Teammates are hopeful as Sydney defender Nick Malceski awaits a scan that will determine his AFL finals fate with the minor premiers.
Malceski was substituted at quarter-time in Saturday's 24-point qualifying final win over Fremantle, after suffering a hamstring complaint.
He will undergo a scan tomorrow and anything more serious than tightness could sideline him for the remainder of the Swans' finals campaign, with a preliminary final in just under two weeks and the grand final a week later.
"I'm not sure how bad (it is), but he seems pretty positive, so fingers crossed, that it all goes well for him," said Rhyce Shaw, Sydney's other dynamic rebounding half back.
"It doesn't seem too bad, but we won't know anything until that scan tomorrow morning.
"Hopefully he gets back because he's a really important player for us and I certainly want him out there. He's fantastic."
One option for coach John Longmire if Malceski doesn't make it back for the preliminary final is swinging co-captain Jarrad McVeigh into the vacant position, which he dropped back to fill on Saturday.
Shaw, who has suffered his share of injury woes over the past two seasons, tried to lift the spirits of his good mate Malceski after he came off the ground.
"I just said 'keep positive, we'll try and do the best we can and try and get the win so he can get an extra week to recover and hopefully get back for the prelim,'" Shaw said on Sunday.
"We're pretty close, so I just got over to him and gave him a bit (of support)."
Shaw, who like Malceski has undergone LARS surgery on a knee, found some form against Fremantle, in his third game back from an ankle injury, racking up 23 disposals against the Dockers.
"It was really important to get those two games in before the final, I wasn't playing great footy in those games," Shaw said.
"But I got some form last night and that was the main thing."
Shaw said having a week off was definitely an advantage after such a tough and taxing game.
A veteran of several finals campaigns, 32-year-old Shaw believes Sydney have set themselves up nicely for another title challenge.
"It's always good to be in a successful team and I've been part of a few now and this team is really well placed to have a good shake at it," Shaw said.
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