Sydney’s finals temperature check: Run home, wildcard player, why they can win it and more

SEN’s The Run Home team of Andy Maher, Josh Jenkins and Julian De Stoop have undertaken a finals temperature check on the teams still in contention.

They have taken a close look at some varying categories which could decide whether they qualify for finals in some cases or even contend for the premiership.

The categories are: The Run Home, Recent Signature Win, Wildcard Player, Medical Room (key outs), Why They Can (make it/win it) and Why They Can’t (make it/win it).

Next up are the Sydney Swans who have been setting the pace at the top of the ladder all season even after three defeats in their past four outings.

The Run Home

Round 20: v Western Bulldogs (SCG)
Round 21: v Port Adelaide (AO)
Round 22: v Collingwood (SCG)
Round 23: v Essendon (MS)
Round 24: v Adelaide (SCG)

“It’s a pretty tasty run home for the Swannies.”

Recent Signature Win

Maher: “I’m going back to Round 13 against the Cats because they did it the way that they can do it.

“Six goals down halfway through the second quarter, they went wooshka and kicked five in no time at all to tighten it right up, then it was a bit of an arm wrestle and they kicked four in about 10 minutes either side of three-quarter time.

“This is what they can do. When they’re humming they can just put scores on you quickly.”

Wildcard Player

Callum Mills

Maher: “Who knows what he can deliver once he comes back.”

Medical Room (key outs)

Justin McInerney (knee, TBC)
Tom Papley (ankle, 4-6 weeks)
Dane Rampe (calf, test)
James Rowbottom (cheekbone, test)

Maher: “We still don’t quite know how bad McInerney’s PCL is.

“Papley 4-6 weeks with an ankle and you never know how they’re going to come back from that.

“They’re saying they’ll test Rampe with that calf. Over 30 with a calf, you’d want to err (cautiously).

“Rowbottom with the cracked cheekbone, he’ll come back and he’ll be fine.”

Why They Can

Maher: “Because they’re very, very good.

“They’ve won both games at the MCG this year, both in the first half of the season, but they have to come here to win it and they’ve proven that they can.

“They’re just a good team.”

Why They Can’t

Maher: “The only thing that’s going to stop them is injury.

“The only thing that stops Sydney from going all the way this year, given what we’ve seen from the rest of the competition and them, is a key injury unsettling them.

“If they stay healthy, I think they win it.”