- Papley had a car accident before Saturday’s AFL match
- Went on to have an outstanding match against the Giants
AFL star Tom Papley has revealed that he was involved in a car accident just before he starred for the Sydney Swans against GWS at the SCG on the weekend.
Sydney claimed their first finals win over GWS on Saturday – after three previous defeats to their arch-rivals – and will now play a home preliminary final against the winner of the Port Adelaide vs Hawthorn clash on Friday night.
The Swans are now in the box seat to return to the grand final for the first time since 2022 as they chase their first flag in 12 years.
Papley, who was appearing back in his first game since suffering an ankle injury, has been anxious about not reinjuring himself – but almost did just that on the way to the match.
The Swans firebrand rear-ended a car in traffic on Anzac Parade, just minutes from the SCG.
‘Some guy tried an illegal turn left, and the Mazda slammed on the brakes, and I slammed on the brakes, and I’ve banged straight into his boot, smashed his boot up … I don’t think he can open the boot,’ Papley revealed to The Age.
‘Everyone was OK. [The driver of the Mazda] was a good man, he didn’t know what was going on.
‘I was wearing all Sydney kit, and he still didn’t realise what was going on [recogniseme], so that was actually handy, but I got a few toots on the side of the road and things like that.
Tom Papley was involved in a car accident just hours before he starred for the Sydney Swans in their thrilling qualifying final win over GWS (pictured)
The Swans star (pictured with fiancee Annie Milner) didn’t tell coach Longmire about the collision and had an excellent match
‘If it was in Melbourne, it would have been all over the bloody media.’
Paley didn’t tell Sydney coach John Longmire before the match, but word of the prang got back to officials, with the club’s player development manager asking Papley if he was OK.
Meanwhile, Greater Western Sydney have been handed a $20,00 fine for a shocking on-field incident between football boss Jason McCartney and Papley.
McCartney made contact with Papley at quarter-time when an all-in melee ensued between the teams in the Giants’ qualifying final.
Sydney went on to defeat their rivals by six points after a fourth-quarter fightback
Finding McCartney guilty of conduct unbecoming, the AFL handed down the sanction on Tuesday.
‘Jason admitted his conduct on the weekend was unacceptable and that it falls well below what is expected by the AFL and the Giants,’ AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said in a statement.
‘Opposition officials and players engaging each other on the field of play is something we don’t want to see and we are grateful that things didn’t escalate further on Saturday.’
