Sydney’s selection ‘scars’ from picking Sam Reid in the 2022 Grand Final have been flagged as it weighs up recalling hamstrung skipper Callum Mills for this week’s decider.
All eyes will be on the Swans’ selection for Saturday’s grand final against Brisbane as they sweat on the fitness of Mills (hamstring) and Logan McDonald (ankle).
Mills tweaked his hamstring in the days after the club’s qualifying final win over GWS, with this Saturday marking 18 days since the setback.
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Sydney has so far been non committal about the midfielder’s availability ahead of a defining week on the training track, with both Mills and McDonald hitting the deck on Monday.
But after the club’s call to pick an underdone Reid (adductor) in the horror-show 81-point grand final loss to Geelong two years ago backfired — with Reid having minimal impact before getting subbed out just after half-time — ex-Magpies coach Nathan Buckley believes John Longmire will be extra cautious with Mills.
“I’ll put you in John Longmire’s shoes — you played Sam Reid when he wasn’t 100 per cent fit and had that result in the 2022 Grand Final. Are you taking any soft tissue risk at all?,” Buckley posed on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.
“That’s the question he’ll be asking himself and prosecuting the medicos and prosecuting Callum Mills. Because I’m pretty sure we had the same conversations with Sam Reid.
“If I’m John Longmire, I’ve been scarred by what happened in 2022 because they took in a player who quite clearly wasn’t ready and might’ve re-nicked it and re-injured himself five minutes into the game.
“That would definitely be playing on the mind of John Longmire and the rest of the coaching staff.”
Buckley added that the fact Sydney is yet to declare Mills out tells him the Swans captain is a “fair chance” of playing.
“I think if he wasn’t playing, they would’ve made that call already. If it runs into Wednesday, it’s a pretty fair chance he’ll play,” the Collingwood legend said.
“You can trick yourself with (playing tactical mind games with Brisbane). You want your players to know the 22 others they’re running out with.”
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Demons great Garry Lyon highlighted Mills and Reid “might be two completely different people,” also pointing out the lack of clarity around the severity of Mills’ hamstring issue.
“I don’t know where he’s at and the extent of his hamstring,” Lyon said.
“Is it a good hamstring? Is it a tear or a strain? Is it awareness?
“I’m sure he’s going to get the privilege of being able to make the call a bit closer to the game than someone else.”
Mills already missed a key chunk of this season due to a shoulder injury, returning in Round 18.
Meanwhile triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown questioned whether the Swans could consider recalling Taylor Adams given the success the club had with him and Luke Parker in a negating role on Lachie Neale in Round 19.
Adams was the heartbreak story for Collingwood in last year’s grand final and looks set to miss again after he wasn’t even named an emergency last week.
The 31-year old could come into contention if Mills and/or McDonald don’t get up, though Robbie Fox would likely get promoted from the sub role into the starting 22.
“(Adams getting recalled) Looks unlikely, however Lachie Neale has a good record against the Swans except for the Round 19 game when Adams and Parker nullified him,” Brown said on On the Couch.
“From a selection point of view, you’ve got recency bias there. They’ve had problems with Neale in the past, do you give Adams an opportunity?
Buckley noted that James Rowbottom didn’t play in that Round 19 clash with Brisbane, suggesting Adams would only return to the side if a midfielder missed.
“I know (Rowbottom) hasn’t got as good a record on Lachie Neale but he is a legitimate and consistent part of their midfield mix,” Buckley said.
“Tay Adams has been out of the side for a reason and that’s for team balance. Callum Mills being out wasn’t the difference.
“I can’t see how he comes back unless there’s a gap in the midfield.”
