The so-called ‘Bondi Billionaires’ will take no part in the Swans’ Thursday night match against Port Adelaide at the SCG, leading many to ask whether the Swans have a Plan B.
It won’t be the first time the Swans have played without key forwards Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett since their expensive acquisitions, but it would have given the selection committee plenty of headaches nonetheless.
And while the Swans demolished a hapless Brisbane by 79 points the last time the twin towers were unavailable to play, the adversary won’t be so easy to conquer this time.
Despite Port Adelaide’s underwhelming first half of the season, they still have the personnel and capacity to challenge the undermanned Swans.
Indeed, the Power should draw on the memory of challenging the Swans in their last game at the SCG, where they lost by a mere four points.
And on that day, in Round 13, while the score differential was four points, the real difference boiled down to one man: Lance Franklin.
Franklin kicked two goals in the second half to get the Swans over the line: the first of which was a 70-metre bomb, the second – also from outside the 50-metre arc – that bent back in a way only Buddy could muster.
But the Swans won’t be able to rely on Buddy’s brilliance this time.
And with fellow big-bucks forward Tippett also out for a week through suspension, there has never been a more important time for other Swans to stand up.
But who?
Young gun Isaac Heeney and the ever-reliable Ben McGlynn will make their respective injury returns through the NEAFL this weekend, so the answer won’t be found there.
And while veteran Adam Goodes has regained form since his own stint in the NEAFL, the majority of his goals have come from opportunistic crumbs.
Without Franklin and Tippett drawing the footy and several defenders at marking contests, Goodes may struggle to be as potent in the forward line.
Sam Reid, then, seems like the obvious choice to go forward.
Until the acquisition of the Bondi Billionaires, Reid was the Swans’ fledgling superstar, a member of the 2012 premiership team at just 20 years old.
Reid has been swung back in defence and, at times, has looked dangerous, particularly given his strong marking ability.
But he hasn’t played consecutive games in the forward line this year.
What’s more, when he has played forward, he has struggled to find harmony alongside fellow talls Franklin and Tippett.
This will therefore be a mammoth ask of Reid, particularly given the adjusted role he has been made to play in a team so focused around one player in the forward line.
So is this all just a little bit of history repeating?
Alastair Clarkson might think so. In fact, it was Hawthorn’s over-reliance on Buddy – an over-reliance that led many to conclude lost Hawthorn the 2012 flag – that resulted in Clarkson’s complete remodel of the Hawthorn forward line.
Now, the depth in Hawthorn’s forward line is formidable: Roughead, Gunston, Breust, Puopolo, Rioli and more.
The Swans have found themselves in a predicament that proves lightning does indeed strike twice, with the Buddy-centric formula proving too predictable.
In the Swans’ most recent loss to Richmond, Sydney repeatedly searched for Franklin in the forward half, regardless of how many defenders were playing on him or how rattled he was after being reported.
Without Franklin, and to a lesser extent Tippett, the task of taking on a less than impressive Port Adelaide has become all the more difficult.
Robbie Gray will have benefited from the bye after his concussion against Carlton two weeks ago.
And Paddy Ryder may prove a handful for the suddenly-shorter Swans, who will head Mike Pyke against the Ryder-Lobbe duo.
If there was ever an opportunity for Port Adelaide to turn their season around, it would be this week against the Swans.
And if there was ever an opportunity for the Swans to prove they were not over-reliant on Franklin, it would be this week against the Power.
The last time the Swans met the Power at the SCG, Buddy may have proved the difference, but it was Sam Reid who punched the ball across Port Adelaide’s goal-line to secure the win in the dying seconds.
Reid will need to be even more influential to secure the Swans’ tenth win of the season.
Momentbymoment
Guest
I believe it's mandatory now, like ANZ stadium and the like. Eddie has the naming rights.
Mitcher
Guest
Good call.
