Sydney Swans News

Warwick Capper has signed a playing contract as part of a bid to save the 123-year-old Kermandie Football Club in Tasmania from folding.

"I'll have the tight shorts on, I've put on 7kg (since my playing days) so I'm looking all right. I'm 46, but everyone says I look 31," Capper said.

Sydney Swans ruckman Mark Seaby says he is growing in confidence now he is getting more opportunities after struggling to become a regular at West Coast.

"There weren't really doubts in my mind but my confidence was definitely down a bit," he said.

"I feel like I'm starting to regain a bit of that now and I can go at the highest level again, because it has been a while since I've had a game."

Sydney Swans midfielder Craig Bird has a foot stress fracture that will sideline him for up to three months.

"Craig has had a great pre-season prior to this injury which makes this particularly disappointing for him and the club," Swans coach Paul Roos said.

"At least this setback has happened early in the year so he will still have an opportunity to get back into the team and have a good season."

Swan Brett Kirk offered to shake hands with Carlton's Brock McLean at the start of their NAB Cup game in Blacktown, only for McLean to ignore it.

"He never shakes hands before a game, always after, and Kirky was aware of that and that's why he made a fuss," a Carlton spokesman said.

McLean was seen shaking Kirk's hand after the Swans won convincingly with McLean having a decidedly poor game.

Sydney Swans co-captain Adam Goodes says draftee Lewis Jetta was told to run and kick as far as he could in Saturday night's NAB Cup win over Carlton.

"'I want you to run, take a bounce and kick it as far as you can and if that means you're having shots on goal, then that's a win for us'," Goodes said.

Sydney Swans defender Craig Bolton says Tadhg Kennelly is ready to slot straight back into the side this weekend.

"It's like he never really went overseas for a year, so we're looking forward to having him back there in the backline this week," Bolton said.

"I'm sure he'll be fine and play really well. He's been really impressive at training, along with Nick Malceski. They've been standout performers so far on the training track so we're looking forward to see big things from them in the pre-season."

Western Bulldog Jason Akermanis has his doubts as to whether Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola can work together in the Brisbane Lions' forward line saying that Daniel Bradshaw was a better complement for Brown.

"Bradshaw was a great sort of swingman for 'Browny' and 'Browny' was happy to play the lead role," Akermanis said.

"What will happen if two guys are playing the lead role? 'Hang on man, this is my show'. I know they are both very dominant guys, so they're both going to want their piece of the pie."

Sydney Swans forward Daniel Bradshaw is expected to resume light duties on Friday despite last week's knee arthroscope.

"It was a bit frustrating when I found out, but we decided it was worth getting it done now because there's still plenty of time before the season starts," Bradshaw said.

"It's a pretty minor operation and it's all been going smoothly so I'll start bike riding and swimming tomorrow. I should be back running in a week or two."

Sydney Swans forward Daniel Bradshaw will miss the entire NAB Cup but he is expected to be fit for round one of the premiership season.

"Being an experienced player, Daniel should come around quickly and doing the operation now means his season won't be unduly interrupted," Swans coach Paul Roos said.

Adam Goodes says he will need to re-invent himself as a centre half-forward in 2010 after spending most of his career in the ruck and midfield.

"I'm in the forward line to play a role for our team. If I'm doing my job right with my leading patterns, the ball will be kicked to me, but I'm hopefully creating space and forcing other players to lead, creating opportunities for them as well," Goodes said.

Tadhg Kennelly says that being part of Paul Roos' final season as Swans coach was a big reason he wanted to return to Sydney.

"Kind of in a subconscious way knowing that it was Roosy's last year as well I thought I'd love to be part of it," Kennelly said.

"Him and (assistant coach) George Stone have been the two biggest influences on my career. He has enabled me to express myself in football and really express my opinions on and off the field."

New Sydney Swan Ben McGlynn says he has been impressed with the club's sense of responsibility and leadership.

"This pre-season has shown that everyone - right from the youngest bloke on the list - has been pushing hard at training and getting the most out of each other," he said.

"If we can carry the Bloods through this season and into the next generation, it will hold us in good stead."

Sydney premiership defender Tadhg Kennelly says taking a break from AFL to win a title in the Gaelic Football National Championship has been beneficial to his physical condition.

"Missing last season to return to Ireland has turned out to be a blessing in disguise," he said.

"The body is the best it's been for a long time and I just can't wait to get going.

"I have signed for another two years but, the way I'm feeling, playing beyond 2011 is a real possibility."

Swans midfielder Daniel Hannebery has recovered from a fractured cheekbone that prevented him from flying back to Sydney.

"I am disappointed that my pre-season has had this interruption. I was feeling good before the break and wanted a good start to the new year," Hannebery said.

"I am eager to get back to Sydney and join the rest of the team in pre-season training."

Disappointed with his efforts in 2009, Sydney Swans defender Nick Malceski says he wants to revisit his form of 2007.

"After doing my knee and playing 12 games in 2008, I thought my form was just going to come to me. That is where I fell in a trap," Malceski said.

"I thought I was doing everything right but now I realise I needed to work a lot harder than what I did.

"At the end of the 2009 season I sat down and reviewed every year that I've been here, what I achieved and what I wanted to get out of each year. Last year was a nothing year for me and it was a waste."

Adam Goodes is taking indigenous recruits Lewis Jetta and Byron Sumner under his wing, much like Michael O'Loughlin did with him.

"It was fantastic. We haven't had any new Aboriginal brothers at the club for a while and to get Byron Sumner and Leroy Jetta - two quality kids - is great," Goodes said.

"I'll look after those boys and encourage them along, just the same as the other boys, but it's good to have a little more brotherly love around the place."

Former Lions forward Daniel Bradshaw has completed the formalities and can now begin life as a Sydney Swan after being selected in the pre-season draft.

"I was a bit nervous this morning because you never really know until your name gets called out," Bradshaw said.

"I felt like I was 17 again, waiting for the draft. It would have been a surprise if another team had picked me up but I'm just over the moon to be able to play footy with the Swans."

Tadhg Kennelly says draft concessions to the new Gold Coast and Western Sydney teams will result in a flood of Irish recruits to the AFL.

"There are two new clubs coming into the competition and a lot of the clubs around the country are going to lose draft picks because of concessions," Kennelly said.

"They're going to be looking for the next ready-made talent and I definitely think there's a pool of talent in Ireland that's ready to be tapped into."

Sydney Swans defender Tadhg Kennelly says St Kilda's Irish recruit Tommy Walsh has the raw athleticism to match Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke.

"Tommy's a big, strong guy; he's a monster of a guy," Kennelly said.

"He's extremely strong and that's raw, natural strength.

"He would have done a very, very little amount of weights but he's a very explosive type of player, in the build of a Koschitzke or Riewoldt type at St Kilda."

Former Swan Michael O'Loughlin has won the 2009 Madden Medal, awarded by the AFLPA to a player who has recently retired and who demonstrated outstanding on-field football achievements.

"I think I got everything out of myself by playing through injuries and getting through that side of things. The off field stuff was certainly important, particularly in Sydney where we are trying to promote the game," O'Loughlin said.

Former Geelong captain Tom Harley will work with Team GWS in the football, corporate and marketing departments.

"I know what it means to be involved [in a new club], particularly from a player's perspective," he said.

"Now that I've moved to Sydney, I want to be a part of the growth of the game and its development in a market that's new to both me and the code.

"This is as much about the learning experience and tapping into the great resources at the AFL as it is for me sharing my knowledge and experience."

Former Sydney Swans star Daryn Cresswell will appear in a Maroochydore court next March on fraud and forgery charges.

Sydney recruit Lewis Jetta plans to make the city his long-term home.

"If I could play 150 games and win a premiership with Sydney, I'd be happy with that - that's at least what I'll try to do," Jetta said.

Lewis Jetta was expecting to be picked up by Sydney after having a chat with Adam Goodes prior to the 2009 NAB AFL draft.

"He told me good luck and said something about pick 14," Jetta said at his first day of training at his new club.

"I did not believe him until when I had my name called out and I was thinking in my head, 'You just spoiled the moment Goodesy'. I wanted to be surprised ... but it is alright, I am here now."

New Sydney Swans recruit Lewis Jetta expects to play AFL in his first year after overcoming the disappointment of being overlooked in the 2007 draft and playing against bigger bodies all year.

"I just tried to work hard, went back to the country and got used to the bigger bodies in the league," he said at his first day of training at Lakeside Oval.

"After that, I went back up to the Swans [Swan Districts] and turned it on."

Sydney Swans recruit Gary Rohan never imagined he would be a first-round selection in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft at pick No. 6.

"I never thought it would happen," Rohan said.

"I had a good year and got a heap of support from people back in Cobden and my family and friends."

