WAFL 2025: Swan Districts coach Andrew Pruyn says they have to find right selection balance in horror season

Swan Districts coach Andrew Pruyn says he’s trying to strike the right balance of fielding his best team and looking to the future to try to salvage something from a horror 2025 season. The Swans were a win away from a grand final last year, but injuries to star players have left them reeling with their 11.10 (76) to 7.7 (49) win over West Coast at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday just their second for the season. And the rest of their year is unlikely to get any easier with Zane Trew (ankle), Jarvis Pina (knee), Jake Pasini (knee) and Nathan Ireland (hamstring) all sidelined for the season. It has forced Pruyn to begin to blood the next generation with young midfielder Luke Cotellessa, tall Ethyn Kane and half-forward Luke Kelly set to get more opportunities for the remainder of the season. “You’re always trying to find the balance of what you need to win each week, while having one eye on the future as well,” he said. “We’re fortunate that we’ve got a lot of senior players that have been around a long time, that have got so much value to give our young players. “It’s about keeping them around while blooding these young kids and giving them the best opportunity to succeed at the level.” Swans are hoping they’ve escaped another serious injury with forward Leigh Kohlmann battling a hamstring injury in his three-goal outing. The bye has come at the right time for the Swans, who will be hoping Kohlmann will be right to go when they host Perth on June 14, while midfielder Josh Cipro is also a chance to return from a serious hamstring injury. Defender Will Collins is four to six weeks away with an arm injury he sustained in the pre-season as well. The injuries have forced Pruyn to swap things around, with small forward Jackson McLachlan getting more midfield time. McLachlan had arguably his best game of the season, finishing with 29 disposals, six tackles and seven clearances as he teamed up with inside midfielder Jye Chalcraft (26 touches, two goals and eight clearances) and Cotellessa (19 touches, five tackles and five clearances). “I was super happy with Mouse (McLachlan) today. He hasn’t been playing much midfield, we’ve been parking him on the wing,” Pruyn said. “When he went inside, he was valuable, especially his second quarter it really set the tone for us. “And the young guys, they just need opportunity and to learn. The more games they get to play the better they’re going to be.”