Sydney coach John Longmire has declared this finals marketing campaign the “chance for a new story”, saying the ache of final yr’s grand last defeat isn’t driving the Swans.
Form and harm points left the Swans languishing in fifteenth spot on the ladder on the finish of spherical 17, however a six-game profitable streak has taken them to what Longmire calls the “starting grid” within the type of an elimination last showdown towards Carlton.
It shall be Sydney’s first last with out retired celebrity Lance Franklin since 2015, with the coach backing Isaac Heeney and a fit-again Tom Papley to spearhead an inexperienced assault in his absence.
Longmire repeated the message he has caught to all season: that the horror 81-point loss to Geelong in final yr’s decider was irrelevant to how the Swans have been approaching their marketing campaign.
“We just have to keep improving, that’s all we can do. This year is a chance for a new story,” Longmire mentioned.
“We started off the season that way and we’re certainly focusing on that leading into another finals series.
“I’m really proud of the resilience of the footy club and the players to keep pushing along and keep working at what we need to do … they’ve been able to do that to give us a chance on the starting grid. I’m really pleased with that.”
Longmire mentioned the Swans’ rollercoaster journey to securing a finals berth didn’t diminish the achievement.
“50 per cent of the teams that made finals last year didn’t make it this year, including last year’s premier, so it’s a tough thing to do every year,” he mentioned.
“It can be underestimated how hard it is to make finals every year. The whole competition is set up so you don’t do that, essentially.
The tall forward combination of Logan McDonald, Joel Amartey and Hayden McLean will be the least experienced deployed by any finalist, but Longmire said leaders Heeney and Papley would be able to keep the forward line humming in the heat of a finals battle.
“They’re players that have been around for a while and understand what it’s about – they understand the importance of playing well and playing to your trademark every week,” he mentioned.
“We’re confident they can help those younger ones a bit.”
Longmire mentioned it will be essential the defensive duty for Coleman medallist Charlie Curnow was not left solely to Tom McCartin on Friday evening.
“(Curnow) is one of the premier forwards in the competition and it won’t just be about Tom,” he mentioned.
“We’ll have to put on enormous pressure up the ground as a first point of call … we have to make sure it’s a team-orientated defence.”
Source: www.news.com.au