West Coast is expected to surprise at the national draft when it overlooks wingman Lewis Jetta with its first pick.

The Eagles are believed favour of East Fremantle defender Brad Sheppard instead.

After 25 games in four seasons, Sydney Swans utility Ed Barlow knows 2010 is a make-or-break year.

"This year is a make or break year for me. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm really excited by the challenge," he said.

"I need to work on being in the game for the whole time and not dropping off. If something goes wrong, I can't dwell on it but instead, I need to always try to be positive and keep in the game."

Luke Ablett has asked the Swans not to re-draft him after being delisted by them.

"Luke felt that he still had something to offer to AFL football and has asked that he not be re-drafted by the Sydney Swans," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.

"We're very supportive of Luke's decision and certainly agree that he does have something to offer AFL football, and wish him luck in Thursday's draft."

Tadgh Kennelly says he is glad to be back at the Swans and is looking forward to working in tandem with Rhyce Shaw and Nick Malceski.

"Obviously it will be great to have Rhyce Shaw and Nick Malceski up and going ... it gives one of us the opportunity to go into the midfield or half forward," he said.

"I'm sure there will be a rotation policy that will happen and it's something that the club was looking forward to last year before I made the decision to leave. Obviously we can look forward to doing it now in 2010."

Kennelly also believes he'll be a better player following his time in Ireland.

"I owe the Swans a lot and feel I'll be a much better player because I don't have that drawcard of going back to Ireland any more," Kennelly said.

"I feel that weight is off my shoulders. I feel like I can now express myself a lot more."

New Collingwood recruit Darren Jolly is keen to repay the faith shown in him by the Magpies.

"I suppose I feel a little bit of pressure The club's put a fair bit of faith into me [by] giving me a four-year deal," he said.

"I'm not really paying much attention to it; I'm just trying to get out there and have a really good crack over pre-season and get to know everyone and get as fit and as strong as I can."

Sydney coach Paul Roos reveals that St Kilda counterpart Ross Lyon tried to snare Tadhg Kennelly.

"Rossy rang me during trade week and was up front with me, and just said the Saints wanted to explore the options with Tadhg," Roos said.

"But I said to him at the time, 'If Tadhg comes back to Australia, I strongly believe he'll come back to us at the Swans'. He's a huge part of this footy club and we knew his heart lay in Sydney."

Tadhg Kennelly's Swans teammates are delighted that he has returned from Ireland.

"Having recruited the likes of Rhyce Shaw and Marty Mattner, and with Nick Malceski back there, we're going to have some great run with bringing Tadhg back into the team," Swans co-captain Brett Kirk said.

"Those guys haven't played a lot of footy together so we're really looking forward to having some real rebound, which you need in AFL footy these days."

The Sydney Swans have delisted Luke Ablett and Henry Playfair, allowing them to nominate for the NAB AFL Draft although Sydney coach Paul Roos says there is a chance they may be re-drafted.

"We've delisted them to give them a chance elsewhere but both of them are still training here," Roos said.

"We'll assess them against how many picks we want, and what Luke or Henry brings compared to a young player coming into the list."

Premiership defender Tadhg Kennelly has returned to the Swans after achieving his ambition of winning an All-Ireland title with Kerry.

"It's great news for the footy club," Sydney coach Paul Roos told SEN radio.

"He's a terrific player and the year off has only helped him from a footy point of view get his body back right and we look forward to seeing him next week."

Guy O'Keefe, Dan O'Keefe and Bryce Carroll will join Geelong's pre-season training in the lead-up to the NAB AFL Draft.

Barry Hall will undergo minor ankle surgery prior to training with his new Western Bulldogs teammates.

Sydney elevates Rhyce Shaw into the club's leadership group for 2010.

"Rhyce has been terrific. He finished second in our best and fairest, but the days are gone when you just get in the leadership group just for finishing first, second, third or fourth," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.

"His impact around the club has been really positive. He is working really hard, he is training really hard, so he brought a lot to the club which has been terrific."

Tadhg Kennelly reveals how close he came to cutting short his AFL career in his new book Unfinished Business.

"I was hit by a serious bout of homesickness," Kennelly writes.

"Every time I was at my local shopping centre, I would stand there and stare at the fares for London and picture myself walking inside and booking a ticket. So many times I wanted to do it, not tell anyone, hop in a taxi to the airport.

"I was in a very dark place; in fact, I would say I was depressed. Each night I would cry myself to sleep. I would hide in my room and ask myself over and over again, 'What the f--- am I doing?'"

New Swan Josh Kennedy says Sydney's track record with recycled players was a factor in his decision to head north.

"They've got a good record with Craig Bolton and Ted Richards - just a couple of names that come to mind," Kennedy said.

"Obviously I've got a fair bit of improvement to go and a bit of hard work to do to create a name for myself, in a sense, but it was certainly a factor in making the decision."

Sydney coach Paul Roos believes Daniel Bradshaw will fit in perfectly at the Swans next to young forward Jesse White after the departures of Barry Hall and Michael O'Loughlin.

"Bradshaw is just the perfect player who can play out of full-forward with Jesse White next to him, so being able to emulate what Mick's been able to do and kick goals and help Jesse and tackle and set up things," Roos said.

"In terms of the number of goals, who knows? But in terms of the amount of experience, we know he can be a quality player and person who can provide some experience that we've lost."

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says the club has not yet set a deadline for Tadhg Kennelly's decision on his AFL future with Kennelly currently in the middle of a book launch.

"Obviously he's been really busy with the book launch and the grand final and all that other stuff, so I haven't spoken to him," Roos said.

"But I think he's smart enough to know. He's got a manager over here who deals with a lot of other players and he'd be aware of that."

In his book, Kennelly describes the emotions involved in deciding between Gaelic football and AFL.

"I described how my heart was with Kerry and how I felt I hadn't yet become all I could be as a Gaelic footballer," he wrote.

"All of this was true but the reality was I didn't know what I was going to do. There were so many factors to consider.

"My family, my life with Nicole, my financial future, my sense of unfinished business in Australia."

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse hopes the addition of ruckman Darren Jolly will help the club win more ruck clearances.

"He's a premiership ruckman. He's competed against the best ruckmen and performed very well. We believe he will give us more offensive clearances," Malthouse said of Jolly while adding that the new addition may free up opportunities for Fraser to play in other areas of the ground.

"Josh might play as a ruck rover. He might play as a half-forward," Malthouse said.

Young Sydney Swan Tim Schmidt has retired at the age of 23 to pursue a career in real estate.

Daniel Cross says Western Bulldogs players threw their support behind recruiting Barry Hall just two days after bowing out of the AFL finals.

"I think looking forward, having big Barry down there is going to give the forward line more help," Cross said.

''Hopefully, he's going to open more options for the team and for the coaches going forward."

Promising young Sydney Swans midfielder Dan Hannebery has been suspended for his part in a prank involving the throwing of eggs at Melbourne's Xavier College.

The Swans, however, have decided that they will not take any further action against the youngster.

New Sydney Swans recruit Josh Kennedy explains it was in his best interests to leave the club where his father and grandfather were legends.

"It was a really tough decision. I made sure that I took the time and spoke to the right people - family, friends, all the people at Hawthorn including Alastair Clarkson and everyone else involved, just to see where they thought I sat and what was the best path for me in terms of opportunity and being able to play senior football," Kennedy said.

Daniel O'Keefe, Ryan Brabazon and Matthew Laidlaw have been delisted by the Sydney Swans.

New Collingwood ruckman Darren Jolly has sets his sights on winning a premiership for the Magpies.

They will be very exciting times at Collingwood in the next few years. I am happy to play my role and do my bit for the team and help them get that next step further and hopefully get a premiership," Jolly said.

Hawthorn midfielders Josh Kennedy and Ben McGlynn have been traded to the Sydney Swans for draft selections 39, 46 and 70.

"While we are disappointed to be losing both Josh and Ben to the Sydney Swans we understand that both players have been presented with opportunities that they see as attractive and wish them well for the future," Hawthorn general manager of player personnel and strategy Chris Pelchen said.

Collingwood seals deal to secure Swans ruckman Darren Jolly in a trade.

The Magpies ultimately exchanged draft picks 14 and 46 in exchange for Jolly after being unable to come to terms with the Swans on Magpie players available for trade.

New Bulldog Barry Hall says he has a great deal to offer his new team and says he will do his best to rectify his on-field issues.

"I guess there's always going to be question marks, and I'm certainly not going to shy away from that. I'm going to do my very best to repay the Bulldogs for showing faith in me," Hall said.

"I can't promise anything. I'm not going to beat around the bush or anything like that, but I think I can get on top of it.

"It can end pretty badly if it does happen, and I'm very aware of that."

