Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Sydney will parachute wingman Justin McInerney back in for its blockbuster preliminary final against Fremantle.
But the Swans resisted the urge to change the firing forward line that defeated Brisbane a fortnight ago, leaving Joel Amartey out of the side.
McInerney (hamstring) has not played since the first week of June but has shown enough to win over coach Dean Cox.
The hard-running McInerney started the season in blistering form, kicking 10 goals and recording 23 or more disposals in each of his first five matches.
“Justin will play and Joel won’t,” Cox said.
“That’s just the decision we had to make. Obviously, our forward line functioned really well the way it was set up the first time.
“We understand Fremantle’s defence and how strong they are in that aspect of the ground.
“It’s on all our players – certainly in our front half – to try and nullify and kick a score that we need.
“Justin, he’s had a lot of work put in throughout this period of time and it’s a matter of backing him in.”
Amartey, who has been strongly linked to a move to Carlton at season’s end, did not earn an immediate return after the Swans’ nine-goal demolition of the Lions.
Cox said the Swans would consider bringing in another key defender to navigate Fremantle’s trio of tall forwards and are sweating on Harry Cunningham’s sore calf but couldn’t justify changing the forward formula.
“I think (our forwards) functioned quite well in the first final against Brisbane,” he said.
“We also need to acknowledge that the players that played in that forward line group – whether they be tall or small – played their role as well as we needed them to.
“The decision was, ‘Do we have to turn that around and change it, or do we go in with what worked?’ And that’s what we’re going to do.”
