- Papley was in a car accident before Saturday’s AFL match
- Played an excellent game against the Giants
AFL star Tom Papley has revealed he was involved in a car crash just before playing for the Sydney Swans against GWS at the SCG last weekend.
Sydney secured their first finals win over GWS on Saturday – after three previous defeats to their arch-rivals – and will now play a home final against the winner of Friday night’s Port Adelaide vs Hawthorn match.
The Swans are now in the lead to reach the Grand Final for the first time since 2022 as they chase their first win in 12 years.
Papley, who was returning to action for the first time since his ankle injury, didn’t want to get hurt again, but he nearly did on the way to the game.
The Swans gang crashed into the back of a car in traffic on Anzac Parade, just minutes from the SCG.
“Someone tried to make an illegal left turn, and the Mazda slammed on the brakes, and I slammed on the brakes, and I hit his trunk, smashed his trunk open… I don’t think he could get the trunk open,” Papley revealed to The age.
Everyone was okay. [The driver of the Mazda] was a good man, he didn’t know what was going on.
‘I was wearing nothing but Sydney clothes, and he still didn’t realise what was going on [recogniseme]that was actually quite handy, but I did get a few honking looks on the side of the road and things like that.
Tom Papley was involved in a car crash just hours before starring for the Sydney Swans in their thrilling qualifying final win over GWS (pictured)
The Swans star player (pictured with fiancée Annie Milner) told coach Longmire nothing about the collision and played an excellent game
“If it had happened in Melbourne it would have been all over the media.”
Paley had not told Sydney coach John Longmire before the game, but officials were notified of the incident. The club’s player development manager asked Papley if he was OK.
Meanwhile, Greater Western Sydney has been fined $20,000 for a shocking on-field incident between football boss Jason McCartney and Papley.
McCartney made contact with Papley during the quarter-final, when a fierce battle broke out between the teams in the Giants’ qualifying final.
Sydney defeated their rivals by six points after a fourth quarter comeback
The AFL found McCartney guilty of misconduct on Tuesday and imposed the penalty.
“Jason acknowledged his conduct last weekend was unacceptable and fell well short of the expectations of the AFL and the Giants,” AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said in a statement.
‘We do not want opposition officials and players to argue with each other on the field and we are grateful that the situation did not escalate further on Saturday.’