Sydney Swans are riding high at the top of the AFL ladder, brimming with confidence as they prepare to face the Adelaide Crows. With an impressive 11-1 record, the Swans are determined to avoid any slip-ups and continue their winning streak. Coach John Longmire’s team, featuring standout players like Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, and Errol Gulden, is not taking the 15th-placed Crows lightly despite Adelaide’s struggles this season.
Tom Papley, one of the Swans’ key forwards, emphasized the team’s high morale and hard work. “This year, we’ve just got a lot of confidence as well, and we’re rolling with the punches,” Papley said. The Swans are focused on maintaining their form and not getting complacent. “The season’s a long year. It’s happened before – it might have happened last year or the year before where Melbourne were going really well, and they slipped away. So inside the four walls, we’re working very hard to keep getting better and making that gap bigger.”
Despite their dominant performance so far, the Swans are aware of the challenges they face. In their recent game against Geelong, they had to overcome a six-goal deficit, something Papley insists they need to avoid repeating. “We can’t be doing that. That’s something that we need to improve and we worked on during the week.”
The Crows, under pressure with a 4-1-8 record, have shown resilience despite their position on the ladder. Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is feeling the heat, but the Swans are prepared for a tough contest. “They’ve got some good players: obviously got Izak Rankine back, who I have a huge amount of respect for – gun of the competition, Jordan Dawson,” Papley noted. “Home crowd, Adelaide Oval. It’s never easy winning over here, and they’ve lost a couple of games they would like to win, especially last week against Richmond. So they’ll be coming out firing for sure.”
Reflecting on last year’s narrow victory against the Crows, Papley acknowledged the controversy over Ben Keays’ disallowed goal that could have changed the outcome. However, he remains unfazed by the potential hostility from Adelaide fans. “I usually cop it a lot personally anyway, over the fence,” he said. “It’s good fun. Makes footy.”
As the Swans gear up for their next challenge, their focus remains on consistency, improvement, and maintaining their lead at the top of the AFL ladder.
