The Swans are on par after consecutive exciting comebacks over Richmond and Melbourne, with better news potentially on the horizon.
Sydney coach John Longmire is looking forward to picking up key pair Tom Hickey and Harry Cunningham after next week’s dismissal in a new impetus to Melbourne’s thrilling defeat on Saturday night.
The Swans overcame a quarter-time deficit to win for the fifth time this season, scoring the final four goals to enter the mid-season break with an 8-4 record even though Longmire admitted they had “made some mistakes.” .
The 12-point MCG victory was achieved not only without Hickey and Cunningham, but also suspended superstar Lance Franklin, and comes a week after chasing Richmond in a similar way.
“It was a beauty,” Longmire said of the victory over the Demons.
“Our boys have been very good this year, so in terms of continuing, continuing the process and continuing to support each other, they have done so several times.
“They just keep doing it (when) things don’t go their way … I just admire the ability of the players to be able to support themselves and keep going and keep going.”
The whimsical goal kick was largely to blame for this last slow start, which left Sydney behind in the fourth quarter for the seventh time in 12 rounds.
The mood at Swans would probably be very different from the goodbye if it weren’t for the consecutive five-goal deficit counterattacks against the Tigers and Melbourne.
Reversing the result in those games would have left their record of victories and defeats equal and would have meant that they had suffered defeats in three games in a row and five of their last six.
Instead, Longmire’s men emerged from a tough three-week block with an even bigger belief and proof of the great threat they are.
“We did not do well during the first half of the year. We made some mistakes and missed some games, “he said.
“We knew that in the last two weeks, or three weeks, you were going to Carlton, Richmond, which is red, then Melbourne. We knew it was a difficult challenge.
“But our players settled down and were able to win against some of the best fit teams, which has been important.
“It simply came to our notice then. Now we have a few days off, then we get into a pretty tough post-goodbye (clash with Port Adelaide), it’s not easier. “
Cunningham (abdominal) is training well and is ahead of Hickey, whose finger injury followed his knee mishap and means he has only made five appearances in 2022, including only two of the last nine games. of Sydney.
“We hope to do (Hickey) well, train,” Longmire said.
“He missed all five weeks with his knee, then his toe … we’ll try to get him to go, because he’s clearly an important player for us.”
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