Swans forward/ruck option Jesse White and mid-sized forward Trent Dennis-Lane have both been named in this week’s team to take on Richmond at the MCG on Saturday evening.
The pair will come into the side for injured duo Adam Goodes and Lewis Roberts-Thomson.
The pair will come into the side for injured duo Adam Goodes and Lewis Roberts-Thomson.
Swans coach John Longmire said Roberts-Thomson failed to complete full training this afternoon, and has been ruled out with a bruised heel.
“(Roberts-Thomson) actually had (the injury) last week and we were hoping it would be right,” Longmire said.
“Unfortunately he wasn’t able to do the amount we wanted him to do today, so he’s out.”
Longmire said White has shown plenty of improvement over the last month.
“(Jesse) missed one game and then played (in the reserves) last week and did a pretty good job,” he said.
“Obviously since we’ve lost Lewis Roberts-Thomson, we needed another player who can play that forward/ruck role, and that’s what his job will be this week.
“We’re confident that if he shows the improvement he’s been showing that he’ll be a valuable contributor to our team.”
Dennis-Lane will play his first senior game for 2012, after playing three games last season for the Swans.
The lively forward has kicked 15 goals for the reserves this season, and has also been a regular contributor through the midfield.
Longmire said he has been impressed with Dennis-Lane’s work ethic this year.
“(Trent) has worked really hard on his game and this year he’s been able to go back into the reserves and work on parts of his game that we wanted him to work on, including his pressure skills (and) his chase and tackle skills, in particular,” he said.
“He’s been doing everything we wanted him to be doing in the twos, so he deserves his chance.
“He’s been working enormously hard off the field on all aspects of his game, so we’re really looking forward to how he goes.”
The Swans coach also dismissed any suggestion that young forward Sam Reid was unfit to play this week.
“I’m not sure where that one came from,” Longmire said.
“Reidy trained last week and he was fine last week, and he’s been training all of this week.”
Round 7
Richmond v Sydney Swans
Saturday May 12, 2012
4.40pm AEST,
MCG
B M.Mattner, T.Richards, A.Johnson
HB N.Smith, H.Grundy, R.Shaw
C J.McVeigh, K.Jack, D.Hannebery
HF R.O'Keefe, S.Reid, B.McGlynn
F J.Bolton, J.White, T.Dennis-Lane
Foll M.Seaby, J.Kennedy, L.Parker
I/C C.Bird, A.Everitt, L.Jetta, N.Malceski
Emg T.Armstrong, N.Gordon, T.Walsh
In: J.White , T.Dennis-Lane
Out: L.Roberts-Thomson (Bruised Heel) , A.Goodes (Quad)