Barry Hall will play with the Western Bulldogs in 2010 after the club agreed to terms with the Sydney Swans.

"It was a tense couple of days. I thought it would get done with a couple of minutes to go on Friday," Hall said.

"The uncertainty is out of the way now, which is great, and we can look forward to setting up down here and crack into training. The hard work begins now, and I'm really excited."

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade was pleased with his new acquisition.

"He's such a team-orientated person. I think he can mentor our young forwards as well so there's a dual role there for him. It's certainly pleasing to get it done early in the week," Eade said.

West Coast, the Sydney Swans and the Lions look to have arranged for four players to change clubs.

Amon Buchanan and Brent Staker will head to Brisbane, Sydney will acquire Mark Seaby while the Eagles are set to gain Brad Dalziell.

"It's a good opportunity for him (Buchanan). We had some discussion with him at the end of the year - both us and Amon were undecided - should he stay at Sydney or should he go," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.

"He's a premiership player and a fantastic player, but probably his past couple of years he's been battling a little bit.

"Brisbane was interested, so we were happy to facilitate that, which means we can get Seaby in."

Barry Hall's path south is not as clear as it seemed, with the Bulldogs reluctant to meet the Swans' initial demands and saying they are prepared to pick Hall up in the pre-season draft if necessary.

"The big issue for us is Barry is prepared to go to the draft. I'm not sure how much interest there is from other clubs, and he's made it very clear that he wants to play at the Western Bulldogs," Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia said.

"We are the club of his choice and we'd love to get him, there's not issue about that, but it might need to be a pre-season draft situation."

As St Kilda prepare to face Geelong in the 2009 grand final, Barry Hall recalls the pain of being a part of the St Kilda side that lost in the 1997 grand final to Adelaide.

''When we (the Swans) lost the 2006 grand final, it was different because we were in that game until the final siren, but in 1997, running around with five or 10 minutes to go, knowing the game is out of your reach, it was such an empty feeling, and you just wanted it over,'' Hall said.

Hall says his heart wants St Kilda to win for those who have stuck by the club.

''There's a lot of trainers who have stuck it out and done the hard yards, it would be reward for them, and of course the fans,'' he said.

The Western Bulldogs' search for a key forward appears to be over with Barry Hall almost certain to join the club for the 2010 season .

"There remain a number of issues the parties involved need to work through, however the Western Bulldogs remain hopeful an agreement can be reached," Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia said.

Scott Welsh retires from football after giving two years of service to the Western Bulldogs since moving over from Adelaide.

Welsh's retirement provides salary cap room for the Bulldogs to pursue former Swan Barry Hall.

Former Sydney star Tadhg Kennelly appears to have turned his back on a return to the Australia and the AFL saying he is committed to County Kerry in Ireland.

"I've had a great time at Sydney. I haven't really thought about it at the moment, but I will sit down and have a good think about it," Kennelly said.

"My head is truly, truly set on Kerry. And my heart. That's probably the main thing that has come out here."

The chances of Tadhg Kennelly rejoining Sydney are boosted after Kerry wins Gaelic football's final.

Kennelly scored twice to help Kerry to beat Cork in Gaelic football's All-Ireland final.

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos will travel to Ireland to watch Tadhg Kennelly's Gaelic football grand final this weekend and says Kennelly returning to play for the Swans is still a possibility.

"If at some time in the future he wants to bring it up, I'm certainly happy to talk and see where he's at and where his body is and what he's thinking," Roos said.

Swans club champion Ryan O'Keefe says he's grateful to the supporters who welcomed him back after a failed transfer bid.

"I was a little bit hesitant, not so much with the players or internally at the club, but with fans and members," he said.

"I wasn't quite sure what sort of response I'd get from them. I suppose after a while they warmed to me again, though."

Sydney's reigning best and fairest winner, Jarrad McVeigh, signs a new contract until the end of 2012.

''It's nice to get it done and we're really pleased, he's obviously one of our quality players, he won the club champion award in 2008, has been another very good player for us this year, and the other thing is he's a really well-respected person around the club and probably one of the emerging leaders from our younger group,'' Swans football manager Andrew Ireland said.

Geelong midfielder Joel Selwood has been recognised as the AFL's most courageous player by his peers after winning the Robert Rose most courageous player award at the AFLPA's awards dinner.

Selwood - fifth in the MVP voting - polled 248 votes ahead of Sydney's Brett Kirk (132) and St Kilda's Lenny Hayes (91).

Swans ruckman Darren Jolly subscribes to the view that big men take longer than small men to develop into elite footballers after having one of his best seasons in 2009.

"I started when I was 19, so naturally you're going to have to grow into your body to have a bit of strength and a bit of size about you," he said.

"They've been saying for years and years that big blokes take longer to develop and it's probably true. I've had my best year so far and I'm enjoying being in my footy prime."

Former basketballer Jesse White gains the final nomination for NAB AFL Rising Star award in 2009 after kicking three goals for the Swans against Brisbane.

Barry Hall says he is unhappy with the way his career finished at the Swans and wants to make amends for it at another club.

''Once I finished playing with the Swans, I honestly thought that would be it,'' Hall wrote in his column in The Sydney Morning Herald.

''I'd be moving on, doing other things, but the reality is, the way I walked away from the game left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, and it's that feeling which is fuelling me to play again.

''In one way, because I did make the call to resign from the club, I walked away on my own terms. But in another way I didn't, because - and I've thought about it quite a bit over the last couple of months - I really don't want my football career to end the way it has. It is unfinished business for me.''

Barry Hall says he is keen to play football again next year.

"The steps from now are: Do clubs want a 32-year-old who has got a few issues on-field? That is yet to be seen. The most important thing was to step away from football. I haven't really watched football and it might sound bad, but I wanted to see if I missed it, which I haven't at this stage," he said.

"I haven't really missed it at all which is a bit concerning, but I think I have a desire to play still."

Brendan Murphy decides to quit the Swans to return to his native Ireland citing injury and a loss of passion as the reasons for his decision.

"It wasn't an easy decision to make but it has been a frustrating year with injuries and I feel as a consequence I've lost the drive and passion to play AFL," he said.

"I will miss the club and all the friends I have made."

Sydney Swans forward Jarred Moore has been released from hospital and is recovering from a punctured lung and two broken ribs suffered during a match against Collingwood.

Adam Goodes urges his teammates to rally for retiring Swans Michael O'Loughlin, Leo Barry and Jared Crouch in their final game for the club against Brisbane.

"I really want to enjoy it, and the only way you can really enjoy it is winning games of football and really trying hard," Goodes said.

"I really hope the blokes switch on and learn from what's happened today and give 110 per cent next week for four quarters.

"I know that's what I'll be aiming to do and I just hope that everyone else can do that for 'Mickey O', Leo and 'Crouchie'."

Former Magpie Rhyce Shaw will face his old side Collingwood at the MCG for the first time since becoming a Swan.

"It's going to be interesting. The first time coming back there as a non-Collingwood player is going to be very weird. It was my home for so long and I played so many games there," he said.

"I don't really see it as that much of a big deal, to be honest. I'm just going out there to play against another side. I know it's Collingwood, I know there's going to be a bit attached to it, but for me it's just another game where we've got to try and win the four points, and I've got to do my best for the Sydney Swans.

"It challenging, but definitely not daunting."

Sydney re-sign exciting forward Jesse White, averting the possibility he would be poached by the Gold Coast.

''To give them credit, his management were very good, they never used the threat of the new team or anything like that,'' Swans general manager of football Andrew Ireland said.

''But we are obviously aware that there was the possibility there could be some interest given he is from up that way.'

Swan Jared Crouch has informed his teammates of his decision to call an end to his career.

''No, it really wasn't a tough decision to make,'' Crouch said.

''I pretty much knew in pre-season this was going to be my last season - that I was going to retire - it was just a matter of when you tell everyone. And that's what it had come down to: when you do it. After having a chat with a few people, now seems the right time to do it.''

Veteran Swan Leo Barry announces that he will retire at the end of the season.

"After much consideration and a frustrating year so far, I have decided to retire at the end of the 2009 season," Barry said.

"I have obviously struggled with fitness and that has made it an easier decision to end my football career.

"After spending fifteen seasons at this club, I feel very fortunate to have played for one of the truly great and highly respected footy clubs, and also to have achieved the ultimate success with a fantastic group of guys, coaching staff and support crew in 2005."

Adam Goodes will become the second fastest player to reach 250-game milestone when the Swans take on Geelong at ANZ Stadium this week.

Goodes has two more years to run on his contract and is on track to possibly hit the 300-game milestone by the end of it.

"The way the body's feeling at the moment, I'll be playing out those two years and hopefully we'll see how we go after that," he said.

"I've been very lucky with injuries through my career and hopefully I can keep lucky and maybe play in the forward line and last a bit longer."

Dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes says the transfer from Paul Roos to John Longmire wil ensure the Bloods' culture goes on.

"What we've started with Roosy six or seven years ago, we want to keep up at this footy club," Goodes said.

"This culture we've started, we don't want it to change and we want it to keep building on it.

"Having 'Horse' (Longmire) take over at the end of next season ensures that this culture, this brand of footy and what we started a long time ago will stay on and bypass a lot of us at this footy club."

Paul Roos will coach the Swans in 2010 before handing over to assistant John Longmire as part of the club's succession plan.

"John is an outstanding candidate for a senior coach and we've always talked about hopefully having some sort of succession plan and promoting from within," Roos said.

"We believe in our culture, we believe in our players and we believe in what they've done. We want to keep passing that down to the next senior coach."

Sydney Swans defender Leo Barry will play his first game for the year this weekend after finally overcoming a knee injury.

"I've got to get through the last hurdle of the training session tomorrow night but at this stage, it looks as though I'll be in the side," he said.

"It's been a big 12 months training and trying to get up. It's been a really frustrating season but I'm looking forward to getting back into the real action."

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says Adam Goodes can improve his already stellar reputation with a move to the forward line.

"Where he's played his best football has been as a midfielder but if you looked at his game last weekend against Richmond, he had seven shots at goal [as a key forward] and really dominated that position," he said.

"He can have an enormous impact over the next two or three years if we continue to play him in that role."

Adam Goodes is attracting strong interest from punters who believe he is on track to win his third Brownlow Medal.

"We are always wary of him because he would poll votes if he was the interchange steward," Gerard Daffy of SportsAlive said.

Goalkicking legend Tony Lockett will make a rare appearance at the footy to watch good mate Michael O'Loughlin play in his 300th game.

"It's very hard to find the words which speak highly enough of Mick," Lockett said.

"It's been an unbelievable effort. I remember when he first started with the club. He was like any normal kid who went about his business, but you could tell he was very polished and had the skills.

"You couldn't have said then he'd play 300 games. How could you? But he had the potential to play a lot of games."

Sydney Swan Michael O'Loughlin has tipped Melbourne's Liam Jurrah to become a future star.

"I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times and he's an outstanding prospect," O'Loughlin said.

"To see him come in and play the game and have an impact in the forward line for Melbourne has been outstanding. What's he's done at Melbourne has been phenomenal."

Swans veteran Michael O'Loughlin tries to play down the hype surrounding his coming 300th game against Richmond.

"I've been around long enough to know you've still got to prepare the way you've always done to get up for the weekend," O'Loughling said.

"And nothing will change that side of things. And Richmond are coming off a good win so they've got a bit to play for as well.

"But I'll try to keep a bit of a lid on it it's more about organising people coming to the game with family and friends."

Former Swan Tadhg Kennelly's county notched an empatic win to keep his dream of winning an All-Ireland championship alive.

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos calls for "day to remember" on club stalwart Michael O'Loughlin's 300th milestone game.

O'Loughlin will become the first Swan to play 300 games against Richmond at the MCG.

"It is important that the club puts on a show for Micky O as he is a club legend," Roos.

"He has been a stalwart of the club for many a year. We want to make it a day to remember, and it is a very proud day for the club."

His team lost by a point, but the St Kilda match showed Heath Grundy can compete with some of the best forwards in the League after he tallied 18 possessions and 10 marks.

"I am happy to be playing in the backline and I am happy to be in the team. Playing alongside Craig Bolton is great as he helps me with my game," Grundy said.

Bulldogs legend Doug Hawkins says his former team should recruit Barry Hall.

"If I was the coach, if I was Rocket Eade, I'd be going after Barry Hall for next year," Hawkins said on radio station SEN.

"Here's a bloke on his last chance, stack his salary so he has to play games to get paid."

Sydney Swans defender Ted Richards has been released from hospital after four days of treatment for injuries suffered in last Saturday's horrific on-field clash with Carlton's Brendan Fevola.

The 105kg Fevola's knee broke four of Richards' ribs - two of them twice - and punctured a lung but the defender was all smiles as he left Melbourne's Alfred Hospital on Wednesday night.

"I'm feeling better. I'm just excited about being able to get out of here," he said.

"I've spent a while in here and I got a bit sick and tired of sitting in the same bed watching TV. Midday TV is not too good.

"Blood and fluid was getting into my lung and they had to drain that out. It was just a matter of getting all that out before I was allowed to go home but the lung has come up really well."

The meals served to Swans greats at their hall of fame dinner were ruined by Sydney's ten-goal loss to Carlton, Jude Bolton believes.

"To be over-run like we were against Carlton was really disappointing, especially before a hall of fame dinner," Bolton said.

"It was a really disappointing effort. To put a sour taste in everyone's mouth at the function was pretty disrespectful for all the players who have played beforehand."

Western Bulldog Ben Hudson says Barry Hall would add something to the Western Bulldog's attack.

"He is a great player and a big body," Hudson said.

"I think Murph (Robert Murphy) said during the week it would make people stand taller if he was on your side."

Western Bulldogs will speak to Barry Hall before season's end to ascertain whether he is interested in playing football next year.

"We'd certainly at some point speak with him and ask about his intentions," Bulldogs football operations manager James Fantasia said.

Paul Roos has paid tribute to Ted Richards who was taken to hospital after a heavy collision with teammate Craig Bolton and Carlton's Brendan Fevola.

"He really is a courageous player but unfortunately things like that happen from time to time and I'm sure Teddy would agree with that," Roos said.

"But it was a courageous act and the real positive is that he's okay and hopefully he's up and about soon."

Swans defender Ted Richards has punctured a lung and broken a rib after an accidental collision with Brendan Fevola during Sydney's clash with Carlton and will miss the rest of the season.

"He's broken a rib and punctured his lung, and he's off to hospital now," coach Paul Roos said after the match.

"He's okay. I just saw him in the rooms there, so they'll get him off to hospital and do what they have to do as quick as they possibly can."

Once interested in Brendan Fevola, Sydney now says it will not seek the Blue forward.

"If Brendan Fevola was available for trade last year, would we have been interested, yeah, we would have been," Swans coach Paul Roos said.

But asked whether the club would go after Fevola again, Roos said: "As I sit here now, no, because he's signed up for three years.

"We've got Jesse White, we've got Lewis Johnston ... so in our own minds as we sit here now, no, he certainly doesn't come into our thinking."

The Swans will unveil exciting schoolboy talent Daniel Hannebery this weekend against Carlton.

Hannebery has been playing for Xavier College in Melbourne and has only spent the last three weeks in Sydney as he has been busy completing his year 12 studies.

"I definitely didn't think I would be playing AFL senior footy when I came to Sydney three weeks ago," Hannebery said.

"It was more about development and learning and getting the most out of three weeks up here and being part of a professional set-up.

"It was an awesome feeling when Roosy called me into his room and told me that I would be playing this week.

"It is good that I have been in form in the reserves and I am hoping to take that into the match on Saturday."

Sydney Swans defender Nick Malceski remains confident he can return to the sort of form he showed before his knee injury.

"I've been looking at many different things but I've been unable to pinpoint anything as to why my form hasn't returned," Malceski said.

"I have gone back to what I was doing in 2007 and that hasn't worked, but I feel I took a step forward in the game against North Melbourne in my one-on-one work and I found more of the footy, which I have struggled with at senior level.

"It is great that the coaching staff have faith in me, and hopefully I can turn it around this week."

Former Sydney Swan Barry Hall is tipped to make his professional boxing debut against Sonny Bill Williams on Australia Day next year.

"Barry Hall is close with Danny Green's camp and Sonny Bill is close with Mundine, so we're looking at an AFL-NRL showdown to say the least," SportFM commentator and boxing writer commentator Chris Korner said.

"It's going to have a massive build up and will be fantastic for the sport."

Barry Hall met with boxing champion Danny Green on Friday to discuss a possible pugilistic career.

"I outlined what I imagine Barry would think was a well structured and well thought-out blueprint," Green said.

"It is basically a plan to proceed carefully and to get Barry experience under his belt before he looked at things like national titles. He wouldn't fight for an Australian belt until he was ready."

Barry Hall said his final goodbyes to the Sydney Swans at the SCG today, ending a sometimes-turbulent, often-brilliant career with the AFL club.

"I"m a bit emotional today. I guess this is why you play footy, for the supporters," he said.

"I'm really proud of what I've achieved at this footy club. I genuinely believe I've left the footy club a better person.

"I'm forever in debt to the Sydney Swans."

Sydney Swans midfielder Jarrad McVeigh has withdrawn from the side to play Essendon after injuring himself in the warm-up.

