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Wayne Carey is the man to watch, says Paul Roos.
Carey caution
By TIM MORRISSEY
01aug03
WHILE Wayne Carey's comeback year with Adelaide hasn't set the AFL world on fire, Swans coach Paul Roos doesn't believe the King is dead.
Despite Carey's struggle against injury and bad luck, Roos still rates the champion centre half forward a potential game breaker.
That worries Roos ahead of Sunday's important clash against Carey and the Crows at AAMI Stadium.
The Crows without Carey, who was nursing a hamstring injury at the time, outclassed the Swans by 27 points at the SCG in round three.
Carey's year was further interrupted by an arthroscopy to clean out a troublesome knee.
Then the comeback of the AFL artist formerly known as the King hit another setback when he lacerated his knee on an AAMI Stadium behind post against Essendon in round 15.
Carey has missed eight matches this season but shown glimpses of brilliance with four-goal hauls against Fremantle, Kangaroos and Collingwood.
But the 32-year-old Wagga-born veteran has been given the all-clear to resume playing against the second-placed Swans.
Although Roos hasn't had much opportunity to scout Carey this year, he has been impressed with what he has seen.
"The signs are there that he's going to start to have a major impact on Adelaide's season," Roos said.
"Even in the game he cut his knee, Wayne looked a lot sharper and a lot freer and fitter.
"The reason Adelaide would've gone after Wayne in the first place is because they would've seen him as the missing link.
"He might have dropped five or 10 per cent, but Wayne Carey is certainly capable of turning a game on its head and winning the match off his own boot.
"Now he's fit, he's fresh and there is still five games to go in the regular season."
Which makes containing Carey a priority if Sydney is to have any chance of upsetting the Crows on the road.
But Roos will resist the temptation to shift star ruckman Adam Goodes on Carey. Instead the Swans mentor is backing his defenders to do the job.
"Athletically, Goodesy is probably the closest to Wayne we've got, but we'll pretty much rely on the defence we've had all year," Roos said.
Goodes has enough worries of his own as he has to shoulder the bulk of Sydney's ruck work after Jason Ball's season-ending injury last round. And Goodes also has faith in the Swans defenders to shut down Carey.
"I think our backline has been fantastic this year," Goodes said.
"[Carey] gives them that other option up forward but I think we can cope with that as well."
The Swans won't finalise their team until today, but midfielder Ryan O'Keefe is expected to return from a calf injury.
Rookie ruckman Lewis Roberts-Thomson is still doubtful after sustaining a hamstring injury before the Fremantle game.
If Roberts-Thomson does not play, three-game rookie James Meiklejohn will probably come into the side.
Injury-plagued Heath James is a step closer to resurrecting his career after the club elevated 23-year-old defender to their senior list yesterday as an emergency for the Adelaide game.
Carey caution
By TIM MORRISSEY
01aug03
WHILE Wayne Carey's comeback year with Adelaide hasn't set the AFL world on fire, Swans coach Paul Roos doesn't believe the King is dead.
Despite Carey's struggle against injury and bad luck, Roos still rates the champion centre half forward a potential game breaker.
That worries Roos ahead of Sunday's important clash against Carey and the Crows at AAMI Stadium.
The Crows without Carey, who was nursing a hamstring injury at the time, outclassed the Swans by 27 points at the SCG in round three.
Carey's year was further interrupted by an arthroscopy to clean out a troublesome knee.
Then the comeback of the AFL artist formerly known as the King hit another setback when he lacerated his knee on an AAMI Stadium behind post against Essendon in round 15.
Carey has missed eight matches this season but shown glimpses of brilliance with four-goal hauls against Fremantle, Kangaroos and Collingwood.
But the 32-year-old Wagga-born veteran has been given the all-clear to resume playing against the second-placed Swans.
Although Roos hasn't had much opportunity to scout Carey this year, he has been impressed with what he has seen.
"The signs are there that he's going to start to have a major impact on Adelaide's season," Roos said.
"Even in the game he cut his knee, Wayne looked a lot sharper and a lot freer and fitter.
"The reason Adelaide would've gone after Wayne in the first place is because they would've seen him as the missing link.
"He might have dropped five or 10 per cent, but Wayne Carey is certainly capable of turning a game on its head and winning the match off his own boot.
"Now he's fit, he's fresh and there is still five games to go in the regular season."
Which makes containing Carey a priority if Sydney is to have any chance of upsetting the Crows on the road.
But Roos will resist the temptation to shift star ruckman Adam Goodes on Carey. Instead the Swans mentor is backing his defenders to do the job.
"Athletically, Goodesy is probably the closest to Wayne we've got, but we'll pretty much rely on the defence we've had all year," Roos said.
Goodes has enough worries of his own as he has to shoulder the bulk of Sydney's ruck work after Jason Ball's season-ending injury last round. And Goodes also has faith in the Swans defenders to shut down Carey.
"I think our backline has been fantastic this year," Goodes said.
"[Carey] gives them that other option up forward but I think we can cope with that as well."
The Swans won't finalise their team until today, but midfielder Ryan O'Keefe is expected to return from a calf injury.
Rookie ruckman Lewis Roberts-Thomson is still doubtful after sustaining a hamstring injury before the Fremantle game.
If Roberts-Thomson does not play, three-game rookie James Meiklejohn will probably come into the side.
Injury-plagued Heath James is a step closer to resurrecting his career after the club elevated 23-year-old defender to their senior list yesterday as an emergency for the Adelaide game.
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