Sydney's season is hanging by a thread, and the return of livewire forward Tom Papley could spur on last year's grand finalists against arch rivals GWS at Engie Stadium on Friday.
The Swans and Papley have been decimated by injury, resulting in the club having a 50 per cent win rate in 2025, sitting two games (although Gold Coast have a match in hand) outside the top eight.
The 29-year-old has played six games this year, but is primed to make a statement on the big stage.
"He (Papley) is really important for our footy club โ not only what he does from the football point of view, but the energy he provides our team," Sydney coach Dean Cox said.
"He does it a little bit differently than most other players, and he's going to have to do it tomorrow night against a very, very good football team."
The Swans, albeit mathematically possible to return to September, will need to be perfect for the next month, whilst also relying upon other results to go their way.
However, Cox was reluctant to rush back concussed defender Tom McCartin, whose history with the injury was likely to have come into consideration.
McCartin, who passed concussion protocols, is expected to return next week against Essendon.
"Just the 12 days got really tight. That was right on the limit (in the AFL's concussion protocol)," Cox said.
"We needed to make sure that he had as much time as he possibly could, but everything he's done so far, he's passed really well."
Forgotten forward Logan McDonald is also a chance to feature before the season ends, after toiling in the rehabilitation group with a persistent leg injury.
McDonald, who hasn't been sighted in 2025, first hurt his ankle that plagued last year's finals series. A fresh setback in the form of a stress fracture in his fibula also kept him sidelined.
His coach provided a plan going forward.
"Hopefully he can do a big session Saturday morning and make himself available maybe for the Essendon VFL game, or certainly the one after," Cox added.
"He's had a horrendous year. He's unfortunately been dealing with a number of things that he's worked his way through now.
"He's almost at the end of the tunnel where he can actually have a crack at it."
