‘We know that our best is the best’: Heeney confident despite memories of 2022
On Saturday evening, most of the Sydney Swans players sat glued to their television screens at home, unable to take their eyes off a classic preliminary final at the MCG, where Brisbane did just enough to hang on by 10 points against Geelong.
The opportunity for revenge against the Cats, after the comprehensive 2022 grand final defeat, was gone. But Isaac Heeney was unconcerned with the identity of his side’s opponents on Saturday, given his belief that the Swans’ best is good enough to beat any team in the AFL.
“I was watching [the preliminary final] last night going, ‘I actually don’t have a preference here’, so actually, it didn’t bother me who we played,” Heeney said. “We know that our best is the best. You’ve heard it from everyone, but I think we truly believe that.
“It’s exciting, I think we match up really well against Brissie and they’re a very good midfield. They’re a bit of a hardened team, they’ve been here before [in the grand final] quite recently, and they’ve been a top-four side for a long time, so it’s going to be a good game.”
Along with Saturday being the first non-Victorian grand final since 2006, when West Coast defeated the Swans by a point, the match-up also has a captivating recent history. Brisbane and Sydney are the defeated grand finalists from the previous two seasons, the Lions having lost last year’s decider by four points to Collingwood. Heeney believes the chance to rewrite the record books more positively is a strong motivation for both sides.
The Swans celebrate victory against Port AdelaideCredit: Getty Images
“One team’s going to be one and one, the other is going to be zero and two, it’s absolutely going to be on,” Heeney said.
“We want to do it for each other, and they [Brisbane] want to do it for themselves as well, so there’s plenty to drive it. If you can’t get yourself up for this time of year, you probably shouldn’t be playing.”
Although the experience of losing in 2022 was painful for Chad Warner, it provided the Sydney star with a valuable learning experience when it comes to the intensity Brisbane are likely to bring, particularly in the midfield, in the decider.
“Whichever team you play, it’s going to be a totally different game in the grand final,” Warner said. “There’s players, especially in Brisbane, with a lot of experience in big games, too, and they’re going to be so hungry and are going to come out firing – just like Geelong did a couple of years ago.
“So I think the main thing that I’ve learned – probably all the boys have learned – is that no matter how good you are going in a season, or how well you’ve done, it’s always going to be a different beast, and they’re really going to come and try and rip your head off.”
Isaac Heeney at training in Sydney on Sunday ahead of the Grand FinalCredit: Getty Images
The Swans and Brisbane have met once this season, in round 19 when the Lions took home the spoils at the Gabba by two points after trailing by 15 going into the final quarter.
The Swans lost Dane Rampe and Tom Papley to injury, joining James Rowbottom and Justin McInerney who were also unavailable for the game with a knock to the cheekbone and a knee injury respectively.
Leading into the grand final, Swans captain Callum Mills is an injury doubt for the MCG nursing a hamstring strain, with coach John Longmire facing a big decision on whether to stick with Robbie Fox or roll the dice on his skipper.
Forward Logan McDonald rolled his ankle in the preliminary final, immediately icing the area on the bench after leaving the field after the third quarter, and missed Sunday’s open training session at the SCG to focus on recovery work in the pool, but he is expected to be fit enough to face Brisbane.
Papley is a keen admirer of the talented Brisbane midfield and is well aware of the threat that Lachie Neale and his teammates will bring on Saturday.
“I think they’re a big midfield, [a] tough, tough midfield,” Papley said. “It’s going to be a tough game all game, and it’s going to be won in the contest.
“They were amazing, Brisbane [in the preliminary final], from where they’ve come from at the start of the season to where they are now. It’s an unbelievable effort, so full credit to them.”
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