Barry Hall remains unsure if he will try to continue playing, but has conceded his AFL career might be over.

"I've thought about it, but I've been retired for three days," Hall said.

"A holiday is probably on the cards, to clear my mind a bit and get away from speculation.

"There's a few issues in terms of do football clubs want you?

"If I was a coach, I wouldn't want a 33-year-old with anger management issues."

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse says he will not chase Barry Hall next year.

"If Paul Roos and Brett Kirk can't the get the best out of a bloke, and he's prepared to move with those blokes - who I have the highest admiration for - then I am not about to take that on," Malthouse said.

Rodney Eade says his club has moved on from last year's effort to lure Barry Hall but won't rule him out completely.

"If push came to shove, you'd say highly unlikely," Eade said.

"We'll talk about these sorts of things later on. We haven't even thought about it right now. It's a list management issue for us to discuss down the track."

Jonathan Brown says Barry Hall should play on, and that not only the Bulldogs will chase him.

"If he wants to keep playing, you would think there would be interest at the end of the season," Brown said.

"I am sure he still has some good football left in him and who knows after he has time now to walk away and clear his head, get over his niggles."

Former Sydney Swan Daryn Cresswell has been refused bail on six fraud charges and will be extradited to Queensland.

Cresswell, 38, appeared in Manly Local Court today after being arrested at North Sydney police station on Monday and charged on outstanding warrants.

Mark McVeigh will return from his club-imposed suspension for the Bombers' clash with Sydney.

"He was a little bit sore late last week, he obviously trained pretty hard and wanted to get going again and he pushes himself pretty hard on the track, so he got a little bit sore and he didn't play in the VFL," Essendon coach Matthew Knights said.

"We just felt if we put him out there under soreness we might run the risk of him doing something so he will definitely come back into the senior line-up and is keen to do well."

Young Sydney ruckman Daniel Currie says his season isn't over despite stress fractures in his foot.

"Often with a stress fracture, it's a gradual build-up and then it eventually gets to a point where it's unbearable," Currie said.

"I didn't feel anything going into the game. There was a bit of stiffness in the foot but other than that, I felt fine.

"I suppose it was just one of those things that slipped through. Whether there was a landing incident or something with my running, I'm not sure.

"Something's caused it to go because it started to get really sore in the third quarter and by the end of the game, I couldn't walk."

Sydney Swans forward Michael O'Loughlin says departing teammate Barry Hall should be remembered for his achievements rather than his indiscretions after Hall announced his retirement from the Swans in the midst of a two-game suspension for striking.

"With what he's been able to do - switch from another club, come up here and pretty much be the face of the footy club and to captain the premiership side, he's been an outstanding player," he said.

"He's obviously thought it through for a fair bit and I'm just going to miss the guy. He's a great friend of mine, we've obviously played a lot of footy together and we've had some great times."

Barry Hall says he's unsure what his future will hold after ending his career with the Sydney Swans on Tuesday.

"Football for now is not a priority, as is talking about boxing or any other career," Hall said.

"My initial thoughts are to go away and have a good think about what I want to do, what my heart's in."

Barry Hall says his inability to prevent himself snapping on-field prompted his retirement from the Sydney Swans on Tuesday.

"I've done a lot of good stuff with this football club and I'm really proud of that but I think if I play on, I can't promise whether there's going to be another indiscretion again. I can't explain the last indiscretion," Hall said.

"I think it's a real risk for me and for the football club that if I do go on, that things will turn ugly and I won't be able to walk away with my head held high."

Barry Hall decided to quit the Sydney Swans, effective immediately.

"The decision I have made is not just about me. It is about this football club, my teammates, my family, my partner and my close friends," Hall said.

"Ultimately they have suffered grief over some of my wrongdoings and I have to take them into consideration."

Sydney coach Paul Roos paid tribute to the full forward for his ability to turn a game.

"It is definitely a sad day for the Sydney Swans Football Club - one of our greatest ever players has decided to retire - but I also think it must be a time of celebration, to reflect on what has been an outstanding career," Roos said.

"As his coach for the last six years, I will remember Hally as one of the genuine superstars of the game; his ability to be a match winner enabled him to take us to the level of the 2005 Premiership.

"His consistent performance over those six years has allowed him to be not only a premiership captain, but a club best and fairest, an All-Australian, a life member and a multiple leading goalkicker at this footy club."

The Swans win a gritty match against North Melbourne by 15 points without suspended forward Barry Hall.

"Everyone knows, including Barry, what he has done, but he's very popular and he's very affable and he's easy to like," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.

"He comes in, he does the training. So really for the players it wasn't that big an issue."

Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon throws his support behind snaring a "top-line tall" such as Barry Hall.

The Western Bulldogs have again emerged as a possible saviour for Barry Hall, with the club leaving the door ajar next season for the Sydney bad boy.

"You can never say never, especially a player of his quality," Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia said.

"With ageing players, they'd need a strong medical and make sure all the boxes are ticked.

"He played pretty well the other day and most opposition sides still have a healthy respect for him. We wouldn't rule it out, but that also doesn't mean we'll be overly aggressive either."

Paul Roos says he doesn't have to make too many adjustments to deal with the absence of Barry Hall after the key forward was suspended for striking.

"We might have to put one of our key defenders forward, which is okay, and Mick has obviously played up there a lot as well. It won't be a huge adjustment," Roos said.

"Hally basically plays as a centre half-forward so we've just got to find a centre half-forward that plays a similar role."

Swans coach Paul Roos says the club won't be rushed into a decision on the future of suspended forward Barry Hall as it strives to reach a positive outcome for all parties.

"We love him and whatever happens, we'll certainly take into consideration Barry Hall as well as the footy club," Roos said.

"What we don't want to happen is for either party to walk away bitter or for something happen and that's why we're going to take our time with the process."

Barry Hall is contemplating leaving the Swans immediately, but wants to continue playing AFL football next year.

Writing in his regular column in Fairfax newspapers, Hall said he seriously considered retiring in the aftermath of the incident.

But after talking to teammate Leo Barry and his family, he came to the conclusion that he didn't want his career to end on that note.

"The easy thing to do would be to walk away and take up boxing. But what would I be? Barry Hall the boxer, but also Barry Hall the disgraced ex-footballer. The perception of me might not change drastically between now and when I do finish up, but I want to go out with some good games under my belt and prove my worth as a footy player," he wrote.

Swans co-captain Brett Kirk would trust Barry Hall with his children - but he has no faith the forward will never erupt again on the footy field.

"I'd trust him with my own kids, but I don't know if he was put in the same situation (as the weekend) I could say he wouldn't do it again," Kirk said.

The deliberations over the future of Barry Hall have been the toughest of Swan skipper Brett Kirk's career.

Brett Kirk has told Barry Hall his actions in striking Adelaide's Ben Rutten are unacceptable and says the Swans are undecided on the troubled forward's playing future.

"The club as a whole, we care about Barry, we support him," Kirk said today.

"But we're saying it's unacceptable. What has happened is unacceptable and he needs to take personal responsibility for the behaviour.

"It's something that we've got to work through with him.

"All we have at heart is Barry's best interest but also the best interest of the football club, our reputation and the culture that we've been able to instil in the last seven years.

"His actions have shown a lot of difference to what he has spoken about. So that's something he needs to take responsibility for.

"He is ultimately who has to change his pattern of behaviour and he needs to do something about it."

Rodney Eade says he is not considering pursuing Barry Hall should the Swans forward become available at the end of the season.

"I haven't thought about it. I don't think he's on our radar. We've got a couple of good young lads up forward," Eade said.

"We've got a campaign of 10 weeks ahead so that is what we're looking at. We've got a couple of good young forwards; how they can develop only time will tell."

Barry Hall will almost certainly be pushed into boxing as Sydney and rival AFL clubs prepare to shut the door on the fiery forward next year.

A day after a Sydney coach Paul Roos said he was "sick and tired" of talking about Hall's on-field meltdowns, 11 clubs contacted by the Herald Sun were not keen to snap up the volatile sharp-shooter.

Barry Hall is set to discuss his future with coach Paul Roos this week after accepting a two-match ban from the AFL's match review panel for striking Adelaide's Ben Rutten.

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos is 'confused' by the behaviour of Barry Hall during Adelaide clash after Hall threw a punch at Adelaide's Ben Rutten.

"Where we're more confused this year is that everything seems to be going really well," he said.

"Everyone comments about how well he's going off the field, and anyone that saw him before the game on Saturday felt that he was in really good spirits.

"Nothing I've heard this year has led me to believe that things like this would happen or the Hawthorn game would happen."

Paul Roos has raised the possibility of Barry Hall retiring following his striking incident on the weekend.

"I'm probably sick of standing here talking about it," Roos said.

"At some point, always the club is bigger than the individual.

