SUNS SUFFER IN HEARTBREAKER
Swans star Buddy needed a run: Longmire Gawn struggles against Power bullies Crow says knee injury could be worse
MAX Gawn says he normally revels in the kind of opposition attention PJoArS t e out on Saturday after the Demons were “bullied” SYDNEY coach John Longmire in their shock loss. has defended the decision to play
AFL legend Jonathan Lance Franklin after the superstar Brown said the Power’s forward had only a limited impact treatment of Gawn was in their season-opening loss to the symptomatic of “Melbourne Western Bulldogs. getting bullied”. Franklin, whose pre-season was Melbourne’s players, severely curtailed by groin surgery, some of whom are still working finished at the bottom of the back from off-season surgeries, Swans’ stats sheet, with just seven were outworked by the Power as possessions and one goal, in Saturday S tt L tt d P tt R d d could result in a fine. “My mindset on the day is that I will take one for the team and they night’s 11.16 (82) to 9.11 (65) loss are going off their game to come at to the Dogs at Marvel Stadium. me but that obviously didn’t The 32-year-old cut a frustrated work,” he said. figure, spending plenty of time on “I knew it was coming the bench or in a deep forward from Port ... I didn’t handle role. it as well as I could.” “We knew he’d be time-limited The Demons will consider ... we decided to make that decision whether to play big and put him in the team,” Queenslander Brayden Longmire said. Preuss in Round 2 as he works “We need to get him playing. back from a minor groin injury. He certainly trained more than “L tt d R d bbl A PRAGMATIC Adelaide defender Tom Doedee says his ruptured ACL is “just an injury” but he does fear what he trained last year but hopefully missing out on what the Crows he can get going in regards to might achieve this season. the training program. The 22-year-old had scans “We go into a six-day break yesterday which confirmed next week, if he’s able to get he had torn the anterior through that he should be able to cruciate ligament in improve his minutes played. his left knee during Saturday’s
“Over the last three weeks he’s loss to Hawthorn and been doing all the sessions. Once will likely be sidelined for 12 you get into the game mode that’s months. the challenge – being able to recover
Doedee (pictured) said he felt a and still train.” “”i i i id t t in to try to tackle (Jarryd) Roughead, he made a slight change of direction and I planted my foot,” Doedee Franklin will be better for the said. “I felt a pop, ran down to run ahead of Friday night’s encounter the pocket and thought I might with Adelaide at the SCG. go off and see how it is, and Longmire lamented the Swans’ they thought the worst. basic inability to get their hands on “It’s a 12-monther but the ball at the contest in a pivotal it’s an injury, it will heal so first half where they scored just it could be worse. one goal. Even so, there was just “I just put it into perspective, four points in it with five minutes there’s a lot more to to go after a stunning late rally. life than football and as much as “We were coming home with a I would like to play every game beIthik wet sail,” Longmire said. ’ t thi THURSDAY: FRIDAY: SATURDAY: SUNDAY: