The Sydney Swans will kick off their 2023 campaign against the Gold Coast Suns, with the top 22 travelling to Queensland for their first away game this Saturday.
See all the key headlines in this week's Red and White News, presented by Channel 7.
Swans travel north for season opener
The Sydney Swans will kick off their 2023 campaign against the Gold Coast Suns, with the top 22 travelling to Queensland for their first away game this Saturday.
John Longmire has named his red and white line up that will feature Sydney Swans forward Tom Papley and midfielder Callum Mills, with both stars returning from injury.
First bounce is from 7:00pm AEST / 8:00pm AEDT.
Swans sidelined
Sam Reid will miss the season opener, one of four players that are unavailable from last year's Grand Final line up, but Longmire is confident in the players stepping into their shoes.
Ryan Clarke, Robbie Fox and Tom Hickey are also unavailable for selection.
“We have a few of the older guys that are not available this week, but we’ll get some good new players in again and we’re really confident in the team we’re taking up to Queensland and I look forward to a good game," senior coach John Longmire said.
“Clarke, Fox, Reid and Hickey are the four players that are not playing for the Grand Final last year. Reid played almost two games but in the last minutes of the last practice game felt a bit tight in his glutes, so he won’t play this week."
Lance Franklin closes in on record
A premiership aside, Swans fans will wait a long, long time for a moment as special as Lance Franklin’s 1000th AFL goal last year.
But this year the now 36-year-old maestro, who became the fifth AFL player to kick 1000 goals, could give us a moment even more unique in football history.
Franklin is 33 goals away from becoming the first player to kick 500 goals for two clubs.
