Hawks warned not to underestimate Swans as AFL ladder leaders lose Isaac Heeney to injury
Isaac Heeney will miss the Swans' encounter with the Hawks. (Getty Images: Jason McCawley)
In short:
Swans star Isaac Heeney has been forced out of tomorrow night's match against Hawthorn because of injury.
The Hawks have been warned by coach Sam Mitchell not to underestimate the Swans.
George Wardlaw is no certainty to return for the Kangaroos this Sunday against the Eagles.
The Sydney Swans will have to cope with the absence of Isaac Heeney in tomorrow night's clash with Hawthorn at the MCG.
Heeney was ruled out today because of a hamstring strain.
He has been cleared of serious injury, but the Swans adopted a cautious approach due to the short turnaround following last Saturday night's match against the Brisbane Lions at the SCG.
The Swans will also be missing Errol Gulden, who is sidelined for four months because of a shoulder injury.
They sit on top of the ladder after convincing wins over Carlton and the Lions.
The sixth-placed Hawks rebounded from their opening-round loss to GWS to thrash struggling Essendon by 62 points last Friday night.
Mitchell's warning to Hawks
The Hawks have been warned not to be lulled into a "false sense of security" about meeting the injury-hit Swans.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell said his players only had to cast their minds back to the 27-point defeat against the understrength Giants in Sydney on March 7.
Sam Mitchell has put the Hawks on notice ahead of facing the Swans. (AAP: Joel Carrett)
Mitchell said the Hawks could not afford to underestimate the Swans.
"I just said to the boys, 'Don't get lulled into the false sense of security that maybe Gulden is out, maybe Heeney is out,'" he told reporters before Heeney was officially ruled out.
"We have heard this song before, and it didn't end too well for us.
"We only need to look back a couple of weeks to the GWS game … with perhaps a couple of their best players not playing and us learning a bit of a lesson."
Roos unsure about Wardlaw
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson is still mulling over his team to face West Coast on Sunday, with George Wardlaw looking to break into the winning line-up.
The Kangaroos trounced Port Adelaide by 46 points on Sunday in their first outing for the year, creating a selection headache at Arden Street.
George Wardlaw missed the Kangaroos' win over the Power last Sunday. (AAP: Daniel Pockett)
Gun midfielder Wardlaw had been expected to stroll back into the side after overcoming his latest hamstring injury.
But Clarkson said he had not decided who would make the trip to Perth to play the Eagles.
"To be fair, he (Wardlaw) trained pretty well last week and we could have nearly played him last week, so he'll certainly come into consideration for us to play this week," he said.
"It's just whether or not we want to change our side after last week's victory and is there anyone that deserves not to play after that win.
"So, we'll work our way through that and make a decision on Thursday before we travel."
AAP