AFL
8 months ago
Swans “filthy” with media coverage of Wicks ‘non-celebration’
By Andrew Slevison
The Sydney Swans are not happy with coverage of Sam Wicks and an apparent lack of celebration from his teammates after a goal on the weekend.
Wicks booted a goal in the second quarter of his side’s eventual 76-point win over Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday, but did not receive any adulation as he ran back from the goal square.
It has been picked up in some media circles that Wicks was snubbed by his teammates, potentially due to a previous incident reported by SEN’s Sam Edmund where he was accused of “acting inappropriately with the former girlfriend of another Swans player”.
As a result of that tension, Wicks did not play in Sydney’s Round 3 loss to Richmond and only returned to the senior side against Gold Coast in Round 6.
After his peers seemingly ignored him following his second goal against the Hawks, it was reported widely that those tensions linger, but Caroline Wilson believes the club is “filthy” with how this is being broadcast.
She believes the way this has been shown is unfair considering his teammates embraced him after goals against the Suns and his opening major on the weekend.
“Sydney are filthy that this has been brought up again,” Wilson said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
“Filthy that this vision is being used to suggest (something is seriously wrong).
“He kicks his second goal for the game and no one gets around him. No other players were anywhere near the 50-metre arc, I should say.
“There’s another shot of him getting a drink and nobody goes near him again. He kicked a previous goal and the players are around him on that occasion.
“Last week he kicked a couple of goals and players came up to him then.
“John Longmire has admitted his rehabilitation of the relationship between certain players is a work in progress. I don’t mind the way they’re handling this.
“I think that Wicks probably has a lot of work to do, others have a bit of work to do (because) he’s upset with them as well.
“I just don’t buy that this is as big an issue as people are saying from that one bit of vision.”
Whatever the issue, it didn’t stop the Swans from demolishing the Hawks and moving to second position on the ladder with a 6-1 record and healthy percentage of 147.7.
The Swans will look to improve their strong start to the season with they meet third-placed GWS in the Sydney Derby at the SCG this Saturday.
Wicks had 12 disposals, five score involvements, four tackles inside 50, three inside 50s and kicked a goal when the Swans beat the Giants in Round 21 last year.
