Sydney Swans 2016 report card: minor premiers fall short but still plenty of positives
IT WAS a bitter end for minor premier Sydney. A Grand Final loss. But there were plenty of positives for John Longmire and his men. HAVE YOUR SAY
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IT WAS a bitter end for minor premier Sydney who only found one team better on Grand Final Day.
The Swans lost just five home-and-away games this season including three by five points or less.
Newly minted premiers Western Bulldogs and cross-town rivals GWS Giants were the only teams to beat Sydney twice in 2016.
HOW DID YOUR RATE SYDNEY’S SEASON? VOTE AND HAVE YOUR SAY BELOW
On a positive note, John Longmire was able to expose seven debutants including Rising Star Callum Mills, goal sneak Tom Papley and intercept specialist Aliir Aliir.
The Swans have loads of hardness at the contest, and the best defence in the competition, but would be keen to add more speed around the ball after being found wanting in that part of the game at times this season.
2016 Snapshot
WINS: 19
LOSSES: 7
DRAWS: 0
LADDER POSITION: 2nd (Lost Grand Final)
PERCENTAGE: 151.2
LAST YEAR: 5th (Up three spots)
WHAT WENT RIGHT?
They may have missed out on the ultimate prize but overall, Sydney’s 2016 can be given a big tick. After being bundled out of the finals in straight sets last year, the Swans showed why their list is one of the most envied in the competition. Sydney has the perfect mix of youth and experience, with All Australians Dane Rampe, Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery, Lance Franklin and Luke Parker creating a formidable mix with young guns Isaac Heeney and Rising Star winner Callum Mills. The Swans have also struck gold with some late draft gems in Tom Papley and Aliir Aliir. While they missed out on securing another premiership cup, there is no reason why they can’t be challenging for top honours next year.
WHAT WENT WRONG?
Sometimes things just don’t break your way and for Sydney, the injuries to key players throughout the finals series took their toll. The qualifying final clash against GWS produced some of the toughest football of the year but it also sent Mills and Kurt Tippett to the sidelines. The following week against Adelaide, Jarrad McVeigh suffered a calf injury and was battling to find top gear for the rest of the finals. It is no surprise that all three injured Swans weren’t up to their usual high standards on Grand Final day. The question for Sydney over the off-season will be, did the club make the right call in playing them all?
THE COACH
It hurts like hell now but John Longmire knows very well he’s got the makings of another premiership at his fingertips. Small tweaks might be all that’s required to go one step further. In defence, the Swans are unparalleled for their ability to not only constrict but punish opposition teams with precision ball movement. Looking ahead, Longmire might consider Isaac Heeney and potentially Gary Rohan as fulltime midfielders in 2017 to re-energise the tough as teak midfield.
YOU SAID IT
“It will burn for a while and it’s probably what will drive hopefully the group to get better.”
- Sydney star Dan Hannebery
HIGHLIGHT AND LOWLIGHT
After a shock loss in week one of the finals, the Swans were staring down the barrel of back to back straight sets exits. However, if the Sydney players were feeling the pressure, they certainly didn’t show it. The Swans’ next two performances against Adelaide at the SCG and Geelong at the MCG were straight from the top shelf. On both occasions the Swans blew the Crows and Cats out of the water within minutes of the opening bounce and further enhanced their reputation as the hottest starting team in the league. While there is no shame in losing a Grand Final, Sydney will be looking at this year’s decider as the one that got away. The Swans were the favourites going into the match and held handy leads at different stages during the first three quarters.
However, when push came to shove and heroes needed to stand up in the final term, there weren’t enough Sydney players with their hands up. No one can fault the efforts of the Swans’ top line players with the likes of Kennedy and Tom Mitchell fighting to the end. Sydney was let down by its mid to lower tier. Gary Rohan was quiet and Mills didn’t have an impact while George Hewett and Papley also struggled.