"We're all frustrated. We're all disappointed and we all had hoped it would stop.

"But clearly, it hadn't.

"The first part of the process is obviously the tribunal so we'll let that take its course. His actions clearly don't display that he does want to play.

"So that will be part of the discussion that we'll have with him."

Barry Hall's future at Sydney could be decided later this week when the club is expected to hold a crisis meeting with its star forward.

Hall did not wish to speak about the incident yesterday, saying "It's a matter which could go to the tribunal, so therefore I can't say anything about it, nor do I want to say anything about what will or won't happen next."

Barry Hall's anger management program appears to fail him as he was reported for the 15th time in his 13-year career and in his 250th AFL game.

In what appeared a moment of madness, just seconds before three-quarter-time Hall threw a punch at Adelaide defender Ben Rutten " an action that could result in him suspended for up to four matches, given the intent of the action, carry-over points and his record.

Rutten appeared more surprised than hurt by the blow, which was clearly caught on television.

Barry Hall's career hangs by a thread after he was reported for another striking incident against Adelaide, taking the gloss off what would have been a fine four-goal effort against the Crows.

Hall delivered a short, sharp, left jab to Ben Rutten's chin as the pair tangled after the three-quarter-time siren at AAMI Stadium.

"There's definitely still some issues there with Barry Hall," Foxtel commentator Dwayne Russell said.

"I don't know too many leopards that can instantly change their spots - and Barry Hall is still a leopard."

Sydney Swans forward Barry Hall says he will try to control his frustration for the rest of the year.

"It's no secret that I do get frustrated and if things don't go your way, if you take more of a light-hearted view, it might help you out a little bit," he said.

"It's something I've thought about. As you know, I'm a genius so we'll see how it goes.

"I don't want to be running around blowing up at umpires or being frustrated. I want to have a bit of fun as well so I'll try and take it into some other games but I can't promise anything."

Sydney Swans forward Barry Hall feels like he is physically ready to play again next year.

"I've got an old body. It's getting through at this stage but things can happen quickly as you get a bit older. If you get an injury, it's harder to get over. Touch wood it doesn't happen," Hall said.

"At this stage the body's good, I'm mentally fresh and I'm enjoying my footy."

Adelaide midfielder Nathan van Berlo says he expects the Swans to come out firing this weekend after forward Michael O'Loughlin announced his retirement.

"Michael O'Loughlin has been a great servant for the Sydney Swans and I know they're close as a playing group and will have a lot of feeling about that," van Berlo said.

"I'd like to think it wouldn't have any impact on how we prepare for the game. For them it might have a slight impact, but we'll be doing all we can to control it."

Former Sydney Swans coach Rodney Eade says retiring Michael O'Loughlin was a pleasure to coach.

"He gave me a call yesterday about 10 o'clock to tell me he was going to retire, which was nice," he said.

"We had a good chat. I think he'll be considered as one of the greats of the club. He'll be the first player there to reach 300 games, and he's played in three grand finals and won a best and fairest, and was very unlucky for a second.

"He was All Australian, so it's a pity it's going to end the way it is because talking to him yesterday, mentally, he feels good. Most of the time, it's the other way around."

Sydney Swans forward Michael O'Loughlin says the prospect of giving his family a better life was the only thing that stopped him leaving Sydney early in his career.

The Swans' games record holder said his stay at the club would have been much shorter, had he got his own way in the mid '90s.

"Coming in, I didn't think I'd stay here for that long. I'd ring mum and say; 'I want to come home, I want to come home'," O'Loughlin recalled.

"She said; 'There's nothing here for you. Stay there', and I said; 'No, I'm getting on a plane', and she said; 'Well, you haven't got a bed. I gave it to your cousin'. I had no bed to go back to, so I had to stay."

O'Loughlin plans to work with indigenous communities after he steps away from football at the end of the season.

"It's something that I'm very, very passionate about and I'll definitely head that way.

"That's my duty and that's my role and that's what I have to do - to help the indigenous people of this country lead better lives.

"We can go on and talk a little bit of politics but the health situation and stuff like that, that's where I see myself heading and hopefully helping little kids out with that. It's something that I've already been doing for a long, long, long time."

Swans coach Paul Roos rates Michael O'Loughlin as one of the best people he has been involved with in football.

The 32-year-old, with 293 games to his name, announced on Tuesday that 2009 would be his final year of AFL football. He is set to become the club's first 300-game player by playing out the season.

"The thing that we all at the Swans family will remember Mick for is just being Mick," Roos said.

"It's always hard to talk to a group when a player retires but today was as hard as it's been for me because of my relationship with Mick, and also what Mick means to us as a person. He's a great footballer but he's also a fantastic person."

Michael O'Loughlin is set to announce his retirement from the Sydney Swans today.

Rhyce Shaw says the move from Collingwood to the Sydney Swans was the best decision he's made in his football career.

"It was pretty hard living in Melbourne, I don't think I really coped with it that well. To come up here, the change of environment has been really helpful for me and my footy," he said.

"It's been really good for me, not only as a footballer but as a person as well, to get out on my own and really experience things by myself.

"I do miss my family and my little brother. That's probably been the hardest thing about moving but in terms of football, it's been really good for me and really positive moving up here.

"I've got the confidence of the coaching staff and the players, which is something that I've worked really hard for and hopefully I can continue this year."

Brothers Heath and Rhyce Shaw will play against each other on Saturday night for the first time in their careers.

"It was pretty much a dream of ours to play together and I do miss it," Rhyce said.

"He's always been my little brother and I've never played against him in anything. It's going to be weird going up against him and all my old mates down at Collingwood but I'm really looking forward to the challenge.

"Before the game, he's my brother and after the game, he's my brother but out on the field, he's another player."

Sydney has turned to off-season recruit Rhyce Shaw for inside tips on beating Collingwood.

"Rhyce brings a lot of tactical knowledge and experience from playing with Collingwood and he will give us a bit of insight on how they approach the game and how they approach playing the Swans," said Swans co-captain Brett Kirk.

Lance Franklin's starring role against Sydney was good but he's about to get better, says the coach.

"We're really pleased with his attack on the ball and creating contests for us and that was probably an area of his game that had been a little bit down in previous weeks and he addressed that last week and that's when he plays his best footy. We're hopeful he'll be like that again this week," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said.

The super Swan is finding greater numbers in '09 and doesn't have the in-team competition of other fancies.

Statistics show that Goodes has won more of the football in 2009 than in either of his medal-winning years. More importantly, he has made opposition teams pay when he has gained possession.

"I know that wasn't his Brownlow year, but the back end of 2007 was probably the best footy I've seen him play," Sydney assistant coach John Longmire said on Thursday.

"While he's probably not at those heights, he's certainly been a really consistent performer for us."

The Sydney Swans and their 2005 premiership hero Nick Davis are in a potentially explosive dispute over his parting with the club.

Davis is seeking a financial settlement believed to be about $200,000 with any payout needing to be recorded by the Swans in their salary cap.

The AFL says Barry Hall was correctly punished in receiving three consecutive 50m penalties, and denied he was victimised by umpires.

"I heard Barry say there was no language used, but I think the tape shows there was," AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said.

"The manner in which he showed dissent, with demonstrative abuse like that, is something which for good reasons we don't tolerate.

"We need to be strong about protecting umpires from that sort of stuff, because if we don't we won't have good umpires."

Sydney Swan Barry Hall says that despite his on-field brain fades, he is more likely than not to play on in 2010, so long as his club wants him.

"That's drawing me a bit more to keep on playing and try to change the image that I've got," he said on One HD's One Week at a Time.

"The weekend probably doesn't help me any but I think I can do it towards the end of my career if I keep playing some good footy and stay controlled."

Ryan O'Keefe says Barry Hall has accepted responsibility for his "stupid" brain snap during the Swans' loss to Hawthorn.

"Look the man he is, he took it on the chin and he said it was stupid and he accepted responsibility," O'Keefe said.

"I think you get a hell of a lot more good from Barry than bad ... and the opposition does try and provoke him.

"But he's been in brilliant form and great touch this year and we wouldn't have him any other way."

Hawthorn midfielder Brad Sewell plays down the incident with Swans power forward Barry Hall which turned Sunday's game for the premiers after Hall gave away three 50-metre penalties.

"It certainly did us no harm. It was a massive play for us to potentially go from a scoring opportunity they had to kick a goal ourselves," Sewell said.

"We had momentum throughout most of the game and they got back on top early in the last quarter. We were slow-building and it certainly didn't hurt our chances but I'm not sure it was the turning point."

Sydney coach Paul Roos says volatile forward Barry Hall's three consecutive 50-metre penalties was the turning point in the Swans' narrow loss to Hawthorn.

"I think clearly that's the turning point in the game," Roos said after the game.

