Slow it down: Sydney Swans discover slow play the secret to their 2025 success

Replacing John Longmire was never going to be easy. After two months of teething problems, Dean Cox’s Swans might finally have discovered the key to success. Lachlan McKirdy delves into it.

The Swans’ three wins in 2025 have arrived from their three slowest ball-movement games this season as they begin to find their most efficient blueprint under coach Dean Cox.

This season, a new Champion Data statistic measures the speed of ball movement, combining factors such as how long it takes to dispose of the ball, the distance covered, and the distance towards the goal of the movement.

And the figures in each of their three wins so far this season – against Fremantle, North Melbourne, and last weekend against the Giants – were ranked as their three slowest games in 2025.

The statistics also back up the fact that when they control the ball and are able to generate pressure further up the field, they are a far more potent side.

Cox’s side takes 20 more uncontested marks in games they win compared to when they lose, while they score nearly two more goals per game from forward half intercepts in wins.

When the Swans slow down the tempo of the game, they are a far more potent side in 2025. Picture: Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

The Champion Data numbers also show that of teams that have won in 2025, the Swans have moved the ball slowest in those wins.

Although the hallmark of Sydney’s attack might be Nick Blakey dashing off halfback or Chad Warner bursting through the corridor, Cox concedes it’s important to find a balance with slower build-up play that creates the perfect end product.

“Something you certainly look at is when are you most potent,” Cox said.

“On top of that is where you get the ball, where you win the ball back, whether it’s from a contest, intercept mark or free kick which is already in slow play. So, how you build the ball up from that and then whereabouts on the ground you can do it?

“I say to the players, they’ve just got to play what they see. There’s so many decisions on the football field they have to do, that they’ve got to make them at the right time. And there’s going to be errors doing that, but there’s no one distinct mode we want to use.”

Part of the flexibility that Cox wants to encourage his players to adopt is finding different entries into their forward half.

With a new-look team including Aaron Francis in the forward line, Cox is encouraging his side to find different ways to attack. Picture: Phil Hillyard

In the majority of the Swans’ defeats this season, their biggest challenge has been making the most of their inside 50 entries. Often their kicks have been hacks out of stoppage, which makes it unpredictable for their understrength forward line.

However, when they slow the game down, they are able to find more rhythm in their movement. In their three wins, they average 14.3 marks inside 50 per game, as opposed to 8.2 in their defeats.

“One thing we want our players to do is to try and not just play a straight-line game,” Cox said. “At times, you have to do that, but you want to try and test with your width and use the ground as much as you possibly can.

“That opens up some pockets and holes that we could actually find, and it also depends who gets the ball as well.

“When you have Chad (Warner) winning 10 inside 50s and hitting five targets, it’s a pretty high rate when you’re winning the ball back in your front half as well.”

Cox will have to make at least one change this weekend with Lewis Melican suspended for the next three matches. The most likely will see Joel Hamling moved back after his successful stint in the forward line.

Taylor Adams may return through the VFL to build up his game time, while captain Callum Mills could also make his comeback through the reserves in next Friday’s curtain-raiser against Carlton at the SCG.

Swans captain Callum Mills could make his return through the VFL. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“(Callum) trained twice last week, he’ll train again today and over the weekend,” Cox said. “We’re making sure that we can build the volume and next week work out how much has he done. Is it another bigger session or an ability to play a game of some sort?

“If you plan exact dates of when they’re coming back, it becomes tough. We just try and look at every week what he does.”

The Swans also remain hopeful that Logan McDonald will have a role to play later in the season, after the decision was made for him to undergo surgery after suffering a stress fracture in his ankle.

Originally published as Slow it down: Sydney Swans discover slow play the secret to their 2025 success