THE INJURY cloud is lifting at exactly the right time for Sydney.
The Swans are set for a massive selection boost ahead of their clash with the Magpies on Friday night, with three key stars in the mix for a round 10 return.
Both Charlie Curnow and Jai Serong, who sat out last week after reporting soreness following the round eight battle with Melbourne, are making strong progress.
While Curnow has been managing an abdominal issue, Serong was sidelined with hamstring awareness.
Joining them on the brink of a return is defensive anchor, Tom McCartin, who also faces a test this week after successfully navigating his recovery from a knee sprain.
“So far, they’ve done what they have to do. That’s train over the weekend and the early part of the week; (we’ll) just assess them during match play and have a look at how they’re going,” coach Dean Cox said of the trio on Wednesday.
“From all reports, they’ve done everything they have to do so far.”
Cox admitted the club has been cautious with Curnow and Serong, holding them back in the hope that their complaints remain only a one-week setback.
“These ones are a bit more cautious,” he said of the decision to sideline the pair against the Kangaroos.
“One thing we don’t want (to do) is to flirt with form, for individuals or the team. It was a medical decision to make them unavailable (last week) to get them back as quickly as we can, and hopefully, that was the one week.”
The Swans face a welcome selection headache this week. With Curnow poised to reclaim his place in the side, the forward line is becoming crowded.
Hayden McLean impressed by kicking three goals against North Melbourne in his first AFL game of the year, while Joel Amartey and Logan McDonald have been mainstays, having played all nine games so far this season.
Asked if there is a world where he plays all four tall forwards, Cox ruled out fielding such a tall-timber forward line for now, meaning one in-form target is set to be squeezed out against Collingwood.
"I won’t say we’ll never play all four, but at the minute, we won't,” he said.
“We’ll have to make a decision after training about what the best format looks like with three of them. Hopefully, everyone gets through, and we’ll decide from there.
“You always want competition for spots. All I can do is be really open with the players about why they are or aren't playing, and that’s what I’ll do later today."
Cox noted that flexibility around ruck responsibilities remains key to the final call.
"When we use Joel (in there), it sort of gets him around the ball and gets him energised in the game as well,” he said.
“We know exactly what Hayden can do as a second ruck and also a key forward for us. So, there are some decisions that we have to weigh up; it's not just about the three talls ahead of the ball."
The coach also highlighted that individual goal tallies are not the only metric for success in the side.
“For me, with the forwards, it's not just about how many goals they kick. It's about: do they fit within our system? Do they run the patterns required at certain times to provide multiple options for the kickers up the ground? Are they always on the end of those chains? Not all the time, but they create space or avenues for someone else to be on the chain,” he said.
With rival clubs like Carlton reportedly circling Amartey as a restricted free agent, Cox emphasised Sydney's strong desire to retain the talented forward.
"We want Joel here,” he said.
“He knows that, and his management knows that. The dialogue with the football club will always continue, but we also understand the dynamic and the nature of free agency that happens, and Joel's a part of that. So, it will always be spoken about until, hopefully, he signs with our football club."
