Not such a tall order
Without Franklin, the Swans might be a trickier match-up
CHRIS Scott will sleep easier knowing Lance Franklin won’t terrorise his young defence tomorrow.
“I’m happier that he’s not playing, than if he was playing,” Scott said.
“But they’re still a formidable opposition. They are going to create headaches for us during the game, irrespective of the way it’s played.
“I’m trying to be careful with my words because I don’t want to suggest that when one of the best players of a generation doesn’t play, that it’s going to be just as hard.
“But it’s going to be different.”
While Tom Lonergan has been a giant-slayer in recent years — taking Franklin to the cleaners in an enduring battle — Scott won’t have to worry about how his side will stack up against the key Swan.
Franklin was ruled out on Tuesday, a heel complaint preventing him from flying to Geelong.
His omission is timely, given the Cats are without talls Lachie Henderson and Harry Taylor, but it also changes the dynamic of the Swans’ forward line, with fellow tall Sam Reid also out.
“It’s different, but there are contingencies that we would work through even if he was playing,” Scott said of the plans.
“He’s changed his role a little bit, even in the five games he’s played this year, and you need to prepare for the fact he might be an isolated deep forward or he could be up the ground at the stoppages.
“If we knew he was playing, we’d still be working through those things anyway.
“It’s a bit time-consuming to work through all the options, and I’m assuming that they would’ve been working through the same things themselves.
“It’s folly to think it’s going to be easy because he’s not playing — and I put Hannebery in that bracket as well.
“Clearly they’re very, very good players and they’re hard to play against.
“But the good teams and the good organisations, which they clearly are, have a history of playing team footy when you’ve got some of your best personnel out.
“We’re aspiring to be the same. We’ve had some quality personnel out at the moment, and there’s some argument that you do need to find a way to get other players to step into the void and shift your style a little bit and there can be positives that are reaped from that.
“One of the downsides of having really good run with injury and having great continuity is in the short term it’s fantastic and you do play a more cohesive game, but it does preclude you from bringing in inexperienced players and giving them a chance.” EMG: TV RADIO IN OUT MILESTONE