Trading for Essendon enigma Jake Stringer won’t be part of the Sydney Swans’ plan to “look under every rock” to get better in the wake of their shattering grand final defeat.
Swans chief executive Tom Harley also said work had begun to keep superstar Swans midfielder Chad Warner, who is out of contract at the end of next season and rumoured to want to return to Western Australia, at the club for the long term.
But he confirmed 30-year-old Stringer wouldn’t be part of their list changes for next season that will come following last weekend’s 60-point loss to the Brisbane Lions, a second grand final loss in three seasons.
Harley said beaten coach John Longmire, who has won only one of five grand finals he has taken the Swans to, was fully committed to going on in 2025, the final year of his contract, with no succession plan for his assistant Dean Cox, who opted out of going for the West Coast Eagles coaching job, in place.
“What I love about John is his commitment to whole of club,” Harley said.
“You probably develop that over time, you start to think about the whole club. He’s absolutely hurting, but as far as his commitment to the club, no (it hasn’t wavered).
“We’ve worked together for 10 years and he will process, and that will take time, but in terms of commitment to the club, he’s in.
“We’re all hurting. Since the game, all the emotions that rinse through when you lose a grand final … I’ve never seen a coach put so much effort into preparing a football club. You’ve got to unpack it day by day. We absolutely look under every rock to work on those things we fell short on and strive to get better.”
Harley said the Swans were “not getting hung up on timelines” about a potential contract extension for Longmire, who has coached the Swans since 2011.
“What I can say, unequivocally is his commitment to the football clubs is extreme,” he told SEN.
Amid calls from former premiership coach Paul Roos about making mass list changes after the big grand final loss, with tall forwards Joel Amartey, Logan McDonald and Hayden McLean in the gun after poor grand finals, Harley said decisions wouldn’t be made based on one game.
“We will review clearly the best mix of that,” he said.
“But they served us really well hitting the scoreboard throughout the year.
“Nothing stands still, you have to constantly look at ways to evolve. That’s part of the process.”
That evolution won’t include going after Stringer, who is seeking a longer deal than the one-year contract offered by the Bombers.
“No, no, it won’t be Jake Stringer,” Harley told SEN.
“We will look at ways to get better clearly through the trade and free agency period, but I wouldn’t have thought that (Stringer) would be one of them.”
Harley said veteran Swan Luke Parker’s decision to seek a trade to North Melbourne, despite having one year left on his contract, was “mutual”.
