The Sydney Swans announced today that longtime favourite Swan defender, Alex Johnson, is set to make his return to senior football on Saturday afternoon against Sydney University at the SCG.
The injury-plagued defender had been battling on-going groin and hip issues throughout the pre-season, going under the knife in February for surgery.
Johnson, 25, has not played a senior game in more than five years, with his most recent of his 45 senior matches coming in the Swans’ 2012 premiership victory against Hawthorn.
Speaking to HCF Injury Update, Swans Head of Football Tom Harley said that both Alex Johnson and Jordan Dawson are nearing a return to senior football.
“Jordan Dawson and Alex Johnson have been on very similar programs for the last couple of weeks in their rehab from different injuries,” Harley said.
“Alex will be playing this week certainly in the curtain raiser against Sydney Uni before the Carlton game, the Marn Grook game.
“We’re just having discussions to see whether Jordan will do the same, if it’s not this week it will certainly be next week.”
Swans defender Lewis Melican has suffered another setback in his recovery from his latest hamstring injury, this time injuring his other hamstring.
The unlucky defender is set to miss the next two matches with the injury, with a return after the bye the most likely outcome, according to Harley.
“Lewis has had a minor setback in his other hamstring, just going through the final stages of rehab,” Harley said.
“He will miss the next couple of weeks, which probably takes us up to the bye, which is disappointing for Lewis, and disappointing for us.
“We’ll reassess as we go, but he was absolutely nearing a return to play.”
2016 AFL Rising Star Callum Mills broke his foot on Thursday afternoon last week and is set to miss the rest of the season.
He had surgery on Monday afternoon, with Harley confirming the surgery went well.
“Callum had surgery on Monday afternoon,” Harley said.
“It was a clean break in the fifth metatarsal, which is on the outside of his foot.
“As we spoke about late last week, that will take him out for the rest of the season.
“The surgeon, like all surgeons do, said it went well, and Cal’s (sic) recovering at the moment, and we would expect to see him around the club in the next couple of days.”
Tall forward Sam Reid is nearing a return to football, with the latest check-up on his injured quadricep tendon reported as all clear.
Harley said that the Swans will take a conservative approach with the 26-year-old, with a return likely to be after the bye.
| Jordan Dawson | Quad | Test |
| Alex Johnson (R) | Groin | Test |
| James Bell (R) | Hamstring | 2-3 Weeks |
| Lewis Melican | Hamstring | 3-4 Weeks |
| Sam Reid | Quad | 3-4 Weeks |
| Sam Naismith | Knee | Season |
| Callum Mills | Foot | Season |
| Kurt Tippett | Retired |
Sydney Swans Injury Update - AFL Injury List
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