AB
Guest
Just caught up with the news about Roughead. Wow. With games against Freo and Sydney in the next few weeks, this could be huge. Roughie isn't the Hawks' best player (that's been Sam Mitchell for a long time, in my view). But he's the hardest to replace and his absence will leave a huge hole in the forward line. Hawks are still pretty formidable without him and I'd still back them against just about any team...except Freo and Sydney! In any case, I hope he gets well and the surgery has fixed the problem. I'm (just) old enough to remember what happened to Peter Crimmins, so the combination of a popular Hawthorn champion and a cancer scare doesn't bring back great memories.
kick to kick
Guest
In my view there's much misunderstanding of the loss to Richmond. It had almost nothing to do with Franklin's form or the forward line. In the second half the Swans capitulated in the midfield and there was no supply . This was in part because without Pyke,Tom Derickx ran out of steam and big Ivan Maric dominated. But more than that, ground ball gathers just dried up - as Longmire pointed out post match. With very scrappy and occasional inside 50s the forwards had little to work with. Rance played brilliantly on Buddy - but Tippett spent much of the second half in the Ruck trying to cover for the lack of a functioning ruckman. Consequently the forward line was one dimensional and had even less capacity to fashion goals out of crappy delivery. If Sydney gets the midfield right against Port the goals will come. If they don't it won't matter if its Reid or Franklin on a starvation diet.
Brian
Guest
Yes
BigAl
Guest
A good idea ! The guy is an absolute gun . . . when he's loaded. Also, maybe I haven't been paying attention, but has Tippett actually done anything this year ?
Winston
Guest
Maybe I can't detect sarcasm in words, but when you say Reid, Rampe & co, is it because you think those 2 are crap? If that's the case, I totally agree with you.
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
As a Sydney supporter it may sound silly to say this, but I see the absence of the 'Big Two' an a potential. Writing this, I haven't seen team selection so I don't know who will be brought into the side. I imagine Dean Towers will be one and I hope the other is Toby Nankervis. This is an ideal chance for the Swans to play a very different brand of football, especially in the forward line, and begin to develop plans B and C. I'd like to see Nankervis given the crash and bask, stay at home full forward usually played by Tippett, with Rohan and Goodes given the rest of the 50 - and a bit more - to run their defenders ragged through lightning fast leads and strong overhead marking. Parker wil mid but push forward, with Towers as the swing man and a combination of Cunningham, Jones and Llord as crumbers. Goods, Rohan and Reid could all rotate through the backline from up forward and the ruck/forward combination of Deryckx and Nankervis - who needs more development but has earned a senior birth - proving very different challenges for Lobbe, Ryder, Westhof or whoever rucks for Port. The Sydney defence has enough talent to reign in the Power forwards, their midfield is substantially stronger and this new forward set up may be enough to unsettle the Power's defensive game plan. All I ask is for decent weather and players not slipping over every ten seconds so that this game can be a display of skill and not a war of attrition. Thursday night football - bring it on!
Brian
Guest
Any game with Port these days you just don't know what you are going to get? If the side that thrashed Hawthorn for a quarter and ran over Western & Melbourne shows up they will win. However otherwise Reid, Rampe & Co will do enough
Franko
Guest
Without Roughead they look a little less potent though.
Maggie
Guest
Sarah, I like your articles, and I agree with much of this one. But I am disappointed that you have indulged in using Eddie McGuire's derogatory, childish jibe in referring to Franklin and Tippett as billionaires. It is a ridiculous over-statement.
Greg
Guest
Hawthorn have many more capable personnel
Greg
Guest
They will need to play infinitely better than last week.....and without Tippett and Franklin...good luck
Penster
Guest
The Swans might discover, like Hawthorn did, that they play better without him!
Winston
Guest
Not such a bad thing to be without Buddy and Tippett this time of the year. They probably have become too reliant on them in recent times. Last week's loss was atrocious though.
Franko
Guest
I see Gary Rohan heading to FF and causing a few issues one-out.
Frank Rossitano
Guest
Well they won the 2012 premiership with him and Lewis Roberts-Thomson as their key forwards, so I wouldn't be so dismissive.
AB
Guest
Reid is the Swans' great white hope? May God have mercy on you, Swans fans.