THE SYDNEY Swans have made a habit of triumphing over adversity, but in the case of Saturday's preliminary final against Fremantle in Perth the odds have arguably never been so stacked against the reigning premiers.
Recovery will take precedence over anything else this week at the SCG, with the injury-riddled Swans playing a man down from the 19th minute of their semi-final win over Carlton at ANZ Stadium.
Tom Mitchell (ankle) and Kurt Tippett (knee) suffered early injuries on Saturday night and the club is not confident of their chances of taking on the Dockers, who will be well rested after a week off.
"They both looked sore after the game which isn't ideal," Swans co-captain Jarrad McVeigh told Channel 7 on Sunday.
"Hopefully they'll get a scan and it's not too bad, but it didn't look great.
"We'll have to find out tomorrow."
Key defender Ted Richards could also be an enforced omission, depending on how the Match Review Panel assess his bump on Carlton's Levi Casboult.
"I don't think there'll be too much to worry about there," Swans onballer Josh Kennedy opined at the team's recovery on Sunday.
Tippett, who was on crutches in the rooms, was notably absent when the hobbled Swans went for a swim at Coogee Beach.
The good news for the Swans is that Dane Rampe and Ryan O'Keefe are both expected to make Wednesday's trip to Perth, despite suffering minor ankle injuries against the Blues.
"Ryan's pulled up pretty well. He's very positive ... and no doubt he'll be right for next week," Kennedy said.
"Like a lot of us, he was pretty fatigued out there."
Kennedy managed to enjoy a spell on the bench in the second half at ANZ Stadium, a luxury not afforded to some of his teammates.
The 25-year-old was adamant the adrenaline rush and excitement of playing off for a place in the Grand Final would help counteract the feelings of exhaustion.
"Maybe under normal circumstances (fatigue would be an issue against Fremantle). But I think heading into a prelim final, it's amazing what that can do for your energy and enthusiasm," he said.
"They don't come along very easily so we know we've got to make the most of it."
Kennedy conceded the absence of key forward Tippett would be a "huge loss" but backed the Swans to showcase their depth yet again if the star recruit failed to come up for the game.
"I think we can fill the gaps if a few players go down, which we've shown all year," he said.
Fringe Swans Tony Armstrong and Jed Lamb were two players who put their hands up for a preliminary final berth by starring for the Swans reserves as they claimed the NEAFL Eastern Conference premiership against Belconnen on Sunday.
Armstrong was awarded the Alex Jesaulenko Medal for best afield while Lamb was influential through the midfield.
The Swans' win also marked the return of Lewis Roberts-Thomson after the tall utility suffered a knee injury in round four of the AFL season. He booted two goals in 80 minutes before coming from the ground for the final time in an encouraging display.
