Blunder not forgotten

HIS injury from last season has healed, but the jibes about the freakish cause continues to dog Sydney AFL defender Dane Rampe.

Vice-captain Rampe missed seven games last season when he suffered a broken arm as he unsuccessfully tried to jump over a chain near the Swans headquarters. It occurred before round two and Rampe’s presence down back was sorely missed, as the Swans went 0-6.

Following his return in round nine, Sydney won 13 of their last 16 games. Rampe is still frequently reminded of his costly bout of clumsiness 9½ months after the injury.

In 2017, some Swans hadn’t fully recovered from pre-season ailments and were below their best at the start of the season. Determined to avoid any repetition, Sydney have been nursing a number of senior players through pre-season.