"You could sit here and we could dream up fictional reasons or you could get to the source of the problem and that was clearly a massive turning point in the game."

Cyril Rioli faces a month on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring against Sydney Swans.

"I dare say he will certainly miss next week's game and how much longer he misses will be determined by the severity of the injury," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"But it didn't look good in terms of being able to come back from the ground. He'll certainly miss a couple I reckon."

Paul Bevan tasted grand final glory early in his career, which makes him hunger for more.

"Myself and Adam Schneider and Sean Dempster were fairly young at that stage and we spoke about it after the grand final," he said on the eve of his 100th game for the Swans.

"There are players that have played their whole career - great players - and not won a premiership.

"We knew that we were in a pretty fortunate position but it just gives you that hunger to taste that success again."

Terry Wallace has admitted he left the Western Bulldogs in 2002 under the assumption he had a coaching job with Sydney.

"My management group spoke to them about perhaps being able to go there," he said.

"There was no heads of agreement, but my management group thought we had an availability to go to the Sydney Swans."

Swans star Adam Goodes says a return to meditation helped him refocus after a form slump and says he relishes his leadership role at the club.

"I love the responsibility of being one of the co-captains," he said.

"I think I was taking on more things in my mind than I needed to - trying to get other players up, making sure that I did everything and everybody else did everything when they should just worry about getting themselves ready.

"It just took me a while to know my role and know what responsibilities I could take out on to the ground without over-clouding my mind."

Scott Welsh and Brian Lake are considering all options and may decide to fight their one-match bans at the tribunal .

The match review panel handed down the bans after viewing footage from Saturday's match against the Sydney Swans, with Welsh charged with rough conduct against Jared Crouch, and Lake charged with tripping Jarrad Moore.

Dale Morris again outpointed a larger opponent in Michael O'Loughlin in the Bulldogs' big win over the Sydney Swans on Saturday.

"He's a very dangerous player, and one who can pop up and kick a lot of goals in a short space of time," Morris said after the game.

"He's got some tricks as well, so I knew leading into the game that I'd have to be right on him because he's still got great agility and pace ... if you blink you can lose him."

Hailing from the ACT, Craig Bolton is modest, preferring to let his football speak of his ability, and at times it hollers.

"Growing up in Canberra, it can be a difficult situation. You haven't got a lot of people ahead of you who have gone on and had long careers," Bolton said.

"Obviously, there was a few in my case with Hird and Hamill, and a couple of others, but it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you're an emerging youngster down there."

Heath Grundy launched himself over Swans ruckman Darren Jolly in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against Port Adelaide and took one of the best high marks seen at the SCG since Warwick Capper set the ground alight in the 1980s.

"You can't plan those sorts of things. I just went for the footy and I ended up taking it," he said when asked his recollection of the grab.

"I think it was Jolls I sat on and when I jumped, I thought I'd gone a bit early. But he gave me a bit of a ride and I managed to stay up there. It just worked out perfectly in the end."

Swans forward Michael O'Loughlin may be running into his best form by the time his 300th game milestone comes around.

"It was seven and a half months since I played my first game against Richmond and I felt a bit out of whack. I was getting my hands on the footy, but it's just great to be back running around," he said.

"Every week I'm improving and when I get six, seven or eight games under my belt, I'll be back to where I was last year.

"The touch is there early now, so I feel okay when I'm getting around the footy. There are few times when I get a bit tired. Fitness-wise, I'm still playing catch-up. But overall, as each week's going past, my body's feeling good and hopefully, another three or four games, I'll be better."

Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin throw their support behind the idea of holding a mid-season All Stars game.

"It would be fantastic," Goodes said. "I know in the middle of the season I would be fit and raring to go to play it. I reckon if you rotated it, and had the All Stars game one year, then had the Victoria versus SA Dream Team game the next, I'm all for that."

"I think all the brothers would jump at that chance if they put a game on mid-season," O'Loughlin said.

"Each and every one of them, they are so proud to play in that All Star game in Darwin."

Sydney midfielder Craig Bird suffered concussion in the 55-point win against Port Adelaide and will be assessed during the week.

Brett Kirk says a Swans win in their Indigenous Round match against Port Adelaide would be a fitting tribute to Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin.

"They're two guys with so much character about them and I just love playing football with them," he said of O'Loughlin and Goodes.

"I know, speaking to both of them, how much being acknowledged this weekend means to them and I'll be doing everything I can personally to help us get over the line."

Paul Roos praises defensive and tackling work of spearhead Barry Hall after a five-goal haul against West Coast.

"With 'Hally', what he's probably got to keep focusing on is that physical stuff," Roos said.

"When guys are closer to the end than the start, sometimes they do tend to focus on things like marks, kicks and handballs.

"I think if he just keeps focusing on that chase and the tackle, he will be an impact player for us.

"We're not too worried about how many goals he kicks. Provided he puts that pressure on every single week, he's going to be a good player for us."

Nick Malceski is being considered for a recall to the Swans' side for Sunday's clash against Port Adelaide at the SCG.

"He had a good game on the weekend, I think he kicked four goals and had 30 something possessions. He certainly has to come into consideration," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.

"He's done everything we have asked him to do."

Sydney Swans youngster Kieren Jack became a hero with a late goal to sink West Coast in Saturday night's clash.

"I think Mickey O'Loughlin’s a bit upset; he was free in the goal square apparently. If I had have missed it, I'm sure I would have heard about it," Jack said.

"I didn't think about it. I just picked it up and saw the goals and just kicked it. It was through instinct, I suppose, and that's probably why I missed Mickey O.

"I just had eyes for a goal, so I had to kick it."

His team lost to Geelong, but Adam Goodes says it was what he needed to get his season on track.

"I was just happy to contribute. I think the last couple of weeks I haven't been able to get out there and contribute and to play a role," he said.

"To get some clearances and to get the ball into our forward line was a really big goal for me and to break the line and just felt really strong and solid out there was really pleasing."

Nick Malceski has become the first experienced Swans star to suffer coach Paul Roos' axe, as Sydney tries to bring its stop-start season to life.

"We need to get Mal into a bit of form," Roos said.

"He's been training really well, it just hasn't been transferring over into his games.

"I spoke to him on Tuesday and we were both scratching our heads because he hasn't been playing that bad.

"But I think he's looking forward to getting out there on the weekend and running more with the ball."

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says he may shield Canadian recruit Mike Pyke from facing West Coast ruckman Dean Cox.

"We've got to be careful with him. Throwing him in against Dean Cox at this stage is probably just a bit big an ask for him," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.

"I thought he was good last week, so it certainly wouldn't be a form thing but an educational thing. We need to make sure he doesn't go backwards in his footy education."

Saturday night's clash between Eagle Dean Cox and Swan Darren Jolly will pit two of the game's in-form ruckmen.

"He is the elite ruckman in the competition and I think everyone wants to have a go at him," Jolly said of Cox.

"Dean is obviously an elite ruckman and I'd class him as a midfielder as well. He's got a huge engine, a huge tank. It's a big effort to try and run with him and it's something I'll try and counter this week.

"I enjoy the challenge of trying to go out there and beat him, but so far, I think he's beaten me every single time, so I'm really looking forward to Saturday."

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos unconcerned about 'obsession' with the lack of output from spearhead Barry Hall.

"I haven't analysed Barry's game because I don't think I need to analyse Barry's game," Roos said.

"He's an easy media target. I think we just understand that. Last week he had four shots at goal and everyone was raving about how well Barry Hall was going.

"If it becomes a weekly obsession, it can be a weekly obsession outside the club but internally, it's really not an issue for us at all."

Sydney players, shocked by the backlash against Barry Hall after the loss to premiership favourite Geelong, say he is the victim of his high profile.

Hall has received heavy criticism for failing to register a kick after halftime.

"There is an easy story there to say, 'Well, Hally didn't touch the footy in the second half, so it must be his fault'," teammate Adam Goodes said yesterday.

"I certainly didn't look at Barry's performance and think, 'Oh, what was he doing?'. Our service to Barry and our forward line was very, very poor . . . it was deplorable."

Swans coach Paul Roos expects AFL clubs to widen their recruiting scope after Canadian rugby convert Mike Pyke makes his debut.

"Mike would say it himself - he's not the only six-foot-six athletic guy running around in the world today who's possibly looking for a sport," Roos said.

"I don't think it's going to spark a mass interest of people coming but I think it will spark some interest from a lot of clubs in Australia to look offshore.

"Particularly with two new teams coming in, there's a lot of incentive to do different things at the moment."

Swans ruckman Mike Pyke, a Canadian rugby international, is looking forward to his return to the big stage after being selected to make his AFL debut against Richmond.

