SYDNEY is planning to bolster its playing group with 11 reinforcements, including emerging key forward Logan McDonald, as the likelihood of an extended stay away from home grows.
The Swans' travelling party that was forced to flee the NSW capital last Tuesday included just over 30 players, as the club left with four hours' notice and expected to be on the road for only one or two weeks.
But as the number of COVID-19 cases in Sydney increases and large parts of the state are under lockdown until midnight on July 9, 11 of the Swans left behind in the city have been moved to Newcastle to continue their training and prepare to meet up with their teammates in Melbourne.
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The players now staying and training in Newcastle include prized draftee McDonald, injured young guns Chad Warner and Braeden Campbell, and experienced talls Sam Reid and Lewis Melican.
McDonald was already working on a personalised strength program that would involve training instead of playing for two weeks when the call was made for the team to move to Melbourne last week.
The No.4 pick in last year's NAB AFL Draft has played seven games this season for nine goals, and most recently lined up in the upset loss to Hawthorn in round 13 before the Swans had a bye.
"As a key forward, he's just getting bigger and stronger and learning to use his body. It's nothing too secretive," coach John Longmire told reporters on Monday.
"We've been really pleased with what he's done in his first year, he's exceeding our expectations by a fair bit."
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The experienced Sam Gray, 2017 first-round draftee Matthew Ling and project players Lachlan McAndrew, Marc Sheather, Barry O'Connor and Malachy Carruthers are also now in Newcastle.
Newcastle is in an ‘orange zone' under Victorian rules, which will allow the players to apply for a permit to enter the state, while Sydney is in a more restrictive ‘red zone'.
The Swans' playing group currently in Melbourne includes the 22 players who started against the Power and nine reserves who took on Greater Western Sydney's VFL team at Collingwood's Holden Centre on Sunday. Small forward Sam Wicks is also with the group and will return from suspension this week.
Nick Blakey (who was the unused medical sub against the Power), Ryan Clarke, Will Gould, Colin O'Riordan, Hayden McLean, Ben Ronke, Callum Sinclair, Dylan Stephens and Lewis Taylor played in the VFL, with 13 players from the Under-19 NAB League filling out the team.
GWS brought almost all of its playing group to Melbourne on the same flight as the Swans last Tuesday, only leaving long-term injured pair Braydon Preuss and Lachie Keeffe in NSW to continue their rehabilitation.
The Swans will play a 'home game' against West Coast at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday, then stay in Melbourne to take on the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium the following weekend.
The club hopes to return to NSW in time to play the Sydney derby at Giants Stadium in round 19.
