Sydney Swans weekly wrap

Trade winds

The Adelaide Advertiser believes Adelaide will sign off on a trade it did not want to consider a week ago that will see Kurt Tippett move to the Sydney Swans on Friday.

It has been reported the Crows will accept out-of-favour forward Jesse White and the Swans’ first round NAB AFL Draft selection for Tippett, who chose the Swans as his preferred home despite initially signaling a desire to return to Queensland.

Had he not been traded by next Friday’s trade deadline, Tippett would have walked to the Swans in the draft without compensation to the Crows.

Despite the Swans having late draft picks, Tippett can guarantee his path to Sydney by nominating a demand for a $1 million salary – a fee only the AFL premier can pay.

White, 24, arrived in Adelaide yesterday to be picked up by Noble at the airport before meeting Crows officials and doctors for a medical at the club’s West Lakes base.

White and Tippett cross paths six years after they emerged from Queensland’s basketball system into the 2006 AFL draft – Tippett to Adelaide at No. 32 and White to Sydney at No. 79.

White played 56 games for the Swans but just three this season when he fell behind premiership pair Shane Mumford and Canadian import Mike Pyke.

Longmire’s contract extended until end of 2015

Sydney Swans premiership coach John Longmire has been handed a one-year contract extension, which will see him lead the club until the end of the 2015 season.

The club confirmed yesterday that a clause in his contract entitled Longmire to an extra season as coach following this year’s stunning Grand Final win over Hawthorn.

Prior to the winning the Premiership, Longmire was contracted until the end of the 2014 season, but is now ensured a fifth season as coach of the Sydney Swans Football Club.

Sydney Swans CEO Andrew Ireland yesterday confirmed the coach’s contract extension.

“Our arrangement with John provided for an automatic trigger for a premiership that extended him until 2015,” Ireland told the Herald Sun.

“John has done a fantastic job with us, and when you are a successful coach like him, you get your just reward.”

Swans to face GWS in Easter Saturday opener

The Sydney Swans’ premiership defence will begin with a round 1 clash against cross-town rival GWS on Easter Saturday night next year.

The Swans will be the away team when the two sides clash at ANZ Stadium on the second weekend of a split round 1.

The AFL confirmed earlier this week that the round 1 meeting between the Swans and GWS would be the first of two Sydney Derbies scheduled for 2013.

Given the first-up away fixture, it’s been reported the Swans will likely have a round 2 unfurling of the 2012 premiership flag ahead of a home match at the SCG.

The Swans will host Geelong on Friday night at the SCG in round 4, before traveling across to Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand to face St Kilda in an ANZAC Day clash on Thursday, April 25.

The Swans other known fixtures at this point are against Hawthorn at the MCG in round 7, Carlton on Friday night at the SCG in round 14, and another Grand Final rematch against the Hawks in round 23 at ANZ Stadium.

The AFL will release the full fixture at the end of October.

Swans open to AFL review

Sydney Swans CEO Andrew Ireland said the club would be willing to forgo their cost-of-living allowance if a review showed the club did not deserve addition compensation.



Ireland’s comments came after the AFL commission yesterday proposed a review of Sydney clubs’ cost-of-living allowance, which entitles the Sydney Swans and GWS an additional 9.8 per cent of the salary cap to cater for the city’s higher cost of living.



But the Swans CEO yesterday said that he was confident a review would show the cost-of-living allowance was required for Sydney clubs.



“If it is not dear to live in Sydney, then we shouldn’t get the allowance,” he told the Herald Sun.


“We have got no qualms about the review. We have nothing to hide. We are happy for it to be done.



“It is always the way that when you win the premiership there is more scrutiny on these things and clearly the AFL have had clubs approach them to question it, but we are confident when the AFL does its review, which it has done in the past, it will show the cost disparity is there.”



For more Swans news, head to sydneyswans.com.au