Versatile Swan Jordan Dawson has become one of John Longmire’s most-important players but he’s had to work hard for his spot
John Longmire wasn’t happy with how Jordan Dawson arrived for day one of the 2018 pre-season. But after a lot of hard work and a new mindset, he’s now of Longmire’s most-important players.
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Sydney’s Jordan Dawson arrived for the first day of pre-season in 2017, as he puts it, “a bit too fat”.
The 22-year-old, who grew up in Robe in South Australia’s South East, played just one senior game in his first two years on the Swans’ list and his start to the 2018 campaign didn’t sit well with John Longmire and the coaching staff.
“The coaches sat me down at the start of pre-season and said you can’t turn up like this, it shows a lack of professionalism and lack of care,” Dawson recalls.
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As Dawson was told, he was behind the eight-ball from day one.
This start, coupled with an early-season quad injury saw the former Sturt junior wait until Round 19 last year for another opportunity at AFL level.
But it wasn’t as if the long-kicking left-footer was failing to perform in the reserves, averaging more than 130 Champion Data ranking points from 22 matches in the NEAFL across 2017 and 2018.
Speaking to The Advertiser ahead of Saturday’s clash with Port Adelaide, Dawson, who was selected at pick No. 56 in the 2015 national draft, admitted his frustration in being unable to break into the senior side.
“It’s frustrating but everyone’s journey is different so I didn’t want to get too overwhelmed about not playing, I just made sure I kept performing,” he said.
Eventually he broke in, playing in four of the Swans final five games of last season. And this second taste of AFL football became a driving factor in a change in mindset, heading into 2019.
Back in Robe, during his break, Dawson – with the coaches’ stern message from a year earlier in mind - put in the hard yards, building a base which not only allowed him to complete every pre-season session but to do so at a high standard.
“My focus was just to make sure I was one of the fittest coming back and that’s what I did,” Dawson said.
“I wanted to prove to them that I care and that I want to be a consistent player and play AFL this year.”
And, despite another slight setback, that’s exactly what he’s doing.
An impressive summer earned the 192cm Dawson a place in the Swans’ Round 1 side but a week later, after 14 disposals against the Bulldogs, he was back in the NEAFL.
“That was probably another little moment that I thought I could just roll out there and that a good pre-season would hold me in good stead,” Dawson said of his surprise omission.
“But I found out pretty quickly it goes to another level when the season comes around, it was a good wake-up call.”
With a renewed focus, he was recalled in Round 3 and, now, 15 matches later, the versatile Dawson is one of Longmire’s most-important players.
“We know he can play any position now that he’s got that confidence. He’s an important player wherever we play him,” Longmire said after Dawson’s three-goal performance against the Cats.
But while Dawson played forward in Round 19, it’s a role across half-back which has really seen him elevate his game in the second-half of the year.
Since Round 14, Dawson, who also spent time on a wing earlier in 2019, has played 82 per cent of game-time in defence and ranks third at Sydney for effective kicks and metres gained, fifth for uncontested possessions and sixth for ranking points.
And his long-running goal against the Giants – taking his tally to five in the past three matches – highlights his ability to still attack from the back-half.
“He’s shown a great adaptability and flexibility in his mindset to adapt to any position on the ground,” Longmire said.
Dawson, who lives with teammate Tom Papley near Coogee beach, signed a two-year contract extension in July, keeping him at the club until at least 2021.
And he never considered going anywhere elsewhere, despite being made to wait for his chance.
“It’s been a good experience so far. You go through a lot of ups-and-downs, it’s been good to be challenged in that way. It’s all helped me grow as a person and a player,” he said.
“I always knew I would have to bide my time and really earn my spot. It’s probably taken a bit longer than I’d hope first coming here but I definitely think once I got my opportunity I was really ready for it this year.
“I’ve been able to step and play a consistent role – that’s been the focus.”
DAWSON ROUNDS 14-20
Club rankings
Ranking Points: 93.9 (6th)
Disposals: 20.0 (8th)
Effective Kicks: 10.8 (3rd)
Uncontested Possessions: 13.8 (5th)
Handball-Receives: 7.7 (8th)
Metres Gained: 382.3 (3rd)
Goals (total): 5 (7th)
Dawson has had this week’s clash with Port Adelaide pencilled in for some time.
He never played at Adelaide Oval as a junior and on the two occasions the Swans have travelled to the venue in his four years on the list, he wasn’t in the team.
“I’ve had this one marked for pretty much the whole year so I really wanted to make sure I got back in and was able to play in Adelaide,” Dawson said.
The hard work has paid off – and his family and friends will now, too, be able to witness just how far he’s come on Saturday.