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Speaking after this weekend's practice match against Carlton, Sydney coach Paul Roos was philosophical about the loss.
"We took a lot of blokes off, but full credit to them and they worked a lot harder than we did in the third quarter," Roos said. "I thought we took a lot of positives out of the match in the first quarter and Nick Malceski was super."
"It will be the last time we'll see these young guys and others like Sean Dempster, Mark Powell, Jarrad McVeigh and Josh Thewlis, who will go back to the Canberra league with a lot of confidence and experience and be ready to take the next step," Roos said. "We haven't pencilled them in for any senior football this season, but anything is possible.
Scott Stevens left the ground with blood streaming from his head early in the first quarter and Barry Hall retired with a hip strain after kicking the opening goal, but both are expected to be right for the start of the premiership season. Rowan Warfe was another injury worry for the Swans with a corked thigh.
Roos is now focusing on the final two trial games and the reserves' opening fixture in the Canberra competition to really swing Sydney's pre-season preparation into gear. The Swans play Melbourne in Canberra next Saturday, and plan their first game at the SCG on March 15. The reserves will play their season opener against Tuggeranong on March 22.
"It's about getting the better and more experienced players playing again," Roos said. "The expectation is there that everyone will have played at least two games before we meet Carlton. But we're also giving these young players a chance as quickly as we can. We need to unearth the next Paul Kelly."
"Nick Davis will get a run next week for his first game and we'll have Paul Williams, Stuart Maxfield and Daryn Cresswell back after resting them today," Roos said. "Jason Saddington and Jared Crouch were a bit rusty today in terms of their preparation and will be better for the run."
"We're keen for Jason Ball, Leo Barry and Nick Davis to get a game on the 15th and then again in the reserves, because they'll need that to be right for the season," Roos said. "Michael O'Loughlin's coming along better than we had hoped and he might be right for the first round."
"Things are moving on as we'd expected and while there are a few injuries we're confident we'll get our best team, or close to it, on the field for the first game against Carlton," he said. "Either way we'll be having a go, that's for sure."
Later, Roos again praised some of the Swans new faces.
"I'm really rapt with the way our younger players played," he said. "Our four draft picks, Jarrad McVeigh, Sean Dempster, Nick Malceski and Josh Thewlis have been great. It's pleasing how much game time they have got.
"They started very well in the first quarter then Barry Hall came off with a hip strain in the second quarter," Roos said. "In the second half Carlton were just too big and overran us."
"They certainly were out of their depth ... but I'm very happy, especially with their skill level. They've played a lot more footy than I thought they would."
"Carlton at one stage had to put McKay on Malceski to shut him down," he said. "That's something really positive, when you have an experienced player put on you."
After the post-match rehab sessions, Sydney team doctor Nathan Gibbs said that the Swans had a few minor injury concerns from the Carlton match, with Hall, Rowan Warfe and Scott Stevens the only casualties.
"Barry has a hip-flexor muscle strain," Gibbs said. "It didn't appear too serious at all and he could probably play this week. Scott had just a bit of a head cut and a bit of concussion, nothing too serious, and Rowan Warfe only suffered a corky."
Nick Davis and Leo Barry should get a run in this Saturday's practice match in Canberra, but ruckman Jason Ball was still a couple of weeks away from his first match.
"We're not suffering more injuries and a lot of guys are coming back," Gibbs reassured supporters. "We are on schedule for round one."
"We took a lot of blokes off, but full credit to them and they worked a lot harder than we did in the third quarter," Roos said. "I thought we took a lot of positives out of the match in the first quarter and Nick Malceski was super."
"It will be the last time we'll see these young guys and others like Sean Dempster, Mark Powell, Jarrad McVeigh and Josh Thewlis, who will go back to the Canberra league with a lot of confidence and experience and be ready to take the next step," Roos said. "We haven't pencilled them in for any senior football this season, but anything is possible.
Scott Stevens left the ground with blood streaming from his head early in the first quarter and Barry Hall retired with a hip strain after kicking the opening goal, but both are expected to be right for the start of the premiership season. Rowan Warfe was another injury worry for the Swans with a corked thigh.
Roos is now focusing on the final two trial games and the reserves' opening fixture in the Canberra competition to really swing Sydney's pre-season preparation into gear. The Swans play Melbourne in Canberra next Saturday, and plan their first game at the SCG on March 15. The reserves will play their season opener against Tuggeranong on March 22.
"It's about getting the better and more experienced players playing again," Roos said. "The expectation is there that everyone will have played at least two games before we meet Carlton. But we're also giving these young players a chance as quickly as we can. We need to unearth the next Paul Kelly."
"Nick Davis will get a run next week for his first game and we'll have Paul Williams, Stuart Maxfield and Daryn Cresswell back after resting them today," Roos said. "Jason Saddington and Jared Crouch were a bit rusty today in terms of their preparation and will be better for the run."
"We're keen for Jason Ball, Leo Barry and Nick Davis to get a game on the 15th and then again in the reserves, because they'll need that to be right for the season," Roos said. "Michael O'Loughlin's coming along better than we had hoped and he might be right for the first round."
"Things are moving on as we'd expected and while there are a few injuries we're confident we'll get our best team, or close to it, on the field for the first game against Carlton," he said. "Either way we'll be having a go, that's for sure."
Later, Roos again praised some of the Swans new faces.
"I'm really rapt with the way our younger players played," he said. "Our four draft picks, Jarrad McVeigh, Sean Dempster, Nick Malceski and Josh Thewlis have been great. It's pleasing how much game time they have got.
"They started very well in the first quarter then Barry Hall came off with a hip strain in the second quarter," Roos said. "In the second half Carlton were just too big and overran us."
"They certainly were out of their depth ... but I'm very happy, especially with their skill level. They've played a lot more footy than I thought they would."
"Carlton at one stage had to put McKay on Malceski to shut him down," he said. "That's something really positive, when you have an experienced player put on you."
After the post-match rehab sessions, Sydney team doctor Nathan Gibbs said that the Swans had a few minor injury concerns from the Carlton match, with Hall, Rowan Warfe and Scott Stevens the only casualties.
"Barry has a hip-flexor muscle strain," Gibbs said. "It didn't appear too serious at all and he could probably play this week. Scott had just a bit of a head cut and a bit of concussion, nothing too serious, and Rowan Warfe only suffered a corky."
Nick Davis and Leo Barry should get a run in this Saturday's practice match in Canberra, but ruckman Jason Ball was still a couple of weeks away from his first match.
"We're not suffering more injuries and a lot of guys are coming back," Gibbs reassured supporters. "We are on schedule for round one."