Unheralded superstars the backbone of Sydney’s continued success

Riley Bice’s breakout game destroyed the Kangaroos last Saturday, but it also officially put him on a famous list of Swans steals that have made them the envy of the competition.

In just four quarters of football, third-gamer Riley Bice put himself into the Swans’ record books against North Melbourne, and also became the latest name added to the list of recruiting masterstrokes by the club.

Bice, 24, was selected by the Swans with the 41st pick of last year’s draft. Fortuitously, Sydney only had that selection because of the trade that sent Luke Parker and Jacob Konstanty to the Roos during the off-season.

And wearing Parker’s old #26 on his back, he dominated the two former Swans and North Melbourne in the 65-point victory. He finished the game with 26 disposals, 15 marks and five intercept marks.

The No. 26 is now Riley Bice’s at Sydney after Luke Parker’s departure, and the boy from Walla has made an immediate impact. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Incredibly, he’s only the second Swan since Adam Goodes in round nine, 2006 – the year he won his second Brownlow Medal – to finish a game with 25+ disposals, 15+ marks and five or more intercept marks.

However, Bice also had the offensive output to match. He had seven score involvements, second only in the game to four-goal star Will Hayward, seven inside-50s, a match-high 17 effective kicks, and two score assists.

Reflecting on Bice’s output on Monday, Dean Cox was particularly pleased with his ability to have an impact on both sides of the ball.

“He’s been phenomenal,” Cox said on SEN Breakfast.

“He’s come in here, we put him on defending Tom Papley in match play, we’ve done all the things to improve that part of his game so he’s playing really good football defensively.

“The attack part is the natural part as well. His ability when he gets the ball to see an option and really create for us, it was evident on Saturday night.”

Having played his first game against the Lions as the sub in round one, it was an extraordinarily influential performance from Bice after only two and a bit matches of playing in the AFL. But it’s a credit to the Swans’ recruiting team for finding another gem outside of the traditional model.

Dean Cox wants Bice to play with dare, and he has already shown plenty in just two and a bit AFL games. Picture: Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

ROOKIE TO RICHES

Naturally, the Swans have a long history when it comes to picking up stars of the competition. Not only have the likes of Tony Lockett and Lance Franklin come to the club and become household names, but more recently, the club’s Academy program has unearthed supreme talents such as Isaac Heeney and Errol Gulden.

But the Swans wouldn’t be what they are today without the unheralded superstars that provide their backbone. Players often overlooked by their rivals, only to flourish when arriving in Sydney.

It’s part of the reason why recruitment manager Kinnear Beatson is so adored by the Swans’ faithful, his dedication to finding the best fit for the team is second to none.

Sydney’s recruitment team of head of list strategy Chris Keane and Beatson (pictured) have been credited again for another smart selection in Bice. Picture: Michael Klein

Against North Melbourne, 10 of the Swans’ 23 that took to Marvel Stadium were either acquired by the club in a trade, through the rookie list, the pre-season supplemental selection period or in the mid-season rookie draft.

A further four first-team players, Harry Cunningham, Lewis Melican, Tom Papley and Robbie Fox, also arrived at the Swans on the rookie list but were unavailable for the match through injury.

Then there are the diamonds in the rough like Bice. Taken in the third round of last year’s draft by the Swans, every other team in the AFL had the chance to select the classy left-footer, but they chose not to.

They understandably had their doubts. At 24, what was his upside compared to bringing in a talented teenager? Could he replicate his one strong year of VFL at the highest level?

While some teams had their doubts over the mature-age pick, the Swans’ belief in Bice never wavered during his breakout year for Werribee. Picture: Rob Lawson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

But the Swans flipped the script. Even though Bice had never had a full, professional pre-season, they saw a mature player with the potential to impact immediately with attributes they wanted running off halfback.

Thanks to an unfortunate injury crisis, he’s already been given the license to thrill at AFL level – and his five years of toiling around the country for an opportunity have paid off, quickly putting his name up in lights.

The Swans love doing things differently at the draft. They take chances where many teams don’t, and it doesn’t always work. Take their 2022 recruitment drive, where draftee Caleb Mitchell is the only player still on their list a bit over two years later.

However, some of the Swans’ incredible second and third-round selections still leave rival recruiters tearing their hair out. Seven of their best 23, including Bice, were selected between picks 30 and 50, while a litany of others now playing for rivals, like Darcy Cameron (pick 48) and Jordan Dawson (pick 56), were also late selections.

Beatson regularly recalls that the story of Parker being taken with the 40th pick in the 2010 draft is his favourite recruitment call. But 14 years and one pick later, and with the same number on his back, if Bice continues on this trajectory, the veteran recruiter might just have a new best story to tell.

Originally published as Unheralded superstars the backbone of Sydney’s continued success