Swan speaks out on mate’s clouded future

Acting Sydney captain Dane Rampe says the “story hasn’t ended” for suspended Swan Luke Parker and is adamant his close friend has a role to play in the senior side this season.

Parker will not be available for his first AFL game of the season until round 18 after he was handed a six-match ban by the VFL for rough conduct on Tuesday.

The Swans failed to have the champion midfielder’s charge downgraded after his hit left Frankston player Josh Smith hospitalised with several facial fractures and a concussion.

Rampe said he and teammates were confident the 31-year-old would return to the side in 2024, despite being unable to break into the Swans’ midfield since he recovered from a broken arm four weeks ago.

“Immediate reaction is I’m feeling for a mate who’s missing some more footy, respectful obviously of the Frankston player who’s injured,” Rampe said at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday.

“But on a personal level I’m just feeling for a mate who’s had a tough start to the year, and that’s where it sits.

“I’m still very confident Luke Parker has a role to play in our season. He knows that, I think we all know that. It’s obviously going to be a bit later than what we’d hoped, but the story hasn’t ended, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Rampe said Parker, who has been thrown up as a potential trade target for other clubs at the season’s end, had willingly embraced his extended stint in the VFL.

“I haven’t spoken to him directly, just a few text messages – he’s flat, but like I said he’s been unbelievably stoic through all of this and he knows his time will come,” Rampe said.

“We’re all confident of that, we’re all excited to have him back in the team when he does get back in, but again, it’s going to be a bit later than what we’d hoped.”

“The last few weeks he’s been a great voice of reason for the reserves players, having a new experience down there and enjoying, as weird as it is to say, enjoying the journey that AFL throws up … he’s an unbelievable professional.”

Rampe said the Swans expected a strong challenge from the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night, with the home side desperate to prove it can contend with the AFL’s top sides.

The Swans defender said he hoped the ladder leaders would continue to improve as other teams started to catch on to their style of play.

“It would be pretty boring if (there wasn’t room for improvement), and I think the nature of the beast is that teams are going to figure out what we’re doing now and keep coming after us,” he said.

“If we don’t look for ways to get better and improve, then we’re going to get caught out pretty quickly.”

He said he was “quietly confident” versatile forward Will Hayward would stay at the club despite being one of the most sought after restricted free agents this season.

“I’m quietly confident. It’s been a credit to (Hayward) how he’s handled the last couple of weeks, because I can only imagine how tough it is coming out of contract and you’ve got offers coming out left, right and centre,” Rampe said.

“We are quietly optimistic, although he made it clear to me on the plane it’s not done yet, but we’re quietly confident.”