A month ago, the world was writing Sydney off, putting a line through their chances of achieving glory in 2015. Slowly but surely, in the last three weeks, the Swans have quietly gone about business, patching together some form to suggest they are far from done with yet. Last Sunday, John Longmire’s side comprehensively dispatched St Kilda at Etihad Stadium by 97 points. A week earlier they swept aside local rivals Greater Western Sydney in a similar manner, putting them away by 89 points. And the win that begun this three-win chain was against Collingwood on the SCG in a game that represented a final for the Magpies given their need to win to keep their chances of playing in September alive. Some sections of the media have dismissed the Swans chances this year, but at 15-6, they sit alongside Hawthorn and West Coast, highlighting their year.
The cornerstone of the Swans performances this year has been their midfield. With an engine room boasting Brownlow medal fancies Dan Hannebery and Josh Kennedy, co-captain’s Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh, and ball magnet Tom Mitchell, the Swans midfield sits right at the very top. Hannebery and Kennedy have produced outstanding campaigns and sit second and third respectively in the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year award, with the former a chance to pinch the prize from Nat Fyfe in the final round if he polls seven or more votes. Having been forced to wait and wait in the NEAFL for a decent run at it in recent years, Mitchell has finally found a spot in the Swans midfield rotation and has delivered on a weekly basis. Since coming into the side in round five, he has played all but one game since, averaging 26.9 possessions and 6.4 tackles per game. He has produced six 30+ possessions games, including a whopping 41 against Collingwood in round 20.
Sydney’s greatest concern in the closing stages of the season has been the fitness of Lance Franklin. Their prized possession has been plagued by a back injury in the last month or so, missing four of the last six games, as well as being substituted out of last weekend’s win against the Saints in the third quarter. He has struggled to move with anywhere near the same grace that has seen him stamp himself as one of the best forwards of the modern era. The Swans have remained coy on the state of his condition and it has been a week-by-week case, but as we’ve now entered September, it is an enormous concern. Although the form of Kurt Tippett and Sam Reid in recent weeks, along with emerging star Isaac Heeney has allowed Sydney to still find an avenue to goal.
Heeney has been the topic of widespread discussion for the best part of two years since it emerged the Swans were going to win the lottery by being able to secure his services with only their first round pick in last year’s draft – pick No. 18. In 2015, it has quickly been evident why some clubs were outraged and why Melbourne were happy to use their second pick to draft him. Injury has cruelled Heeney’s debut season, preventing the academy product from challenging Jesse Hogan and Patrick Cripps for the Rising Star award. But at different times, Heeney has produced performances beyond his youth, finding a place inside the Swans forward setup alongside Franklin and Tippett and looking every bit a 150+ game player. Last weekend he booted 4.0 in a well-rounded performance that showcased his outstanding overhead marking ability and poise in front of goal. For the second time in 2015, Heeney kicked four goals to highlight his class and nous in the forward half of the ground.
Key Players
If Dan Hannebery played in a traditional football state there is little doubt he would be one of the biggest names in the game. His 2015 campaign has been exceptional and could see him walk away one night in September with the game’s highest individual honour, the Brownlow medal. In 21 games this year, the hard-nosed onballer is averaging 30.2 possessions per game, having collected the most touches in the AFL this year, along with 5.2 tackles, 4.8 inside 50s and 4.4 clearances per outing. Phenomenal numbers. Along with Kennedy, the Xavier College product make up an integral part of arguably the premier engine room in the game. And whilst the lion's share of the Brownlow discussion this year has centred on a shaggy haired goliath from the west, Hannebery has gone about accumulating big numbers and influencing games in a rare manner. He has a history of polling well, having collected 21 votes and finishing equal fifth behind Gary Ablett in the 2013 count. Last year, despite missing a handful of games and struggling with injury at other times, he still managed 11 votes. Bottom line is, he polls and could be Fyfe’s biggest threat on that famous Monday night.
He may be one of the most maligned players in the entire competition, but Kurt Tippett’s turnaround in form has played a significant factor in the Swans resurgence late in the year. Tippett has spent more time up the ground in the second half of the year, playing in the ruck and allowing him to be more involved in the play. In the last fortnight he has returned to an attacking key post and been dominant. Last weekend against St Kilda, he booted 3.4 from seven marks and 20 disposals. A week earlier against Greater Western Sydney, he booted 5.3 from eight marks and 21 touches. The wheel has turned in his favour. And with Franklin struggling to overcome a back issue, his importance has arguably never been greater during his time in the harbour city. His partnership with Mike Pyke has also assisted Sydney’s form ascendancy in recent times, with the pair working in tandem to provide the Swans midfield of Bentley’s with better service.
Josh Kennedy’s form line this year has been phenomenal. His pure numbers are in a space rarely previous trekked, even by Gary Ablett, Chris Judd or Dane Swan. If he collects another haul of 30 or more possessions this weekend, it will be ten in a row for the inside specialist, and it will see him become just the second player to achieve the feat since Champion Data begun collating numbers in 1999. The former Hawk is averaging 30.1 possessions (ranked fourth in the competition) in 2015, along with 16.7 contested possessions (second), 8.2 clearances (second) and 6.0 tackles. Come Brownlow medal night, he and Hannebery might pinch votes off each other at times, which may hurt their chances, but they should both command spots in the All Australian team. In his five years in Sydney he has finished in the top-three of the Bob Skilton on all five occasions, including winning it in 2012. His 2015 campaign may just be the pick of his time at the Swans as he has continued to remain in the top echelon of midfielders in the game, alongside Fyfe, Scott Pendlebury, Joel Selwood and co.
