IRYMPLE superstar Dan Coghlan will remain sidelined for the Swallows’ quest to win through to the SFNL senior grand final against Wentworth at Kenny Park today.
Playing co-coach Coghlan is still recovering from a fractured fibula in his right leg, which he sustained in the round 8 clash with Imperials.
His fellow coach, Tom Brownbridge, said that Coghlan was “running again”, but “we’ll keep him on ice”.
“He definitely won’t play this week,” Brownbridge said.
“He’s started running again, but he wants to make sure he’s right. He doesn’t want to come in and not be any value to the team.
“His 50 per cent is probably better than my 100 per cent, but we still need him to be firing on all cylinders.
“We haven’t had him for the second half of the season, so we’ve had to learn to step up without him.”
He said Coghlan could “potentially” make a return later in the finals series.
“It’d have to be the last game of the year,” he said.
For the minor premiers, today’s second semi-final is going to be “like a blind chess game”.
“You’ve got moves you think they might make, forward, back or mid,” star defender Brownbridge said.
“You don’t know. It’s going to be a wait-and-see game.”
In a major boost for the Roos, influential ruckman Nick Jensen has been named to return from injury.
The common feature in both Swallows-Roos clashes this year is that one team has ambushed the other.
The Roos won the first encounter by 59 points, when the competition’s leading goal kicker, Wade Hancock, had a blinder in the forward line, kicking seven goals.
But the Swallows returned serve in round 14, winning by 46 points in Dareton.
Hancock, the Roos’ playing coach, said he was expecting “plenty of heat” and “quality football” in the contest.
“The weather’s going to be beautiful tomorrow, 19 or 20 degrees and little wind, so it’s going to be a great day to move the ball and use your skills,” said Hancock, who returns to the line-up after resting “a few niggles” last week.
“But it’s finals footy so the pressure is going to be high.
“I think the team that manages the momentum swings the best, and brings the heat the best over four quarters, is going to be the one who walks away into the grand final.”
Both clubs have been firing across most football and netball junior grades this season.
Brownbridge and Hancock each gave a nod to the back-room support teams who help pave the way for success.
“We’re pretty fortunate that we’ve got all our footy grades in finals,” Brownbridge said.
“It’s a great achievement for the club. I’m obviously more focus on the senior group, but the whole club is focused on the Under 10s and Auskick right through to the seniors.
“There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes with the junior and senior committees, so there’s plenty of excitement about the place.”
Hancock said: “The key pillars around a family-first approach, high standards and people enjoying spending time at the club help create the success for us.”
Brownbridge hasn’t played in an SFNL final since the Swallows’ 2018 grand-final loss to Ouyen United.
“So it’s felt like an eternity for me to get back to finals here,” he said.
“In 2019, I moved to Bacchus Marsh and tore my PCL and only played a handful of games.
“We’re all just really excited to be playing finals again and be in the position we’re in.”
As for the keys to finals success, he said: “Firstly, we need to make sure we get the basics right.
“Everyone can have some tricks up their sleeve, but it’s important for every player to do their role well and minimise errors.
“Defensive pressure definitely helps, but you still need to kick enough goals to win.”
The Roos have struggled since going 11-0 to open their 2022 campaign, losing four of their past five games.
But Hancock says “the losses were just us growing as a group”.
“If someone had told me at the start of the season we’d finish 12-4, I would have taken it in a heartbeat,” he said.
“How you win and how you lose, it is what it is. It was never going to be a perfect run and we’ve learnt a lot along the way.”
He gave a nod to the senior development of two of the team’s youngest players, Sam Cumming, 15, and Tom Sapuppo, 16.
“Sam is a special talent in the way he conducts himself,” Hancock said.
“He’s not one of those players out there to do the best for himself. He’s out there to do his best for the team.”
Sam comes from Roos’ playing royalty. His father, ‘Aussie’, played a club-record 356 games for the Roos before his retirement in 2014.
His mother, Kyra, was a long-time netball leader at the club.
“He’s an amazing teacher, Aussie,” Hancock said.
“Having a father and mother who have been there and done it before has been a great benefit to Sam.”
Hancock said that Sapuppo “wasn’t in the selection picture last year”.
“But he rocked up to the pre-season really hungry to be the best he can be and play senior footy,” he said.
“Both Tom and Sam have shown great competitiveness and consistency in their performance.
“The difference between their best and worst games aren’t too great now. That’s a testament to their improvement this year.”
Hancock said he was confident the Roos would get back to their best today.
“It’s been a long year with a lot of challenges,” he said on game eve.
“The boys are going to rock up tomorrow and give it everything they’ve got.
“If they do that, then it doesn’t matter what the result is.”
