Swans coach John Longmire is typically playing his cards within a centimetre of his chest, but if Lance Franklin is selected to play for the Swans this Friday night, it will dominate the pre-game banter and possibly attract a Buddy-cam on game night.
And so it should. The Billion Dollar Man (the figure tends to keep inflating, so let’s go big) is returning from injury this week, and lining up against the club he ‘abandoned’ for the big bickies in Sydney. It should be a sell-out – at the very least the biggest crowd of Sydney’s season – and it will be a blockbuster.
But while all the focus is upon Buddy and how he’ll fare against his once-beloved Hawks, I’ll be looking off his left, or maybe right, shoulder to the man who could very well be a key to Sydney’s success in 2014.
While Longmire says he is still unsure about Buddy, he did confirm the player formerly known as Sydney’s million-dollar recruit, Kurt Tippett, is on track to make his long-awaited return at ANZ Stadium against the premiers. Tippett trained on Saturday while his teammates were in Brisbane, and successfully negotiated a “hard session”, moving “really well and wanted to keep on training”.
Tippett has been out of sight, out of mind. A little over a year ago he was Sydney’s Buddy, controversially arriving in town on a lucrative contract. In Tippett’s case, he’d been told he would spend the first 11 games of the season suspended due to his role in Adelaide’s salary cap breaches and draft tampering.
There was fanfare when he did return, but his dozen games in red and white were a bit subdued compared to the hoopla of his arrival. In 2014, while Buddy has hogged the headlines, Tippett has been absent for all seven matches battling injury.
When Buddy signed with Sydney last year, my interest wasn’t purely on how he would slot into the Swans’ team and culture, but what a potentially lethal one-two punch the pair could be in Sydney’s forward line – even on the smaller Sydney Cricket Ground.
I’ve waited quite a while to see it, but thankfully I’m about to: if not this week, then the week after against Essendon.
Having another target for opposition defenders to focus on will benefit Franklin, and will take some of the heat off the Swans’ midfield, which has been a little too Buddy-focused – perhaps even subconsciously – in the opening matches of the season.
They did the same thing when Barry Hall was in town, and it leads to frustration for all concerned.
At least having Big Kurt – who turns 27 on Thursday – alongside Big Bud, there are two options to aim at, and two targets to worry about for defenders.
Big Kurt and Big Tex Walker made a handy combo when both were up and going in Adelaide. No disrespect to Taylor Walker, but Buddy is Buddy, and he also showed when partnering Jarryd Roughead that he can work well in tandem with another big forward. If the Swans can get the pair up and going, working well together, it could be what they need to step up against the likes of Hawthorn and Geelong.
Throw into that forward line Adam Goodes and the potency is, well, very potent – and hard for the Swans’ quality midfielders not to be able to find a player wearing red and white.
But regardless of whether Buddy’s knee allows him to play this week or not, things won’t miraculously happen this Friday night. It will take a bit of time to work smoothly, but I believe it will happen, and when it does the Swans – so long noted for their defence – will have one of the best attacks in the game.
The absence of Sam Mitchell and Brian Lake is a big help to the Swans this week, and they did look much better on Saturday against Brisbane than they did against Melbourne last weekend.
But Hawthorn were electrifying against St Kilda. It would be a brave or foolish man to tip against them this week. I’m not, but I can’t wait to see Big Kurt line up again in red and white.
And if it’s alongside Buddy, I’ll be glued to the action, first this week, then particularly when they gel in weeks to come.
Cat
Roar Guru
Re: Lake, sure they have won games without him but their only loss this season can also be attributed to his absence (Hawks may still have lost but it would have been a fairer challenge than little Cheney trying to hold down big Tomahawk). Lack of tall defenders is one of very few areas that can be exploited. Re: Franklin, I never expected him to play, despite all the claims of many Sydney fans claiming Buddy would have played last week if it was a finals game, either he wasn't that close to being fit or he is just scared to play against his former team.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Everyone keeps talking about loss of Lake, big deal, pretty sue they played previous matches this season without him comfortably. Mitchell is a big loss but probably as much a loss as Pyke is for us. My assumption is they won't play Buddy and they will a) rest him while b) protect him from the aggressive Hawks who won't let him have any time recovering with his knee, hence a danger to play him.
Samuel Gates
Roar Pro
Hawthorn could have a big headache matching up against Sydney's talls this week. Brian Lake is a big loss for the Hawks. Josh Gibson can take one tall (I'd say Tippett), but who will line-up against Franklin, Goodes and Reid if they all play? Hawthorn match-up well with the current trend of most sides having smaller, faster and more dynamic forward lines. Their talls weakness was badly exposed against Geelong though when Hawkins kicked a bag.
Shouts Chen
Guest
This will be an exciting night for Buddy and Kurt where they will try to win over Hawthorn at ANZ on Friday Night.
