SYDNEY spearhead Logan McDonald is ready for a structural shake-up, expressing openness to shifting away from the forward line while the club fine-tunes its best attacking structure.
While McDonald is predominantly known for his goalkicking prowess, the 24-year-old shifted to the wing for the final quarter and a half of the Swans' thrilling two-point comeback win over St Kilda on Sunday.
The move unlocked his elite running capacity and work rate that proved highly effective in driving the fightback from a 33-point deficit, with McDonald having 13 disposals and seven marks in the second half and making some key plays in the final minutes of the game.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, McDonald said he is happy to embrace whatever role the coaches need him to play to provide the team versatility.
"We had a few injuries on the weekend, so we had to swing a few changes and shift some personnel," he said.
"It's something that was spoken about me doing over the last six months at times, and I have spent little snippets here and there on the wing during my career, but it was probably the first full-blown crack I've had at it.
"It was nice, and obviously, it helps that we won, and I was able to get a little bit of the ball.
"But I'll just do whatever the coaches need. We pride ourselves on having a lot of boys who can be very versatile at both ends of the ground or on-ball. It's up to the coaches to decide where they think I can best help the team, and I'm happy to do that."
McDonald's tactical flexibility comes at a crucial time, as Sydney has an opportunity to solve two problems at once - fixing a top-heavy forward line while providing the versatility needed to cover critical injury gaps in the midfield and defence.
The more balanced three-tall look has taken a backseat over the past two weeks in favour of a towering, four-pronged forward line featuring McDonald, Charlie Curnow, Hayden McLean and Joel Amartey. Before this shift, the Swans had spent the season utilising a three-tall setup built around the core trio of McDonald, Curnow and Amartey.
The Swans have successfully repurposed former Hawthorn defender Jai Serong into a wingman this season, but Tom McCartin's concussion on Sunday as well as injuries to key defenders Lewis Melican and Dane Rampe means Serong may be required in a more defensive role in the coming weeks.
And if the Swans decide that the four-tall forward structure is too top-heavy, it could open the door for McLean to slot in as the third tall forward and allow McDonald to spend more time on the wing.
"What my role is going forward, I'm not entirely sure. But Hayden's been playing some really good footy in the VFL and in the last two weeks in the AFL," McDonald said.
"Joel is having a career year, and Charlie's been awesome as well. So, I'm not sure what that looks like for me, but I'm just happy to be involved in wins."
Before this latest setback, McCartin looked to have put his concerning history of concussion issues behind him. The 26-year-old missed a combined 15 games across the previous three seasons but has been putting together a stellar 2026 campaign that has him firmly in contention for an All-Australian blazer.
While the defender will now miss Saturday night's match against Port Adelaide, McDonald said McCartin was physically okay and in good spirits.
"It was a shame to see him go down," McDonald said.
"He's obviously such an important player for our team, and he's had a history with head knocks. But he's in great spirits. He's okay. He was just a bit annoyed that it happened. He's obviously having such a great year, and we're going to miss him dearly, but the most important thing is his health, and we just want to make sure that he's feeling good."
Compounding Sydney's selection headaches, Justin McInerney was also subbed out at half-time with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for 8-10 weeks.
