Reserves coach Daniel McPherson admits it’s been a tough month for the team due to injuries and players being promoted to the senior team, but he is looking for an improved performance against the Ainslie Tricolours on Saturday.
“We’ll have to have all of our players playing well, we won’t be able to afford to have three or four off their game because Ainslie is a pretty good team. We are stretched with our numbers at the moment so we’ll have to have all of our listed players playing pretty well,” McPherson said.
The Swans and Ainslie have met four times so far this season, with the Swans Reserves taking the first game, the teams playing out a 50-all draw in the second encounter, and Ainslie winning the last two matches.
Two weeks ago Ainslie were 22-point winners over the Reserves at the SCG in round 17. The Swans were leading by 11-points at three-quarter time before a final term surge saw Ainslie run away with the game.
McPherson says that in order to progress through to the grand final, which the reserves will automatically do if they beat Ainslie this weekend, the side is going to have to improve on its recent performances.
“Ainslie have got us the last few times we’ve played them. We’d have to improve significantly to be in the ball park with them I would have thought. Hopefully we get an extra player or two back which will help our cause. If we play anything near like we played (against Belconnen last weekend) we will get beaten easily,” McPherson said.
The past couple of rounds have been difficult for the Reserves, with a minimal number of listed players available. The Swans are restricted to 13 listed players on the field at the one time under AFL Canberra regulations, but haven’t even been able to field that number in recent weeks.
The shortage in numbers again took its toll last weekend in the final round game of the season against the Belconnen Magpies, with 10 listed players taking to the field.
“Our numbers are fairly low so it’s a bit tough. Obviously it was still disappointing to lose and some of our decision making from the listed guys was a bit disappointing. The effort was there most of the day, we got back within three goals and looked like we were a chance to steamroll them for a while but again a couple of poor decisions probably cost us in the end,” McPherson said.
The likely return of trio Shane Mumford, Tadhg Kennelly and Daniel Hannebery to the Seniors line up after missing the clash against the Brisbane Lions may help bolster the numbers in reserves. McPherson is hopeful that a few familiar faces will be back to take on Ainslie, but isn’t expecting the maximum of 13 to be available.
“Ed Barlow and Kristin Thornton possibly could be back, but there are a few of the boys who are a bit wounded, so I’d say we’d be around the mark of 10 or 11 players again.”
While the reserves may not reach their quota of listed players this weekend, the 2010 season has given plenty of the younger Swans players the chance to impress. Players including Sam Reid, Dylan McNeil, Nathan Gordon and Campbell Heath have consistently been in the side’s best players during the year, and have contributed to the team’s success so far this season.
Despite the past four week’s losses, the Swans claimed the AFL Canberra minor premiership, one game clear of Ainslie. The Tricolours have been in strong form at the business end of the season, and have loomed as the Swans major rival to the title for the majority of the season. One of the major influences behind its strong form has been former Adelaide Crows player, Robert Shirley, who McPherson says is one of the players his side has to watch out for this weekend.
“He’s been in pretty good form all year, Tim Inkster’s a dangerous forward, Ben Hughes, Nick Paine’s kicked goals against us as well. They’ve got a bit of fire power up forward and Marcus Crook and Jason Fleming, they set them up off half-back ,so they’ve got good players all over the field.”
The Sydney Swans Reserves will play Ainslie at 2pm at Manuka Oval on Saturday.
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