After a delayed start to the off-season, Sydney Swans will be looking for their first win of 2013 when they host Gold Coast Suns in Blacktown. We’ll have live scores from 7.00pm AEDT.
After starting at least a month behind the majority of the rest of the competition, it makes sense that the Swans were going to start the NAB Cup a little slower than most.
But at a club that possesses the culture that the Swans have developed in the past decade doesn’t take losing lightly, regardless of whether it is a meaningless pre-season trial or the last Saturday in September.
Tonight represents the last opportunity for coach John Longmire to register a win before the Swans’ season opener against cross-town rivals GWS Giants, and ‘Horse’ won’t need a second opportunity to remind his team of the need for a better performance.
Gold Coast Suns continued to display the up-and-down form that has been a hallmark of their first two seasons in the AFL, beating Hawthorn in a thriller at Metricon in round one before falling to Brisbane and then being soundly beaten by North Melbourne last Saturday afternoon.
Coach Guy McKenna will be keen to see his side rebound from that and he will put out a strong side tonight with Nathan Bock and Trent McKenzie the only expected outs.
For the Swans Nick Malceski, Adam Goodes and Ryan O’Keefe should all see time on the paddock but Shane Mumford and fellow bigman Lewis Roberts-Thompson will be absent.
If this game were played in a month’s time the Swans would be an automatic selection, but this is pre-season and we all know how Sydney feel about that. They might edge this one – just – but Gold Coast should get very close.
Aaron watts
Guest
Go the swans