The Sydney Swans AFLW side is set to participate in its first match simulation of pre-season tomorrow, against the Gold Coast Suns. The game marks the beginning of the Colin O'Riordan reign, and with a mix of youth and experience, the red and white are set for a big season ahead.
Forwards coach Brooke Lochland is entering her second season in the Swans' coaching cohort and said the players were excited to test their pre-season work against an opposition.
"We're in week 10 now of pre-season, so obviously (it’s been) a long time of playing each other, and I think they're just ready to play opposition now,” Lochland said.
Lochland joins a new-look AFLW coaching staff heading into the upcoming season. The Inaugural Sydney AFLW co-captain is aiming to assist the current generation of Swans leaders who have stuck together and grown in the four years of the women's program.
“We came into the competition in 2022, and that young group that we got in our draft that year are still here together. Montana Ham, Sofia Hurley, Cynthia Hamilton. Those three, in their fifth year, are the leaders of our club alongside Lucy McEvoy and Chloe Molloy,” Lochland said.
“So we've had a solid group for kind of four years now, and they're really well aware of how each other plays and confident in our game style.”
“(And O'Riordan has) really brought so much belief to this group, and you can see it in the way they're training.”
The Swans have been hard at work since the beginning of their preseason at the start of May, with the hope that some of that can be on display during tomorrow's simulation.
"We've probably put a lot more emphasis on our team defence. We've done a lot more work on that in the track," Lochland said.
"So hopefully that comes out tomorrow, and the girls show what we can do in our defence.
"Ultimately, we want to play an exciting brand of footy."
In the first of three unofficial match sims, fans can expect to see new and returning faces line up in red and white, with former co-captain Chloe Molloy set to return from a season-ending back injury.
“Chloe's looking really, really good," Lochland said.
"She'll play a bit of a different role for us this year, in terms of we've obviously drafted a couple of tall forwards. So that means that it's not all on her.
"She was obviously undersized as a tall, but now she can kind of play her game a little bit more. She'll play a little bit higher in our forward line."
Meanwhile, high-profile off-season signing Taylor Smith will get her first taste of the SCG as a Swan against the Suns.
“Tay brings a heap of leadership. She's obviously been in a really successful team at the Brisbane Lions, and we're a young side, so she brings her leadership," Lochland said.
“In terms of our forward line, we haven't had a genuine tall forward down there for four years. So, she's brought something different, and it means we've got a little bit more reference in our forward line.
"She kicked four goals last Wednesday in our internal match sim, so we're really excited to see how she goes."
Sydney's match simulation squad:
Imogen Brown
Holly Cooper
Laura Gardiner
Sarah Grunden
Montana Ham
Cynthia Hamilton
Lexi Hamilton
Lara Hausegger
Sofia Hurley
Tanya Kennedy
Mary-Kate Lynch
Paris McCarthy
Lucy McEvoy
Chloe Molloy
Darcy Moloney
Ally Morphett
Maddie Quinn
Caitlin Reid
Taylor Smith
Brenna Tarrant
Molly Thomas
Ash Van Loon
Fans will be able to attend tomorrow’s match simulation that gets underway at 1pm. Gate A opens at 12.55pm, with spectators able to access the Ladies Stand; no tickets required.
