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The Daily Telegraph reports that the best news from Saturday's practice match at Manuka was that the groin injuries to Jason Ball and Nick Davis have healed and the duo will be ready for the opening round of the premiership against Carlton at Telstra Stadium in two weeks.
Davis, the 22-year-old who was a member of Collingwood's grand final side, could not have been happier after his run in Canberra.
"It's been four months since the operation so it was just good to get out there," Davis said. "The plan was to play in 10-minute bursts and get some match fitness and a bit of touch.
"I can improve on what I did particularly my performance and fitness. I've been in rehab and haven't done much training so it is a matter of getting out there and working on a few things. I'm 100 per cent with fitness and 90 per cent match condition."
After a year in the wilderness, Jason Ball, 30, knows there is work to be done to reach his stellar 2001 season. Ball returned to football on Saturday, 12 months after tearing his groin muscle from his pelvis during the 2002 pre-season, an injury that ruled him out for the entire year.
"I was very excited to be back after so long," he said. "We will get under the guard of a lot of teams this year. We've got better depth and where we were down in a few positions last year we've picked up."
"I'm pretty much resigned to having a slow, staggered start to the year. The ruck is a position you've got to work into and get comfortable moving around, get the body used to it all again and the mind tuned. But I'm looking forward to it."
Swans coach Paul Roos said a fit Ball was as important to his side as any other player.
"If you look at his form in 2001 he was as influential a player as we had," Roos said. "For us to have a really good season, he's really important. As a ruckman he complements the other two guys. You have his ability to play in the ruck and his ability to go forward, next to Goodsey who is very athletic, and he jumps and Doyle is your stereotypical ruckman. Ball is quite awkward and very strong, with elbows everywhere - I'd hate to ruck against him."
"It's important with Doyle and Goodsey because it allows Jason to ease his way into football. Rather than playing 100 minutes in the ruck he can sit on the bench for a bit, go forward, and that way we can give him three or four good early-season games. With Doyle, Ball and Goodes it becomes a formidable threesome. If we've got the three of them rucking it makes us a lot better team."
Adam Goodes was again among the Swans' best against the Demons, kicking three goals and dominating the ruck for the Swans.
"It's been my best preparation leading into a season," he said. "At the moment, I'm obviously getting good results, but it was great having Jason Ball out there for a half, and will be good to get Doyle back from injury, too. Once we have all three talls in the side, it will open up our options and we'll have more opportunities to advantage us against the opposition."
"It's a new coach, it's different, there are new roles for every player, players have taken on board different leadership roles, the preparation has been good," Goodes said. "It's a new environment and a good, positive one."
The Swans play their final pre-season game against Richmond at the SCG on Saturday and according to medical staff, Michael O'Loughlin (torn quad muscle), Brad Seymour (shoulder) and Stephen Doyle (calf) are not ready yet.
However, Leo Barry (knee) is likely to have his first run of the year along with the return of Barry Hall (hip), Ben Fixter (foot) and Daryn Cresswell (calf) who all missed the game against Melbourne. Hall and Cresswell could have played against the Dees on the weekend if it had been a regular premiership game, according to Roos. Both were late withdrawals.
"We didn't want to risk either Cressa or Barry," Roos said. "There was a bit of tightness in Cressa's calf before the game but he'll be right for Richmond, and so will Barry."
"Michael is two-three weeks away and it will be touch and go against Carlton," he said. "Doyle may play the week after with a bit of luck, while Seymour won't return for a couple of weeks."
The stories are at -
Davis, the 22-year-old who was a member of Collingwood's grand final side, could not have been happier after his run in Canberra.
"It's been four months since the operation so it was just good to get out there," Davis said. "The plan was to play in 10-minute bursts and get some match fitness and a bit of touch.
"I can improve on what I did particularly my performance and fitness. I've been in rehab and haven't done much training so it is a matter of getting out there and working on a few things. I'm 100 per cent with fitness and 90 per cent match condition."
After a year in the wilderness, Jason Ball, 30, knows there is work to be done to reach his stellar 2001 season. Ball returned to football on Saturday, 12 months after tearing his groin muscle from his pelvis during the 2002 pre-season, an injury that ruled him out for the entire year.
"I was very excited to be back after so long," he said. "We will get under the guard of a lot of teams this year. We've got better depth and where we were down in a few positions last year we've picked up."
"I'm pretty much resigned to having a slow, staggered start to the year. The ruck is a position you've got to work into and get comfortable moving around, get the body used to it all again and the mind tuned. But I'm looking forward to it."
Swans coach Paul Roos said a fit Ball was as important to his side as any other player.
"If you look at his form in 2001 he was as influential a player as we had," Roos said. "For us to have a really good season, he's really important. As a ruckman he complements the other two guys. You have his ability to play in the ruck and his ability to go forward, next to Goodsey who is very athletic, and he jumps and Doyle is your stereotypical ruckman. Ball is quite awkward and very strong, with elbows everywhere - I'd hate to ruck against him."
"It's important with Doyle and Goodsey because it allows Jason to ease his way into football. Rather than playing 100 minutes in the ruck he can sit on the bench for a bit, go forward, and that way we can give him three or four good early-season games. With Doyle, Ball and Goodes it becomes a formidable threesome. If we've got the three of them rucking it makes us a lot better team."
Adam Goodes was again among the Swans' best against the Demons, kicking three goals and dominating the ruck for the Swans.
"It's been my best preparation leading into a season," he said. "At the moment, I'm obviously getting good results, but it was great having Jason Ball out there for a half, and will be good to get Doyle back from injury, too. Once we have all three talls in the side, it will open up our options and we'll have more opportunities to advantage us against the opposition."
"It's a new coach, it's different, there are new roles for every player, players have taken on board different leadership roles, the preparation has been good," Goodes said. "It's a new environment and a good, positive one."
The Swans play their final pre-season game against Richmond at the SCG on Saturday and according to medical staff, Michael O'Loughlin (torn quad muscle), Brad Seymour (shoulder) and Stephen Doyle (calf) are not ready yet.
However, Leo Barry (knee) is likely to have his first run of the year along with the return of Barry Hall (hip), Ben Fixter (foot) and Daryn Cresswell (calf) who all missed the game against Melbourne. Hall and Cresswell could have played against the Dees on the weekend if it had been a regular premiership game, according to Roos. Both were late withdrawals.
"We didn't want to risk either Cressa or Barry," Roos said. "There was a bit of tightness in Cressa's calf before the game but he'll be right for Richmond, and so will Barry."
"Michael is two-three weeks away and it will be touch and go against Carlton," he said. "Doyle may play the week after with a bit of luck, while Seymour won't return for a couple of weeks."
The stories are at -
