\n One change to the Sydney lineup for the trip west to face the West Coast Eagles on Saturday night in Perth.\n <\/p>\n
Sydney Swans midfielder Isaac Heeney returns for Round 4 as the Swans head west to face the West Coast Eagles on Saturday evening in Perth.<\/p>\n
Heeney was removed from the final quarter of Sydney’s Round 1 match against Brisbane with hamstring awareness. Scans cleared him of structural damage but with an early season bye the club took a cautious approach with his return.<\/p>\n
Sydney Swans Director of Coaching and Performance Simon Goodwin said Heeney had a successful training block and the 2025 Club Champion was ready to go.<\/p>\n
“Isaac had a minor hamstring and with 16 days between games it was a great chance to get a lot of work into him and make sure he is 100% ready to go,” Goodwin said.<\/p>\n
“He’s trained outstanding in the last 10 days so we are really confident he is ready to perform.”<\/p>\n
Sydney hit the road for the second time this season and will face an in-form West Coast outfit who have recorded victories in two of their three 2026 fixtures.<\/p>\n
The Eagles defeated North Melbourne in Perth in Round 2 and last week upset Port Adelaide on the road, defeating the Power by 2 points at Adelaide Oval to give them back-to-back wins.<\/p>\n
Goodwin said the Swans know the challenge ahead of them.<\/p>\n
“They are in great form, they have a great mix of youth and experience and we certainly know
the challenge of going over to Perth,” Goodwin said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a challenge to go over there at any stage but we are playing a team that is in good form and we are going to have to be at our best.”<\/p>\n
The game also marks Swans live-wire forward Tom Papley’s 200th game.<\/p>\n
Papley joined the club in the 2014 Rookie Draft at pick 14 and the former plumber has gone on to become a crucial player over the past decade, kicking 303 goals and is a much-loved, energy giver to the playing group and Sydney fan base.<\/p>\n
An All-Australian in 2021 and 3x Sydney leading goalkicker in 2019, 2020, 2023 – Papley joins current teammates Dane Rampe, Jake Lloyd and Harry Cunningham as Swans players who have come off the rookie list to join the 200-club.<\/p>\n
The Round 4 match is the first of two trips west in 2026 and we look forward to seeing plenty of red and white fill the stands at Optus Stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n