Swallow taking it easy with comeback
DAVID Swallow’s longawaited comeback from knee surgery is set to kick off with half a game for the Gold Coast Suns in a NEAFL match against Southport tomorrow.
Just like fellow Suns midfielder Jaeger O’Meara did a month ago, Swallow will be eased back into the fray against the Sharks in the clash at Fankhauser Reserve in Musgrave Hill.
Swallow has not played since Round 15 of the AFL last year and was set to return early this year before further complications with his knee.
With Swallow in their lineup, the Suns have only 10 listed players available thanks to their horror run of injuries for a match that the Sharks need to win to cement a place in the finals.
But, until Swallow represents a danger, Sharks coach Nathan Bock said nothing special had been planned for the Suns gun, who remains a good friend from their days together at Metricon Stadium.
“We’ll prepare as if he’s going to play but he has been out of the game for a long time,” Bock said.
“We’ll let him play his game and if he’s getting off the chain we’ll pay him extra attention.
“The main thing is we need to win and improve because we were really poor (against Sydney Uni).
“And we haven’t beaten the Suns in my two years here at Southport.”
Southport regain Zak Saad, Stuart Donnelly and Dylan Troutman but have lost Connor West to injury and youngsters Jesse Esam, Brayden Crossley, Curtis Marsden and Daniel Charlesworth to the Suns as top-ups.