2026 Preseason

[Thunder Shaker]

It seems that everyone is stressing "minor", so hopefully it is a minor blip.

I'll believe the injury is minor when he has recovered from it and is back in full training. I've seen too many injuries described as "minor" that have ultimately ended seasons or taken months to recover from.

[UUaswan]

I'll believe the injury is minor when he has recovered from it and is back in full training. I've seen too many injuries described as "minor" that have ultimately ended seasons or taken months to recover from.

On face value it shouldnt be anything but I Totally agree, Mills was a "week away" for 2 months this year

[Auntie.Gerald]

have I missed anyone?

after listening to Keane the below 4 sounded like they are expected to be in the best 23
Rosas
Serong
Curnow
Cootee

also talked about McLean ahead of Joel maybe due to pinch hitting ruck and key forward role ?


Rosas*, Curnow*, Amartey

Paps, McDonald, Campbell


Chad

McInerney

Rowbottom

Heeney

Gulden

Grundy


Wicks, Blakey, Mills

Rampe, McCartin, Cunningham


19.Sheldrick

20.Jordon

21.Cootee*

22.Serong*

23.Lloyd


24.Kyle

25.Roberts

26.Cleary

27.Melican

28.McLean

29.Ladhams

30.Phillipou

31.Edwards

32.Snell

33.Green

34.Warner Corey

35.King

36.Bowman

37.Bice

38.Hamling

39.Andrew

40.Datolli

41.Adams

42.Hanily

43.Chamberlin 191cm athletic HBF leftie

44.Hetherton 198cm key forward

[BRS328]

I find it hard to disagree with the starting 23 you have selected. I think Dattoli, Bice and Green will have benefited from a full preseason. The good thing is the depth now appears to be there which will allow for the development of Kyle, King, Dattoli and Philloupo etc around some experienced players in the VFL team, something that was clearly lacking last year due to injuries

[Auntie.Gerald]

Agree the list now looks a lot deeper and a lot more expectation you with think for McLean and Amartey in particular having serious time now on our player list and AFL game time

fingers crossed Rampe still has a large contribution down back in 2026 as we are still in a transition period for our backline.

ie Wicks and Robert's have over taken Ollie playing off HBF but Edwards, Andrew, Snell have not jumped ahead of Rampe nor Melican as yet - hopefully those 3 boys combined with Serong pick themselves in 2026

Mills I suspect will rotate thru HBF and centre similar to Heeney moving thru centre and HFF

Keane also mentioned they are hopeful for https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/players/10299/ned-bowman to continue playing behind the ball off the backline after his change from HFF in 2025 VFL

[BFG]

Fingers crossed for a better run with injuries next season. The VFL side would then look seriously good which aids player development.

Anyone managing to get to training to report on what's happening?

[dejavoodoo44]

Nice article on Errol talking up our new, improved forward line.

Just like Buddy: Swans recruit draws comparisons to AFL legend - https://www.afl.com.au/news/1459888

And who isn't looking forward to Errol picking out Curnow on the lead.

[KSAS]

I'm hoping we don't become too Curnow focused as we did with Buddy at times, where we'd become too predictable and one dimensional with our foward entries without lowering our eyes for better options, instead of the 1 v 3 contests with Bud.

I'm expecting a bit of this with Curnow initially, particularly against Carlton in R0, but hoping we'd learnt from the past and eventually settle down in this regard.

Imteresring last year (2024) without Bud, we began kicking higher scores with our dominant midfield hitting the score board more often and less predictable with our forward entries.

Curnow will improve our forward potency but it needs to be balanced. Charlie's success is not all down to whether he wins the Coleman. GFs in recent times has not been won by power forwards alone.

