SYDNEY Swans midfielder Nick Malceski is among three players dropped for Saturday night's clash against West Coast at ANZ Stadium.
Malceski will join Mike Pyke and Kristin Thornton in the Swans reserves while Luke Ablett, Craig Bird and Jesse White come into the side.
Swans coach Paul Roos said Malceski's omission was an attempt to "break the cycle" of the player's training form failing to translate into strong match-day performances.
"It gives him a chance [under] no pressure to go back, get the footy, use the ball better. Hopefully it's just a week and he plays well and gets back up next week," he said.
Roos said there were no physical problems with Malceski's much-analysed knee, which was repaired using a synthetic graft after he suffered a ruptured ACL in the 2008 pre-season.
"That's why we're a bit surprised – his training form's been fantastic. I think it's just a mental hurdle. He's played okay without getting back to the heights … he's a bit confused and so are we," he said.
"Players never like playing seconds but … we were both scratching our heads as to what to do. We probably made the decision for him but after explaining the decision both on Tuesday and today, [he's] fine.
"Sometimes a lift in form can only happen with a change in environment. We've made that decision for him but he's okay with it."
Roos confirmed Pyke would be sent back to the reserves to avoid a clash with star Eagle Dean Cox before the rookie Canadian was ready.
"His ruckwork is very, very good and we saw that again last week, but part of coaching, I guess, is not trying to put players in a position where they're not capable of doing it," he said.
"Pykey, being a two-game AFL player, trying to run around on Dean Cox is just something [where] I'm not prepared to put him in that position. It's just a bit too big an ask at this stage."
White will resume the back-up ruck role he played in the first five games of the year while Thornton makes way for Ablett, who has recovered from a nagging shoulder problem.
Bird has also recovered from a shoulder problem and he comes in for Malceski.
Both teams are missing several players from 2005-06 when the rivalry between them was at its most fierce, but Roos said there would still be plenty of feeling when the ball was bounced on Saturday night.
"The personnel's different but the rivalry's still there," he said.
"Obviously it means a bit more when you're playing in a grand final as opposed to round seven, but we need to win and they need to win. The stakes are always pretty high when you're playing AFL footy."
