made sure he hit the marks he needed to with speed and total distance. 

“He’s progressed through the weekend, recovered well and will train well this week and be available again, which is terrific news.”

Veteran Swan set to play but Tippett still sore
Adrian Warren
AAP, AFL.com.au, June 28

THE FRUSTRATION continues for Sydney ruckman Kurt Tippett but defenders Jarrad McVeigh and Aliir Aliir are set to be available for Friday's big clash with Melbourne at the MCG.

An out-of-sorts Tippett was dropped to the NEAFL after round 10 and played two games in the reserves before an ankle injury sidelined him last week.

Swans head of football Tom Harley said on Tuesday Tippett would be out for one to two more weeks.

"He's been getting treatment around the clock," Harley said.

"He's starting the run phase at the back end of this week. He won't play this weekend in any grade.

"Then we'll assess again Monday next week as he builds up his training and his running.

"We've got him down as 1-2 weeks which is disappointing for Kurt, we'd all like to see him out there as soon as possible." 

Buddy urged to keep the faith during lean goalkicking run
Andrew Wu
SMH, June 28

Lance Franklin has been urged by a former goalkicking great to continue taking long-range shots despite his accuracy this season dipping to the lowest point of his career.

Although arguably the best forward of his generation, Franklin can have spells where his radar is off – and now is one such time.

The Swans superstar has managed a wayward 4.12 in his past three games, including a lean return of 0.6 last week. His inaccuracy has not cost his team victory, though his goalkicking would have likely come under heavy scrutiny had the Swans not conjured a last-gasp miracle against Essendon.

His recent jitters in front of the big sticks have dragged his shot at goal accuracy – which takes into account shots that are out on the full or fail to score – to 45.6 per cent this year, which is worse than any other campaign in his 13-year career.

Noted for being one of the best kicks from long range, Franklin has kicked 3.9 from 40 metres in the past three games since the bye. Conversion rates drop the further out from goal a player is but Franklin is not one who generally passes up the responsibility to score from downtown.

In a play widely seen as a sign his confidence had waned, Franklin in the last term passed to a teammate, Kieren Jack, from a similar range though on a better angle. Jack's kick was controversially ruled to have been touched on the line.

"That tells you where Buddy's confidence is at with his goalkicking," former AFL great Wayne Carey said. "Just wanted to give that one off, hasn't hit them at all well tonight so give it to a man who has got more confidence." 

Demons on track to equal Cats
Greg Denham
The Australian, June 28

A Melbourne victory over Sydney on Friday night at the MCG will equal an AFL record of four ­consecutive wins in 18 days, previously achieved only once in the history of the game.

Considered the toughest assignment in football, the Demons are three quarters of the way through setting a new club benchmark by winning their fourth game of a rarely played horror draw, which started with them ­defeating Collingwood on the Monday Queen’s Birthday holiday.

Only Geelong between rounds one and four in 2013 have achieved the remarkable feat, a quirk in the system that even Hawthorn failed to do in their premiership season the following year. The Cats lost their preliminary final that year.

Geelong in 2013 defeated the Hawks, North Melbourne, Carlton and Sydney coming off six-day breaks between each match, with their only win outside of Victoria in that sequence being against the Swans at the SCG.

In some ways, a Melbourne win on Friday night would be even more special considering their come-from-behind success last weekend against West Coast was in Perth — considered the toughest road trip in the competition.

The Demons yesterday said a fifth win in succession, which they have not been able to achieve since 2006, would further galvanise the club for their run to the finals.