RECRUITING DEPT REVIEW
Draft Picks: Callum Mills (3), Tyrone Leonardis (51), Jordan Dawson (56), Tom Papley (rookie), Harrison Marsh (rookie), Kyle Galloway (rookie), Sam Murray (rookie)
Trade/Free agency acquisitions: Michael Talia
The Sydney academy has delivered another gem in Callum Mills, who has already formed an exciting duo with Isaac Heeney. The Swans secured Mills with their first pick in the 2015 draft and it couldn’t have worked out any better. Mills enjoyed a stunning first season, which began with an impressive debut against Collingwood and peaked with his Rising Star victory in September. While access to academy players has worked wonders, the Swans aren’t resting on that when it comes to recruiting. Sydney added a ripper through the rookie draft in small forward Papley. The former plumber enjoyed a brilliant opening season at the top level, booting 29 goals including nine during the finals. Papley was taken in the rookie draft at pick 14. From a trade perspective, the Swans must be rapt with the work of Callum Sinclair who was added to the club in a deal with West Coast for Lewis Jetta. Jetta was dropped multiple times throughout the year by the Eagles. Sydney also didn’t miss Craig Bird who went to Essendon.
BEST & FAIREST
It looks to be race in three between Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker and Lance Franklin who kicked a whopping 50 goals more than any other Swan this season. Dan Hannebery, one of seven Swans to play every game, rates highly, while Heath Grundy and Dane Rampe loom as the knockout hopes given their dominance in defence.
B&F Count: Bob Skilton Medal, Thursday October 6. The Star
SUPERCOACH STUD
It was an embarrassment of riches at the top end for the Swans. No one could fault the efforts of star trio Kennedy, Hannebery and Parker who delivered top scoring week in, week out. Kennedy and Hannebery tied for the highest scoring average of the season, with the pair finishing on 113.4 while Parker was just behind, a tick under 112. The next best Swan was Tom Mitchell who averaged 104.
SUPERCOACH DUD
It was a tough year for Ben McGlynn who battled poor form and goal droughts. For so long McGlynn has been a constant inside the Swans’ 50m arc but in 2016, he fell out of favour. McGlynn’s scoring numbers struggled, with his season average finishing at a disappointing 69. For SuperCoach players, the worst part was when he was dropped by coach John Longmire, giving teams everywhere a big fat zero. McGlynn’s price dropped over $100,000 during the season and only once did he score more than 100. He wasn’t the only Swan to struggle. Rohan also battled with consistency issues throughout the year, scoring over 80 points on just three occasions from his 14 matches.
THE LIST
ELITE: Dane Rampe, Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery, Lance Franklin, Luke Parker
BIG IMPROVERS: Callum Mills, Tom Papley, Aliir Aliir
GONE: Ted Richards
GOING, GOING: Ben McGlynn
TRADE BAIT: Tom Mitchell
ON THE BLOCK
It appears increasingly likely midfielder Tom Mitchell will leave Sydney given he remains unsigned and the Hawks are chasing him. Despite his manager saying he’d prefer to stay in Sydney, it seems the club hasn’t been able to meet his contract demands. The Hawks want Mitchell to form part of their new look midfield with departing Gold Coast star Jaeger O’Meara. The Swans are reportedly interested in Carlton’s Zach Tuohy.
WHAT THEY NEED
At the start of the season, the biggest knock on the Swans was backline depth with many dismissing them from premiership calculations on that factor alone. At first glance, they look to have well and truly solved that problem with Aliir stepping up to become a strong member of the back six and one of the best AFL stories of the season. However, with Heath Grundy hitting veteran status and Ted Richards retiring, adding another key defender through the draft will be a target this off-season for the Swans.
PREMIERSHIP CLOCK: 11:45pm
The Swans have all the tools to challenge for a premiership yet again. Even if they lose Mitchell, midfield stars Parker, Kennedy and Hannebery will return stronger than ever while Franklin, who will be in year four of his nine-year deal, has shown no signs of slowing down. Mills and Heeney will continue to improve and the likes of Papley and Aliir will only get better after going through a finals series.
STATS
Originally published as Sydney Swans 2016 report card: minor premiers fall short but still plenty of positives
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