Don't miss any of the news involving the Swans as we bring you everything from the newspapers around the country in the lead up to the Sydney Derby.
He's a keeper
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, April 8
IT’S a good thing the Sydney Swans have locked Luke Parker away on a five-year contract extension — his stocks are rising with every game he plays.
Parker completely dominated Collingwood in Round 1, collecting 40 possessions.
That was followed up by 29 touches against Carlton in the Swans’ second big win to start the season.
Negating his impact is certain to be a big part of coach Leon Cameron’s preparations for Saturday’s derby against the Giants at the SCG, with Stephen Coniglio the obvious opponent.
'Sorry' has allowed Goodes to move on
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, April 8
ADAM Goodes says the apology from AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has helped him get on with his life after football.
Speaking at an SCG breakfast in honour of the three retiring Swans players from last season, Goodes, Rhyce Shaw and Mike Pike the dual Brownlow medallist spoke publicly for the first time since the meeting with McLachlan.
McLachlan met with Goodes face to face before the start of the season to say sorry for taking too long to act over the continual booing from opposition fans. Goodes said the apology has helped him put the whole affair behind him.
Unseasoned Sydney Swans making the AFL critics look silly
Rohan Connolly
The Age, April 8
Is there a bigger cliché in AFL football than the annual pre-season predictions of the imminent conclusion of Sydney's reign as a top side?
In fact, there is. And it's the Swans ritually making the authors of those obituaries look more than a little silly. Thanks again, guys.
The thinking, at least this time, seemed sound enough. There were the retirements of a trifecta of premiership stars in Adam Goodes, Rhyce Shaw and Mike Pyke. The loss of the speed of wingman Lewis Jetta.
More ominously, there was Sydney's straight sets exit from last year's finals, two losses to Fremantle and North Melbourne in which the Swans managed a total of just 14 goals without Lance Franklin, whose entire playing future seemed under a cloud.
The "ins" for 2016 didn't seem to create too much enthusiasm - West Coast ruckman Callum Sinclair and Bulldogs key defender Michael Talia are hardly household names, along with the usual clutch of draftees.
But after just two games, many of us are pondering whether we might have fallen for the oldest trick in the book. Again. Seriously, if the Swans were a Hollywood movie, it surely would be that old classic The Sting.
And it's a con job that's been perpetrated on the unsuspecting largely through the tendency in football for perception to lag some way behind reality. In Sydney's case, it's about a side supposedly too long in the tooth. And that's simply no longer true.
Ben McGlynn returns for Sydney derby
Andrew Wu
SMH, April 8
Sydney veteran Ben McGlynn will make his comeback to senior ranks this weekend as the Swans showcased their extra depth this season by leaving out one of their best players from last year's finals series for this weekend's derby.
The Swans could not find room for Dean Towers, who starred against Fremantle in the qualifying final, while Greater Western Sydney named seasoned backman Joel Patfull for his first game of the season.
Towers can consider himself slightly unlucky to be omitted but McGlynn's inclusion allows the Swans to play a more nimble forward line against the fleet-footed Giants. McGlynn's 2015 was ruined by a string of soft tissue injuries and he was also held back during the pre-season.
Private meeting with AFL chief Gillon McLachlan gives Adam Goodes closure on booing
Caroline Wilson
The Age, April 8
A private meeting with AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan put a full stop for Adam Goodes to the ugly booing incidents that marred the final months of his decorated playing career.
The Sydney champion, who will walk a farewell lap of the SCG on Saturday, revealed he had sat with McLachlan before the start of the season and that the meeting had finally caused him to move on from the traumatic crowd incidents of 2015.
"The biggest closure for me was when I had a sit down with Gill and reflected on my career," Goodes said.
Goodes should be remembered for the great player he was, says Tony Lockett
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, April 7
INTERVIEWS with Tony Lockett are almost as rare as Australian wins at Augusta, but such is the esteem in which the legendary goalkicker holds Adam Goodes, he felt compelled to go on the record about his former teammate.
Goodes will bid farewell to Swans fans with a lap of honour at Saturday’s SCG derby against Greater Western Sydney, alongside fellow retiree Mike Pyke.
Lockett said he couldn’t understand the treatment Goodes received from opposition fans.
“I don’t know why Goodesy was booed and I don’t know what he did wrong,” Lockett told The Daily Telegraph.
“Hopefully it can all be put in the past and he will be remembered for the great player he was — and he was a great player.”
Papley ties to Sydney run deep with both grandfathers South Melbourne guns
Jon Anderson
Herald Sun, April 6
IN 1945 Max Papley sat on his mother’s shoulders, a five-year-old kid trying to catch a glimpse of his South Melbourne heroes as they literally went to battle with Carlton at Princes Park in the infamous bloodbath Grand Final.
Seventy-one years later, his grandson Tom Papley is wearing the same red and white colours, the product of a friendship born between his grandparents Jeff Bray and Max.
The pair became mates in their years together at South Melbourne between 1964-66, remaining close after Bray had returned to West Adelaide and Papley joined VFA club Williamstown.
When Tom was taken by Sydney in last year’s rookie draft, it was a bittersweet moment for Max.
“I got choked up, partly because Tom was going to play for Sydney but also because Jeff couldn’t be there to see it after he died six years ago,” said Papley, 75, who lives in retirement in Bunyip.
Goodes lauded by club greats ahead of farewell lap of honour at SCG
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, April 5
THE tributes are flowing for Adam Goodes ahead of Saturday night’s farewell lap of honour at the Sydney derby between the Swans and Giants at the SCG.
Sydney great Paul Kelly said Goodes was almost impossible to match up on, while club legend Bob Skilton declared him one of the most versatile players the game had seen.
It will be the first chance fans have had to acknowledge Goodes’ amazing contribution to footy in Sydney and around the country.
Giants set to field more experienced line-up than Sydney in Saturday’s derby
Neil Cordy
Daily Telegraph, April 6
THE GWS Giants have outgrown their dreaded “little brother’’ tag.
It’s hard to believe but GWS will almost certainly field a more experienced team than the Sydney Swans in Saturday afternoon’s derby at the SCG.
Based on last week’s teams, the average games played for both Sydney and GWS teams was almost exactly the same with the Swans at 88.04 and the Giants at 86.95.
If Caleb Marchbank (foot, 6-8 weeks) is replaced by either Joel Patfull (198 games) or Nick Haynes (44) and the Swans don’t make any changes, the Giants’ average games played will surpass Sydney’s.
Even without the changes the Swans are now one of the least experienced teams in the competition. Seven of last week’s 22 that played Carlton had fewer than 20 games experience and 10 had played fewer than 50.
Giants say they have shed tag of Sydney Swans' 'little brother'
Andrew Wu
SMH, April 6
Greater Western Sydney captain Callan Ward says his team are grown men who should no longer be slapped with the tag of the Swans' "little brother".
The derby head-to-head count is a lopsided 7-1 in favour of the Swans but the gap between the two clubs is narrowing. The Giants remain the underdogs but are no longer despised outsiders in the market.
Their days of using inexperience as an excuse are also numbered. The team the Giants fielded last week had played a total of 31 fewer games than the Swans' round-two side. In fact, the Swans had more players yet to reach their 50-game milestones.
"We're all grown men now, our average age isn't too much less than what they are," Ward said.
