Star GWS defender Sam Taylor has been ruled out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on a ruptured testicle.

Taylor suffered the injury during last week’s 22-point win over Port Adelaide.

The two-time All-Australian defender wasn’t listed on the official GWS injury list on Tuesday, but the club revealed the news on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

A timeline will only be set on his return once he sees a specialist.

“Sam Taylor will be sidelined after suffering a ruptured testicle during last week’s match and undergoing successful surgery yesterday,” the post read.

“Sam’s home and recovering with a timeline for his return to be set after consultation with specialists. Sending our love to Slammer.

Taylor’s injury has come at a bad time for the Giants, whose season sits at the crossroads after posting just two wins from their past six games.

GWS (8-5) are fifth, but they are only one win ahead of the teams sitting from 9-12 on the ladder.

The Giants face the ladder-leading Sydney Swans on Saturday.

Taylor was widely tipped to get the job on Sydney spearhead Joel Amartey, who kicked nine goals against Adelaide last week.

Earlier this week, Sydney coach John Longmire described Taylor as the best defender in the competition.

“Sam Taylor is probably the best defender going around in the competition at the moment. It’s going to be a big challenge for (Amartey),” Longmire said.

(AAP)

Swans defend draft bidding process amid system change rumours

Another shot has been fired in the conflict over northern AFL club academies, with Sydney boss Tom Harley saying potential changes to the draft bidding process would be “folly”.

Last week, the league’s football operations manager Laura Kane sparked plenty of discussion when she said the points bidding system for father-son and academy draft picks could be changed – as early as this year’s draft.

Unrest has grown after Gold Coast had a rich haul from their academy at the draft last year, snaring four players inside the top 26 picks.

Speaking at a media conference on Wednesday to mark the Swans’ 150th birthday and their record membership, Harley strongly defended the four northern clubs’ academy programs.

“I’m happy to go absolutely on record with this – the academies are the most important game development initiative for (its) growth … certainly in Sydney and in Queensland,” Harley said.

“The reality is the current bidding process and the ‘belts and braces’ that are attached to that are absolutely adequate.

“To make a snap judgment off the four Gold Coast players, which is what it feels like, would really be folly.

“I take a different view – I celebrate the fact the Suns had a really strong academy haul.”

Swans captains Callum Mills and Chloe Molloy flanked Harley on Wednesday as the club celebrated its milestone anniversary and a membership that has gone above 70,000.

“If we can get up to 75,000 … double-digit growth, that would be as significant a spike growth as we’ve had in the (last) 40 years,” Harley said of the club’s aim for 2024.

He added the large crowds attracted to the SCG and Henson Park for AFL and AFLW games were important elements for the club’s ongoing success.

Sydney are two-and-a-half games clear at the top of the AFL ladder, while the women dominate AFLW crowd averages.

“Chloe often talks about (being) out on Henson Park, standing next to an opposing player. They turn to you and say, ‘Chloe, do you normally get this many people go to your games?’. It matters to the players,” Harley said.

“We feel like we’re a significant part of the sporting landscape of Sydney.”

The Swans will host Collingwood at North Sydney Oval on August 30 in the AFLW season opener.

“Your premiership is your pinnacle, but if something closely follows underneath it would have to be that,” Molloy said of the crowds.

Mills remains sidelined by the shoulder injury he suffered when he wrestled a teammate last year on Mad Monday.

The star onballer had no update on when he might return, saying he is in a training block and his progress will be reassessed in a few weeks.

(AAP)