Sydney coach John Longmire defends star Isaac Heeney’s isolation antics

Sydney coach John Longmire has defended star Isaac Heeney in response to criticism of his isolation behaviour, saying now is the time to take a breath and hold back on strong opinions.

Isaac Heeney is enjoying himself over the break. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Sydney coach John Longmire has defended AFL star Isaac Heeney in response to criticism of his isolation behaviour, saying now is the time to take a breath and hold back on strong opinions.

Heeney has headed back to his family farm near Newcastle, NSW, during the league’s COVID-19 shutdown.

After footage subsequently emerged of Heeney wakeboarding and backflipping into a dam, former Port Adelaide midfielder Kane Cornes was forthright in his criticism of the young gun, saying he could not “get over the stupidity”.

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AFL legend Jason Dunstall and NRL great Mark Geyer were among those to come to Heeney’s defence, with Geyer saying “it’s a dark day in the world when we bag a bloke for having a bit of fun as a pandemic takes over the world … you (Cornes) are stupid.”

Longmire offered a more measured take on Monday, arguing everybody should focus on more important matters during the health crisis.

“We’ve just got to hold back a bit at this time with the really strong opinions,” Longmire said on SEN.

“I don’t know what you guys were doing in your early 20s, but I bet you it wasn’t self-isolation.

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“We’ve just got to take a deep breath. I’m pretty confident Isaac knows where the line is, he grew up on that farm.”

Heeney, who recovered from a broken thumb to play a leading role in the Swans’ season-opening upset win over Adelaide, has quickly become a fan favourite at the SCG.

– AAP

Originally published as Sydney coach John Longmire defends star Isaac Heeney’s isolation antics