Ballarat facing dilemma with gun forward sidelined

Yet, that was the scenario Ballarat stared down all week and ultimately, its inability to combat Andrew Hooper's absence went a long way to explaining its failures in its two-point loss against North Ballarat.

Hooper was left to watch from the coaches box - having limped off in round one with a hamstring niggle - as the Roosters dug in down back and won the arm wrestle en route to a deserved win.

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The opportunities were there for the Swans to gain the ascendancy; however, without Hooper, the Swans' forays forward looked confused.

More damning was their inaccuracy in front of goal.

Kicking seven majors from 25 scoring shots - not counting the low-risk attempts that missed everything - isn't going to win many games of football.

Nick Weightman and Patrick Glanford rotated as the last man forward and performed admirably before the Swans' hand was forced.

Mitch Bishop was twice forced from the field after copping a knock, and with limited output, the decision was made to swing him forward. Bishop got on the scoreboard and impressed playing as a deep forward, but his side's biggest problem was its inability to get the ball to him.

Without Hooper, the Swans lacked the vital link between the midfield and forward line.

While Hooper's goalkicking prowess is well-known - kicking 30 per cent of Ballarat's goals in 2019 - it's perhaps his ability to create space and hit targets that his side depends on most.

Lawson Prendergast was the best avenue forward for the Swans, offering genuine speed on the wing, but if he ran into a North Ballarat defender, the Swans were put on the back-foot for the next few minutes of play.

It should be said that Ballarat showed genuine promise, and it takes a good football side to turn a four-goal deficit into a one-point game.

Yet, if the Swans want to stake a claim as a finals contender, they will need to find a good backup plan if Hooper is sidelined again.

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