Four-time Brett Kirk medallist Luke Parker’s match-winning five-goal performance in Sydney Derby XXIII on Saturday saw him spend his most time up forward in four years.
The Swans continue to evolve as a team after returning to the finals last season with a youth-laden squad that started this year with an impressive 20-point defeat to the Giants.
xjmtzywCoach John Longmire is open to using Parker more often in attack if Sydney’s emerging on-ballers can hold up their end of the bargain, with club great Josh Kennedy also sent into defence.
Parker still attended 17 centre bounces but 51 per cent of his game time was as a forward, his highest percentage since round 5, 2018.
“He’s got the ability to go forward and kick goals for us as a forward,” Longmire said.
“He’s got great forward craft and we were able to get the ball on the deck in our front half and then once we did that, we capitalised on those opportunities.
“Luke’s ability to hit the scoreboard is probably a bit underestimated. He’s been such a good midfielder over the years but we love him going forward, too, because we know he’s got a great way to craft a goal.”
James Rowbottom (23), Callum Mills (21), Ollie Florent (17) and Isaac Heeney (16) also racked up double-digit centre attendances, while Errol Gulden (eight) received more opportunity with George Hewett at Carlton.
That was about how many attendances Heeney had for all of last season.
The return of Chad Warner and Jake Lloyd for Friday night’s round 2 blockbuster with Geelong at the SCG is also set to influence the Swans’ positioning.
Warner, in particular, would further enable Parker to play in attack and give greater flexibility to Sydney’s midfield rotation, which Longmire was pleased with against the Giants.
“The variety we had in there was important. Ollie was fantastic and Isaac (as well) and there was a whole group going through that region and that’s what we want to do,” he said.
“We want to make sure we bat deep in that area.”
Kennedy’s backline role looks here to stay after moving there in the pre-season but Longmire didn’t rule out the veteran being used in his more familiar midfield spot.
“Josh has got the capacity to be able to play a number of roles for us,” he said.
“It adds another string to his bow and we’re keen to keep exploring that with our team, whether it’s (Justin) McInerney back or onto the wing, or Josh can play midfield, he can play wing, or he goes back.”
Dylan Stephens filled most of ex-Swan Jordan Dawson’s wing minutes, along with McInerney, Mills and Florent.