Muttos
Guest
I can't wait to see them all in together, what seems to get missed is that buddy or Tippett will get the 2nd best defender and Goodes will get the 3rd best defender - this has to be scary for any opposition and it gets even better with Reid taking the 4th best defender - they won't always be able to play 4 talls forward but I am sure they will try for a while and with the gut running of our midfield and the speed of Jetta, Harry and a few others i think it is a chance to work - there is also the added bonus of Kennedy and Parker being exceptional in their air posing more headaches for the opposition - Tippett will play backup ruck to either pike or derricks further complicating the oppositions match ups - in saying all this there will be a real danger of the swans getting hurt badly on the turnover. And yes I am a swans supporter -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Mango Jack
Guest
A sell out at ANZ would mean 82K - zero chance of even half that, esp if Buddy is not playing.
Mark
Guest
By the sounds of it LRT will come back in for Pyke. Tippett in but no Franklin. Not sure who gets squeezed though.
Mal
Guest
No chance this game will sell out. AFL plateaued in Sydney years ago and the way the game is played these days - basically an unskilled rabble - won't attract the discerning Sydney punters.
Michael huston
Guest
Mumford was really injury-prone and prone to major dips in form and considering we offered him a decent contract, and he looked elsewhere, Sydney probably figured he's not worth paying any more when he can never string together a few months of good football. I think Sydney made 100% the right choice searching for gun forwards, since we needed to change our game plan (the whole defensive thing has proven to be not so effective over the years - ahem, Freo). But I think we went for the wrong one. Buddy is too high-profile and is constantly being held by two or three players all the time. Everyone has woken up to the fact that while at Hawthorn, Franklin was given lots of space and roamed the ground like a bulldozer. Opposition coaches know by now that he can't be given such space. This would be fine if he could take contested marks, but he's not too good at that either. Too many times this year I've seen the ball slip through his hands or bounce off his chest. We definitely need Tippett to bring his best marking hands against the Hawks. But what we need to do more than anything else is kick the bloody ball straight. Against Melbourne, it would have been a thrashing if we were more accurate, and the Lions would've easily been a hundred point win if we kicked straighter. The Hawks are very good with their skills (though some of their goals can be flukey), and if we waste any opportunities, we'll be gone. Because of the fact that our forward line will be uncoordinated and dysfunctional because of a lack of match practice, and we play terrible footy at ANZ stadium, I'm tipping the Hawks to wipe the floor with us around 50 points. I hope more than anything it doesn't happen though!
Checker
Guest
I have been watchig Tom Derickx with interest the past two weeks and have been impressed with not only his ruck work but also around the ground. He does seem to be making the most of the opportunity given to him by the Swans. This week I look forward to watching the diving exploits of Jordan Lewis. He dives beautifully . . .
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
Yep. And next year as well unfortunately.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
True. Mumford could have stayed with the Swans and had a season ending injury in Round 1. It's all speculation, isn't it?
Cat
Roar Guru
Against the lions ... nuff said.
The Palace
Roar Rookie
Are Sydney still contracted to play 3 games a year there maybe?
The Palace
Roar Rookie
I thought Tom Derickx did a brilliant job in the ruck Saturday night against the Lions... I suspect Tippet will help him out in the forward line a bit with the ruck work but Tom is going to have a big workload Friday night...
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
I'm betting the first game they play Buddy re-injures his knee slamming it into Kirk Tippets head on a long lead concussing him yet again... That would be the luck of this duo. I personally can't wait to see 3 x 103 kg monsters roaming in the forward line together. Goodes + Buddy + Tippet = Pwnage!
penguin
Guest
The Swans are conservative with their selections after long term injuries. I expect LRT back to support Derrickx in the ruck. Buddy will probably miss again, and Tippett may again get a game in the Ressies but I don't think that he will be thrown in against the Hawks. Although that didn't work well last time... I like what Tippett brings to the Swans more than Buddy. He really straightens them up whilst Buddy still tends to get his kicks higher up the ground on the wings. In the long run they will be formidable if they can get healthy. But so far it has been a lean year for our forwards. All 3 should be in the team: Goodes is still excellent at ground level and continually pushes the ball forward; Buddy will benefit from not being double teamed, and Tippett will play from the square hitting packs hard or winning one on ones with his marking ability. When all 3 are playing I expect Sam Reid to go back, and LRT to be pushed out. It is sad but that's footy. Rhino unlikely to get another run barring injury, LRT similar. Tippett, Goodes and Buddy have all suffered from injury however, and LRT is a wonderful tall backup in the ruck or at either end. It should be an interesting few weeks. Cheers!
clipper
Guest
Don't think this will be anywhere near a sell out at ANZ, but would've been at the SCG - pity they're still contracted to play out there, especially now the SCG is finished.
Olivia
Guest
I think the world knows by now that I am a passionate Bloods girl who wishes Franklin had picked anyone but us to defect to, but we're stuck with him now. I can't imagine he'll ever have a better time to bring "The Buddy Show" to town and seeing him out there with Tippett will finally answer many supporters' questions on the viability of the !Fab Four' forward line. Personally, I think Franklin will squib it and not play, but I think Tippett and Goodes will give the Hawks defence a migraine. I can't tip my boys to win - too many variables and plays to sort out against the best side running around right now - but I have high hopes that it will be a cracker of a game. Bring it on Hawks!!!
Cat
Roar Guru
Who knows if the injury would have still happened if he was at the Swans. Change one thing and everything after changes.