Swans sense golden Cattery chance
Ben Horne
Daily Telegraph, August 1

PATRICK Dangerfield’s Brownlow-busting ban has rejuvenated the top four hopes of the Sydney Swans, who are now sensing a golden opportunity to infiltrate the Cattery and cement their finals’ berth.

Sydney’s history-making charge hit a speed bump last week against Hawthorn, but the club received a major double-boost with Geelong superstar Dangerfield facing a suspension ahead of Friday night’s blockbuster and on the flip side, Swans’ captain Josh Kennedy likely to lead his team into battle.

Clear Brownlow favourite Dangerfield has been offered a one-week ban from the AFL match review panel, setting up the likely scenario that Richmond’s Dustin Martin will now be gifted the game’s top gong — with any suspension ruling a player ineligible.

However, Sydney are the other big winners as they look to get out of a dogfight for the bottom positions in the eight and cement a playoff platform from which they can launch a premiership bid.

Dangerfield is an AFL juggernaut and if he is rubbed out of Friday night’s scintillating clash for the sling tackle that left Carlton ruck Matthew Kreuzer concussed, Geelong will be cut down to size even on their home turf.

“If he plays, you’ve got to be really good around the ball. He and (Joel Selwood) are two are key players for them there’s no doubt about that and every team relies upon your key players and we’re no different,” said Swans coach John Longmire.

“But they (the Cats) have got a really even team and they’re obviously playing on their home deck so they’ll have their tails up.”

Injury woes could bring Tippett recall
Andrew Wu
SMH, August 1

Lance Franklin is skating on thin ice despite escaping suspension as Sydney's injury problems left Kurt Tippett in line for a belated return for Friday night's clash with Geelong.

The Cats were dealt a major blow when superstar midfielder Patrick Dangerfield was given a one-match ban by the match review panel for his tackle on Carlton's Matthew Kreuzer. The sanction rules him out of contention for this year's Brownlow Medal, for which he was the raging favourite to go back-to-back.

Franklin was handed a $1500 fine for making unnecessary contact to the face of former teammate Luke Hodge. It was his second classifiable offence, coming after his hit on Richmond's Connor Menadue, which means he is just one misstep away from copping a suspension.

For the second time this season, injuries are threatening to derail the Swans' campaign, this time as they aim to lock away a finals berth that seemed improbable several months ago.

Swans coach John Longmire said Josh Kennedy is in doubt for the daunting road trip to Geelong while Sam Reid, Gary Rohan, Jake Lloyd and Sam Naismith will need to prove their fitness at the  main training session on Wednesday.

Tippett's hopes for a recall hinge on whether Naismith recovers after copping a knock to his hip just before half-time against Hawthorn.

Reid's availability will also be a major factor in selection as he would be an automatic inclusion if fit. Callum Sinclair starred two weeks ago with five goals but disappointed against the Hawks.

Tippett, whose last senior game was in round 10, has endured a wretched season due to injuries and poor form.

But even through his lean run Longmire maintained Tippett was a key part of the club's plans.

Month of reckoning for Swans
Will Swanton
The Australian, August 1

Smell that? August. The scramble for the finals in the AFL and NRL. The turn for home. The suffocating pressure. The anxiety. The desperation. The feverish support for every club except the Sydney Roosters. The high-decibel commentary. Bruce McAvaney’s suitably breathless description of the Collingwood-Adelaide epic posed a question worth expanding on: “How does it end? We don’t know.”

August 1 is the start of the answer. August 1 is today. Virtually every match holds significance from here. It was a big day for Australian soccer yesterday, the cartwheels and the condolences, and emotion is about to run its deepest in the winter codes.

Sportsbet figures show 38 per cent of AFL matches this season have been upsets. That’s nearly 10 per cent more than last year.

The AFL feels infinitely more unpredictable than the NRL, does it not, yet 37 per cent of league matches have been won by the underdog. That’s an increase of seven per cent from last year. Only the NRL’s Melbourne Storm look certain grand finalists.

No club is more cloaked in uncertainty than the Sydney Swans ahead of Friday night’s blockbuster against Geelong at ­Simonds Stadium.

Lose, and the Swans risk doing to their season what Will Langford did to Jarrad McVeigh — kiss it goodbye.

Asked yesterday what he thought of Langford puckering up and planting one on the cheek of the infuriated McVeigh, who called it disrespectful, and whether he had felt the sweet lips of an opponent on his own skin as a player, Swans coach John Longmire said: “Have a look at this face. I don’t think so. It’s not the face you want to be planting a kiss on. I’ve got other things to worry about than the kiss. Jarrad was quite entitled to feel how he felt but I’m looking at a few other things. 

The problem with missing the starter’s gun, as the Swans did with six straight defeats, is that you cannot afford a single stumble on the way home.

Wait and see on the skipper
Adam Curley
AFL.com.au, July 31

Sydney captain Josh Kennedy heads a long list of players in doubt for Friday night's crucial clash with Geelong at Simonds Stadium.

Kennedy struggled with a hamstring problem during the Swans' six-point loss to Hawthorn last week, managing just 14 possessions in his 200th game at the MCG.

The skipper failed to train at the SCG on Monday, instead doing some stationary ball work, with injured teammates Jake Lloyd (hip), Sam Reid (groin), Gary Rohan (back), Callum Sinclair (ankle) and Sam Naismith (knee) also on light duties.

Lloyd, who was a late withdrawal from Friday night's match, and Reid, who has missed the past two games with groin soreness, both managed to run strongly after an extended warm up, and did short kicking drills in what was a good sign for both players.

Longmire was hopeful all six could train at Wednesday's main session but the news on Kennedy's hamstring was positive.

"He's pulled up better than expected but we're not sure if he'll play this week or not," he said.

"He had a scan and it's a little bit inflamed, but there's no black or white answers in these situations.

"The coaches, the medical staff and the player all have a massive say in these decisions, and they happen every week.

"That’s why we don't have match committee early in the week these days because there's just no point, you don't have the information in front of you."