Jarrad ours: Swans
Club certain McVeigh will stay in Sydney as player or coach
SYDNEY AFL veteran Jarrad McVeigh is going nowhere.
That’s the word from Swans football manager Tom Harley who is adamant the 311-gamer will finish his playing career in red and white and then move into coaching.
McVeigh has been linked with a potential move to the Gold Coast and to Essendon after an outstanding season playing in all of Sydney’s 11 matches.
The Suns CEO Mark Evans confirmed the Suns’
interest in the former cocaptain and Bombers great Tim Watson said he hoped his old club would look at him as well.
“When he does finish, he will transition into coaching with the Swans,” Harley said.
“We haven’t had any further discussions about playing beyond this year but that doesn’t mean that can’t happen as well.
“I spoke with Macca briefly this afternoon and he is really comfortable with that.”
This time last year McVeigh had played just two games after missing the first six with a calf injury and the next four with a hamstring.
But by season’s end he had done enough to earn a oneyear extension until the end of 2018. At the time the Swans were determined the 33-yearold would stay at the club and they haven’t changed their minds since.
“He is playing really good footy,” Harley said.
“He is injury-free and in a far better situation than he was last year.
“We’ll pick up that conversation but there is nothing untoward.”
McVeigh’s manager Phil Mullen hasn’t ruled out the possibility of the Swans former co-captain playing on beyond this season.
“We just did a one-year deal and we will go from there,” Mullen said.
McVeigh is producing his best form in years and is the Swans’ fourth biggest possession winner with 22.4 a game.
■ FREMANTLE skipper Nat Fyfe’s hopes of winning a second Brownlow Medal this season have been dashed, with the AFL tribunal upholding his one-game ban for striking.
Fyfe, one of the medal favourites, is now ineligible after he failed to have a striking charge downgraded at last night’s tribunal hearing.