AFL season 2016: The premiership is 'Sydney's to lose': Tadhg Kennelly

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This was published 7 years ago

AFL season 2016: The premiership is 'Sydney's to lose': Tadhg Kennelly

By Andrew Wu
Updated

The season is less than half over but that has not stopped former Sydney star Tadhg Kennelly from making a huge call: this year's premiership is the Swans' to lose.

The bold declaration came as the Swans vaulted to premiership favouritism with some bookmakers after becoming the first team to defeat North Melbourne this year. It follows an impressive win over triple premiers Hawthorn, giving the Swans an imposing 8-2 record and cementing the club inside the top four.

The Swans had a similar win-loss balance after 10 rounds last year but there is more optimism over their prospects this time around.

Whereas they had beaten only one prospective finalist 12 months ago, this year they have already logged wins over leading hopes Hawthorn, Greater Western Sydney and the Kangaroos. Their two defeats have been by a combined total of 11 points.

Tom Mitchell of the Swans is tackled by Nick Dal Santo of the Kangaroos at the SCG on Friday night.

Tom Mitchell of the Swans is tackled by Nick Dal Santo of the Kangaroos at the SCG on Friday night.Credit: Getty Images

They have a largely fit list with only Ted Richards and Tom Papley injured from their best 22 while Sam Reid, who resumed in the reserves on Friday night, is set to return in the coming weeks. It could, of course, still unravel from here, as it did in 2013 and 2015 when the Swans were hit hard by injuries.

Kennelly is a former premiership-winning Swan so perhaps he is seeing the season through rose-coloured glasses (or red and white), which he acknowledged. His bullishness, however, gives an insight as to how well his former club is travelling.

"It's all sitting pretty for them at the minute and they won't want to hype them up. I think they've got under the radar of a lot of the clubs and people in Melbourne," Kennelly said on ABC Grandstand.

"I said this earlier in the week, that I think it's Sydney's [premiership] to lose ... all the teams have fallen in line for Sydney as far as the year is panning out, it's early yet, still only round 11 but I think it's been primed for them.

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"Their players are healthy, they have maturity in their list, the debutants, the list is getting stronger, the Buddy factor, the Tippett factor, I am biased."

Lance Franklin, the Coleman Medal leader, again starred, without being the match-winner, while Kurt Tippett, after a strong pre-season, is enjoying his best run of form since his arrival in 2013. But it's in the ruck, rather than the goal square, where he is starring. He was able to match it with All Australian big man Todd Goldstein, the quality of his ruck work surprising some of North Melbourne's midfielders.

"Kurt's back end of last year was fantastic," Swans coach John Longmire said. "His second half of the year, he was probably one of our best three players. This year he had his first pre-season since being at the club and we're seeing the benefit of that. He's playing huge minutes, he's playing in the ruck, taking on a big role and pushing forward every week."

The retirements of senior trio Adam Goodes, Rhyce Shaw and Mike Pyke has not hurt the Swans, who have blooded six debutants this season. Two of them, Papley and George Hewett, have strong claims to be the club's best team.

Richards is in doubt again this week due to concussion, his second case in less than a year, but the Swans do not believe it is career-threatening, as has been suggested.

"He had a scan and the scan was all fine, it's just a matter of symptoms now when he recovers from that," Longmire said. "He's getting better every day, we're not sure what it looks like this week and it's a bit early to predict when he'll be available or not but the scans are all clear and it's put his mind at rest. Now it's a matter of seeing how he feels during the week."

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