AFL News: Sydney Swans can find a way to fill in hole left by Adam Goodes, Rhyce Shaw and Lewis Jetta

The Sydney Swans have lost three premiership players in just three days with the departure of Adam Goodes, Rhyce Shaw and Lewis Jetta. The Swans’ trio would leave a gaping hole in the club’s lineup, but coach John Longmire is confident his side “could find a way” to replace the void left by Goodes, Shaw and Jetta.

“They’re absolute stars of the game and opportunity presents itself to other players,” Longmire said. “Those players quite often grab those opportunities and football clubs keep moving that’s just the way the industry is.”

Longmire also said that someone will always step up for a team whenever players depart, especially those youngsters, who are look for opportunities to earn playing time. Toby Nankervis, Daniel Robinson, James Rose and Isaac Heeney all made their debut this year, and are poised in the heat of battle in the AFL.

According to Neil Cordy of the Daily Telegraph, Zak Jones would be the perfect player to replace Shaw as running back pocket, while Sam Reid could take the job left by Goodes. The report also suggested that Jetta, on the other hand, could be replaced by more than one player.

Goodes retired earlier on Saturday night after the Swans were knocked out of the finals, losing to North Melbourne Kangaroos at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium via 26 points. The dual Brownlow Medallist was also fined AU$1,000 for misconduct after kicking out at Scott Thompson in the third quarter of the semifinal match. Goodes appeared in 372 games and scored a total of 464 goals for the Swans.

Meanwhile, Lewis ended his career with the Swans in the substitute vest, with the speedster requesting a trade from the club. Lewis asked to be traded to Fremantle or West Coast on Wednesday in an attempt to move closer to his family.

Sydney general manager Tom Harley said the Swans would explore trade options with both clubs, but admitted the team is disappointed with Lewis’ decision.

"The club has put a good offer to Lewis and, while we are disappointed, we certainly understand the strong pull for him to return home to Western Australia with his young family," Harley said, reports Yahoo Sports. "Lewis is not a free agent, so we will work on securing a fair trade for the Swans during the upcoming exchange period."

Shaw has bowed out of the AFL after a 16-year footy career. He announced his retirement on August, saying that he does not want to end up playing bad footy and catching injuries late in his football stint.

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