SYDNEY Swans reserves coach Henry Playfair highlighted the final quarter improvement in his team’s efficiency as they fought off a much improved GWS line-up in Canberra last Saturday.

After a tight first three quarters, Playfair said his team was able to stretch their cross-town rivals with better ball use and find targets that previously weren’t available.

“We were just a bit cleaner with our ball use,” Playfair said of the way his team overran the Giants.

“We spoke about (our poor ball use) at the breaks, and in the last quarter they were just a bit cleaner, and started to hit targets, and hit targets inside fifty.

“Also our forwards found their structure a bit. They were tending to run back for the ball in the first half, but after half time they were better at coming at the ball carrier and we got a few more shots on goal,” he said.

Luke Parker and Dylan McNeil both had outstanding games through the midfield for the Swans reserves, with Playfair very happy with their output.

“Luke was outstanding all game … especially in the first half when we were under pressure, he dug in and got us some drive out of the middle. Then he went forward and took a few catches and ended up with three shots on goal, so he had a pretty all-round good game,” he said.

“And it was probably (Dylan’s) best game for the year."

“He’s had a bit of a quiet start, which he acknowledges, and we’ve worked pretty hard on a few aspects of his game in the last couple of weeks, and it was pleasing to see him have some impact around the footy and he got it on the spread as well, and got a few inside 50s.”    

Playfair said that the promotion of Nathan Gordon to the senior team last week was a great fillip for the reserves system, and showed that the coaches will award consistently good reserves form with senior appearances.

“Nathan Gordon is a great example for all the players playing in the reserves,” he said.

“He’s toiled away for the best part of three years and just put up solid performance after solid performance, and that’s all you can do.

“The coaches certainly pay close attention to what happens in the reserves and they’re looking for players who can come in and play a role and play consistently well, and Nathan’s done that this year as well as last year.”

Lewis Roberts-Thomson and Mark Seaby could come in to contention for senior selection this weekend with senior ruckman Mike Pyke missing with a quad injury, and Ted Richards set to contest his one week suspension later tonight. Both put in good performances against GWS, and featured heavily around the ground.

“(Lewis) started in defence, and started pretty well, and had a number of spoils - I think he had eight to half time - and played a pretty tight role down there for us,” Playfair said.

“We really needed a contest up forward, and he went forward and provided us that and was pretty strong in his attack on the footy and his tackling - which we’ve come to know with him over the years.

“(Mark’s) ruck work was ok and he found plenty of the ball around the ground. He had a few possessions - I think his highest possession game of the year - and his follow-ups, which is what we’ve been working on with him, was pretty good as well.”

The Sydney Swans reserves will play against Gold Coast Suns reserves this weekend for the first time, with Playfair looking forward to the challenge of his players taking up one of the leading teams in the strong NEAFL Northern Conference.

“They’ve got some good kids running around. They’ve won four games, lost two for the season and are playing pretty well,” Playfair said. “They beat the
Brisbane Lions on the weekend by about five goals, so they’ll be a good challenge for us.

“It will certainly put some of our players under pressure and that’s what we’re looking for to get as close as we can to AFL-type pressure, and with some of the blokes they’ve got they’ll certainly do that to us.”