The Sydney Swans are officially a team in freefall after a Saturday night demolition job by the Adelaide Crows that saw last year’s runners up record their heaviest defeat at the SCG in 27 years, succumbing to the Crows by 90 points.
Scoring just 1.4 to half-time, and a grand total of 5.11 for the game, the Swans lack of dynamism and firepower in the forward half is coming under scrutiny.
With forwards Logan McDonald, Joel Amartey and Tom Papley all missing large chunks of the season, Sydney haven’t been able to field their preferred forward half since their Grand Final loss last year.
Speaking on afl.com.au’s Access, Damian Barrett has outlined who he thinks the Swans will look to target come the end of the season.
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“The lack of a star power forward for them…look historically they’ve gone down the path of getting big names in…this space. Tony Lockett, Barry Hall, Buddy Franklin and Kurt Tippett,” Barrett said.
“I feel like they need to do that again…whether it’s Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, or even Charlie Curnow.
“Now, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s going to be far…more gettable than Charlie Curnow, but I believe there’s a conversation to be had with Graham Wright, the incoming CEO of the Blues.”
Barrett continued: “I think they’ll be open to a conversation. The contracts that some of these bigger name players are on at the Blues, will be something that Graham Wright will be looking at.”
Curnow has had a solid start to the season as the Blues find themselves once again languishing outside the top eight, kicking 24 goals in 10 games to be equal ninth on the Coleman Medal leaderboard.
While currently averaging 80 points per game this season, 13th in the league, the Swans have been steadily declining since the beginning of the season.
They have only once managed to break the 100-point barrier this year, against North Melbourne in Round 5, with Saturday’s 41-point display their lowest since Round 22 last year.