BACK IN THE NICK OF TIME
MALCESKI RIGHT TO FACE SWANS
NICK Malceski is a strong chance to return from injury against his former club Sydney on Saturday.
The premiership player, sidelined for five weeks with a knee injury, played on the weekend, producing three solid quarters in the Suns’ NEAFL team.
“He’s a good chance, a really good chance,” Suns coach Rodney Eade said of the Round 10 match at Metricon Stadium.
“I spoke to him last week and said if he got through at least three quarters and recovered well we’d play him next week.
“All the indications are that he’ll be OK.”
But the return of the 30-year-old defender will be offset by the likely loss of three more Suns to injury.
Jack Martin lasted 50 seconds in Saturday’s 53-point loss to Hawthorn in Launceston when his hamstring gave way after three weeks out with an ankle issue and Alex Sexton (groin) and Jesse Lonergan (hamstring) are in serious doubt for the twilight clash with the Swans.
Eade lauded the performance of the Suns, who took it to the back-toback premiers in the first half before fading at Aurora Stadium.
“I knew at half-time … I could see some signs that their runners would probably get us in the end,” Eade said.
“A lot of our runners are out and there’s still a lot of development in our running and aerobic capacity.
“Even in the last quarter they were still trying really hard, even the guys who had been run off their legs, so I couldn’t be critical.”
Eade accepts with games against Sydney and Fremantle in the next two weeks the Suns are more than likely to go to the bye weekend with a one-win, 10-loss record.
However he is upbeat about the remainder of the season and next year.
“I’m excited about the future because they’re starting to get the concept of what we’re trying to teach them but also the grind and hard side of AFL footy,” he said.
“And we’re starting to get some perseverance, they’re starting to get a harder edge and that showed on Saturday. “And we’re finding some players. ‘‘Guys who haven’t played many games are starting to put their hand up.
“Probably in the second half of the year … if teams are fighting for a spot in the eight or the four I don’t think you’d like to be playing us.”
Mitch Hallahan had 30 possessions.
The club showed its intentions for first-year player Touk Miller by swinging him on to a rampant Sam Mitchell to fast-track his “education” and Tom Lynch played well at both ends of the ground.
Hallahan was physically put to the test by the Hawks but said that he enjoyed everything former teammates threw at him in Round 9. “There was a bit of banter … once you step out on the field and the siren sounds there’s no friends out there,” he said.
“It was all fair, it was all within the rules of the game and I enjoyed the challenge of playing against what are great mates but also a formidable opponent in Hawthorn.
“Our first half was right up there (with the Suns’ best of the year) … to push the reigning premiers for most of that first half.”