"It's been a while since I've played a first-class sports game so that's the thing that I'm most excited about - to play in front of a good crowd, a good atmosphere and I think for any athlete at the highest level, that’s what they want to do," Pyke said.

"I'm excited. I'm confident that I know the role I’m expected to play. That's important - going into the game and knowing what's expected of you and I feel confident I can do it."

Former rugby international Mike Pyke's rise to play with the Sydney Swans is unprecedented.

Sydney Swans forward Michael O'Loughlin can't wait for his return to the AFL stage this weekend after undergoing ankle surgery.

"I don't want to be coming in and taking a couple of weeks to find my feet," he said.

"There will be times, obviously, where I'll be blowing, but I want to come back and basically make an impact."

Swans coach Paul Roos is disappointed his players couldn't rise to the occasion against Fremantle in Brett Kirk's 200th game.

"One of the main disappointments for the night was that we couldn't win for Kirky," Roos said.

"He was the one that had to put us on his shoulders again and some of the guys would be disappointed in their performance based on what Brett has given the footy club.

"He had to rally the troops again and it was disappointing we didn't win for his milestone.

"A lot of the guys owed it to Brett to fly the flag better than we did, particularly in the first half."

Craig Bolton will play his 150th game for the Swans this Saturday, one of many players to make good in Sydney.

"When I came to Sydney I wasn't playing regular footy every week and just to get that opportunity to play week in, week out really gave me some confidence to develop my game and how I play," Bolton said.

"So full credit to Roosy and the coaches for that."

Sydney Swans top draft pick Lewis Johnston suffers a serious foot injury at training.

Garry Jack's advice to son Kieren has helped him become one of Sydney's most consistent players.

"I'm not going to be a flashy type of outside player, I'm going to be someone who does a job on someone, and hopefully work off them a little bit too," Kieren says.

"I think with my tackling, having come across from rugby league, that whole defensive side of things has probably been a strength of mine, so I'm looking forward to a few more tagging jobs throughout the year."

Sydney Swans co-captain Brett Kirk says he has a different perpective on playing AFL as he approaches his 200th game.

"I really just try to walk in people's shoes and try to see it through their eyes. We can be honest and let people know where they sit, but also you come on the other side and sometimes people need to be picked up," Kirk said.

"I have walked a different road to get here so for the young players, they can look to me and know that I've had different experiences."

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos lauds midfielder Jarrad McVeigh after another solid performance against Carlton.

"You can put a Macca to a Judd when you’re often scratching your head as to what you can do and he made a significant difference to the game when he went there," Roos said.

"He's still a developing midfielder consistently performing well last year and at the start of this year. He's certainly getting up towards that status, but he's only young in his career."

Sydney's Brett Kirk says Carlton's midfield deserves to be compared to the famed West Coast engine room of Cousins, Judd, Kerr and Cox.

Sydney's Kristin Thornton will make his debut today against Carlton at the SCG after being one of three brothers to overcome a serious knee injury.

"This has been a long time coming and I've finally got my opportunity," Thornton said.

After nine months, Michael O'Loughlin is back.

Sydney's longest-serving player will return to the SCG tomorrow for his first game since injuring an ankle against Carlton in Round 16 last year.

Senior coach Paul Roos will replace injured defender Jared Crouch with youngster Kristin Thornton this weekend.

Pressure on Sydney players to hold their spots is virtually non-existent as coach Paul Roos says there are about 26 fit men in the senior squad.

Midfielder Jarrad McVeigh says the Swans are determined to return to their trademark hard-at-it footy this weekend after an embarrassing performance against the Lions.

"We were embarrassed with our performance. We want to really stick to our trademark as a footy club and that's hard, contested footy," he said.

"We were soft on the weekend and having a good hard look at ourselves this week. It starts today at training and we'll be ready to go this week and hopefully you'll see a different team."

Canadian rugby convert Mike Pyke comes into calculation for selection in the Swans' senior side.

Sydney coach Paul Roos confirmed yesterday that Pyke, who has continued to improve in the reserves, could be in the side to meet Carlton on Saturday at the SCG.

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says senior players must shoulder the blame for the side's inconsistency after a stuttering start to 2009.

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos believes Jared Crouch will return to senior football after recovering from his hamstring injury.

Craig Bolton says the Swans were outmuscled by a more desperate team in wet conditions at the Gabba.

Adam Goodes is the latest name to be added to Lion Joel Patfull's list of big-name victims after his team's win over the Swans on Saturday night.

Sydney Swans full forward Barry Hall will have to pass a final fitness test before being selected to take on the Brisbane Lions.

Super Swan Brett Kirk is moving past the disappointment of being charged with contacting an umpire.

Sydney spearhead Barry Hall "quietly confident" he will be fit to play Brisbane, despite a groin problem.

Brett Kirk has avoided suspension after facing the tribunal for making reckless conduct with an umpire.

Swans coach Paul Roos will ask the AFL to clarify the rules on umpire contact after co-captain Brett Kirk was reported.

Michael Quinn's debut for Essendon started as a circus act but quickly became another amazing Irish success story.

Those in the know at Essendon say Quinn may be headed for the type of stellar career Sydney's Tadhg Kennelly enjoyed.

Sydney co-captain Brett Kirk is tonight expected to escape with a reprimand and a fine as a stern warning to players to avoid colliding with an umpire.

Following a victory over Hawthorn, Sydney coach Paul Roos feels his support for Brett Kirk is vindicated after receiving an angry letter from a supporter.

The supporter had demanded that Kirk's file be marked permanently.

"I was tempted to write back last week, but I think I'll just let the stats and his performance tell the story," Roos said.

"I'm hoping that supporter saw his performance against the Hawks. I'd rate it as one of his best 15 games he's ever played for this football club.

"You've got to remember Brett Kirk has featured in our best-and-fairest for the past six years and is a premiership player."

Brett Kirk will face the tribunal for making contact with an umpire, while Daniel Motlop and Adam McPhee have been suspended.

Staunch anti-drugs campaigner and Swans coach Paul Roos has backed his former player Peter Everitt for going public with his concerns about drugs in football.

Everitt, who played for St Kilda from 1993-2002, Hawthorn from 2003-'06 and the Swans from 2006-'08, said he had twice been offered drugs during his football career.

Nick Malceski made a welcome return to form as the Swans upset premiers Hawthorn on Saturday night.

Paul Roos reveals that he would almost certainly leave the Swans, and coaching, when his contract expires in 2011.

Brett Meredith will make his debut for the Sydney Swans against Hawthorn on Saturday night.

Young Sydney Swans midfielder Brett Meredith will make his AFL debut against reigning premier Hawthorn at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

Meredith was among the Swans' best in the reserves clash against Belconnen Magpies last weekend and coach Paul Roos said the former Northern Knights junior deserved his chance against the Hawks.

"Brett's had a really good pre-season and had a really good game last week. It's obviously very exciting for him and it's also very exciting for the footy club," he said.

Nick Davis flies to the US for what he hopes will be the next stage in his professional football career.

Following the success of former AFL players such as Darren Bennett, Ben Graham and Sav Rocca as punters with NFL franchises, Davis is looking to be the next Australian to break into the American game and will attend a number of try-outs with NFL teams during his stay.

High flyer Warwick Capper has hinted he is considering a playing comeback.

Adam Goodes and Lance Franklin fight over who will be the bigger drawcard at ANZ Stadium this weekend when the Swans take on the Hawks.

Sydney coach Paul Roos calls Hawthorn pair Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead "formidable and phenomenal".

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead will be remembered as two of the all-time great forwards.

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says injuries will ensure some out of form players get a second chance against the Hawks.

New Swan Rhyce Shaw says he's yet to fully come to terms with his move to the Harbour City.

The Swans are the last remaining club to field co-captains, but skipper Adam Goodes believes the model is the best.

"Why not have three different captains on the field at any point in time and three captains to share the media and off-field responsibilities?" Goodes said.

"What better reward for a bloke in the leadership group to know there’s three chances for him to become captain of his football club?"

Canadian rugby international Mike Pyke is a step closer to an AFL debut after being elevated from the rookie list.

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says he is still unclear how the new rushed behind rule will be interpreted.

Boxer Danny Green says he would be staggered if Barry Hall threw another knockout punch on the field like the one that felled Brent Staker.

Green yesterday described the lengths Hall is going to contain his aggression on the field, including being "cracked in the head" by the Australian boxing champion.

Peter Everitt wants to close the most regrettable chapter in his 291-game AFL career by apologising in print to Scott Chisholm for racially vilifying him.

Sydney chairman Richard Colless expects his club to record another financial loss this season.

Joshua Hunt is planning to speak to Sydney's Nick Malceski about the radical knee surgery that saved his season last year.

Former Canadian Rugby Union player, Mike Pyke produces another surprisingly polished display for the Swans.