[Auntie.Gerald]

https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/1897252/goodwin-joins-swans-coaching-ranks

this was a smart move by the swans

Our 2025 post season trades and draft and coaching overhaul is on point

[wolftone57]

Gee Max King is looking buffed. I was watching the latest training video. He looks strong and built. In fact, I'd say the whole team are looking far bigger than last year already. Amartey, Curnow, McCartin, Hamling, Serong, Cootie all looked good in the video. The usual suspects too but not just them. The others were taking them on and beating them. The small forwards were busy and there are plenty there now to help Paps. It looked like a pretty good hit out, with plenty of pressure. Well, they now go to their home states for the Mythrus Holiday. Returning in early January I hope our blokes really get stuck in.

We have far more depth than last year. Last year with injuries the coaches seemed to pull the plug on competitive work, or to take the Go Easy approach so as not to get more injuries. This affected our pressure game. We were going into games and having a very low pressure rating. Our depth looks far greater this year. Curnow, Serong, Rosas, Cootie are mature and even Cootie looks able to fit in at the level. Kyle look ready to go and after looking at the training footage so does King. Add to them players like McDonald and Edwards who missed all of last season and the depth in huge.

[wolftone57]

Sorry KSAS, Grundy is from SA, Norwood from memory

Indeed

[wolftone57]

I'm hoping we don't become too Curnow focused as we did with Buddy at times, where we'd become too predictable and one dimensional with our foward entries without lowering our eyes for better options, instead of the 1 v 3 contests with Bud.

I'm expecting a bit of this with Curnow initially, particularly against Carlton in R0, but hoping we'd learnt from the past and eventually settle down in this regard.

Imteresring last year (2024) without Bud, we began kicking higher scores with our dominant midfield hitting the score board more often and less predictable with our forward entries.

Curnow will improve our forward potency but it needs to be balanced. Charlie's success is not all down to whether he wins the Coleman. GFs in recent times has not been won by power forwards alone.

Yes, I'm worried about being far too focused on Curnow too. I think we wasted years with Bud. He would have been a far better player if targeted less in fact. That would mean unpredictability and he would have dined out on that. He got to 80, think what unpredictability would have gotten him to. If we create a Three Corner Jack, prickle, of Key forwards and a sometimes resting ruck, we are going to be hard to match up on. Due to the extra in the bench being able to be used for the whole game we can now start to rotate, smalls and talls in the forward line. hence, getting Rosas in. We have the stars but we now have a very solid core of bit players who are strong and effective.

[wolftone57]

have I missed anyone?

after listening to Keane the below 4 sounded like they are expected to be in the best 23
Rosas
Serong
Curnow
Cootee

also talked about McLean ahead of Joel maybe due to pinch hitting ruck and key forward role ?


Rosas*, Curnow*, Amartey

Paps, McDonald, Campbell


Chad

McInerney

Rowbottom

Heeney

Gulden

Grundy


Wicks, Blakey, Mills

Rampe, McCartin, Cunningham


19.Sheldrick

20.Jordon

21.Cootee*

22.Serong*

23.Lloyd


24.Kyle

25.Roberts

26.Cleary

27.Melican

28.McLean

29.Ladhams

30.Phillipou

31.Edwards

32.Snell

33.Green

34.Warner Corey

35.King

36.Bowman

37.Bice

38.Hamling

39.Andrew

40.Datolli

41.Adams

42.Hanily

43.Chamberlin 191cm athletic HBF leftie

44.Hetherton 198cm key forward

I don't think McLean comes before Joel. Joel kicked 43 goals in 2024, he also had 49 tackles. Only played eight games in '25 for 13, with 16 tackles.
McLean on the other hand, had 19 games for 25 goals and 32 tackles. His highest goals have been 27. I don't think he replaces Amartey as a forward. He will play Forward/Ruck rotating forward and off the bench. due to the extra bench player for a whole game instead of the sub the rotations can be far more flexible. We can have an extra tall, with the four bench we always had small/med defenders, mids and small/med forwards. now we have the opportunity to throw an extra tall into the mix. So, amartey, Curnow, McDonald and McLean can all play in the same team together.