Standing 211cm tall, Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands doesn’t need too much assistance at centre bounces.
At the postage-stamp SCG he threatens to be even more of a game-breaking giant than usual when the Dockers battle Sydney in their second-round AFL match on Saturday.
The ground’s dimensions, most notably a league-shortest length of 151.5m, make it one of the most unique AFL venues.
As Sydney veteran Jude Bolton noted on Thursday, it means the centre bounce carries extra importance.
“Centre clearances are important out here. It’s a slightly shorter ground, so you really have to win the ball out of the middle,” Bolton said.
As Bolton also made mention of prior to his side’s final training session, Sandilands – the tallest player in the league – is pivotal for the Dockers around the clearances.
“Obviously he’s a huge factor – the way he can belt the ball anywhere he really likes,” the 280-game midfielder said.
“We’ve got to minimise the damage there. Certainly we’ll have some structures in place for that.
“We thought Geelong actually still stood up really well around the breakdown.”
Sydney opted against recalling Mark Seaby to assist Shane Mumford in combating the ruck dominance of Sandilands.
But Seaby’s non-presence is unlikely to change how Bolton and his fellow on-ballers go about trying to read the ruck contests.
“You try not to be too reactive, but in many senses you do have to wait. If he gets a big fist on it, it could be 30 metres over your head,” said Bolton.
“You’ve just got to have your structures in place but also react to the ball.”
The Swans made two changes to the side that downed Greater Western Sydney in the season opener, with Ryan O’Keefe (knee) and Rhyce Shaw (back) both returning from injury.
Perhaps most remarkably, Luke Parker will play just a fortnight after his jaw was broken by a vicious bump from Greater Western Sydney veteran James McDonald.
Parker successfully completed contact work at the side’s final training session but his jaw had already passed a far more rigorous examination.
“He essentially did a fitness test with his dad last week. He went home for the weekend and his dad planted one on his chin and gave him the all clear,” Swans coach John Longmire said.
“His dad asked him how he was going and he said ‘pretty well’. And so I think his dad just wanted to make sure he was OK.”
Longmire was confident his side wouldn’t be at a disadvantage against the Dockers, despite the injured trio all having proved their availability two days before the clash.
“I don’t think they’ll be underdone. Luke Parker hasn’t missed a game, Rhyce Shaw only missed one game,” he said.
“We’re mindful that we need a fit team and 22 players who can play four quarters against one of the better teams going around.”
