Sydney star Isaac Heeney on his new midfield role, Paddy McCartin’s impact and the Covid crisis that ripped through Swans over Christmas
Isaac Heeney has made a name for himself as a talented goal machine, but he says this season, the time is right for a switch.
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Sydney free agent Isaac Heeney believes he can cause maximum damage in a new midfield role this year as talks continue on a new long-term contract at the Swans.
Heeney told the Herald Sun on Tuesday he was excited about his impact playing as a centre square midfielder despite 36 goals as a medium-sized forward for the Swans last year.
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Given his incredible marking power the 186cm forward will still drift forward in the Luke Parker mould but believes the time is right to make his mark in the centre square.
It came as Heeney forecast a significant role for new summer rookie Paddy McCartin, saying he was the full package as a defender after a full summer training in defence.
Heeney dragged the Swans back into the elimination final against GWS kicking Sydney’s last four goals, describing the one-point defeat as “one of the toughest losses I have been a part of”.
Now after ankle, thumb and hand issues that curtailed his 2021 pre-season and affected his home-and-away performance he is finally injury free.
“The body is feeling amazing. I have had a full pre-season and a bit of a change of role with me jumping into the midfield. I am welcoming it with open arms. It’s really exciting. The ankle came off no pre-season last year and I had a couple of games with resting my ankle and I broke my hand too,” Heeney said.
“I will still be spending a bit of time forward but it’s about cracking in around the ball and using my fitness and running power in there to go both ways. I believe I can be more valuable doing those roles and Horse (John Longmire) is pushing me to do it, to take ownership. I am extremely excited for the new role.”
Heeney is the highest-profile free agent in the 2022 list but after ignoring massive offers last time around confirmed his talks were ongoing with Sydney.
He said he hoped there would be few dramas with a deal that should keep him in the top bracket of AFL earners.
“Nah, I hope not. Fingers crossed. Everything is pretty smooth sailing at the moment. We are in talks. Everything is going pretty well, so we are just in talks with them. Everyone strives to be a one-club player and just put in good performances over the years.”
Sydney’s rollicking season full of surprises as a team on the road for months eventually saw them surge into September on the back of seven wins in their last eight contests.
But for the third consecutive final against GWS they were put on their heels early after 49 and 36-point September defeats against the Giants in their first two finals against their cross-town rival.
This time they rallied through Heeney’s brilliance but despite his four goals and 21 possessions the Swans slaughtered a chance to march into a semi final.
“It was a tough day, it was one of the toughest losses I have been a part of. We didn’t start amazingly and then to come back like we did and we kicked 2.7 to their one behind in the last quarter, it was frustrating and pretty heavy at the end,” Heeney said.
“They are 3 zip against us in finals so that’s no ideal either but we have got them in Round 1 so we can make amends straight up.”
Heeney was the steal of the 2014 national draft when Sydney matched Melbourne’s No.2 draft bid with the No.18 pick under the rules of that year given his status as a Swans academy member.
Melbourne did fine — their pick 2 turned into Norm Smith Medallist Christian Petracca — but now the first player chosen in Paddy McCartin is at Sydney in red and white colours.
“He has been great, he was the number one pick in my year, so I have known him for a while and he and his brother are a great family,” Heeney said.
“He has been playing down back, he’s a big body, he’s a strong body and he’s got amazing hands and he uses the ball really well. The sky is the limit for him,” he said.
“Fingers crossed he can keep his body healthy and his head healthy and that’s the main thing. He has had no head knocks, nothing over the pre-season and you can just see some of the things he does. There was a reason why he was the No.1 draft pick and hopefully he can produce something special for us this year, which would be nice. He is putting his best foot forward and he can put himself in the mix, for sure.”
Sydney has lost defensive midfielder George Hewett and brilliant emerging wingman Jordan Dawson to rivals but the pipeline of midfield talent remains strong.
Heeney believes there are multiple candidates to move onto a wing and help the midfield rejuvenation continue.
“We have had a few put their hand up this year, which has been pleasing. We have had Dylan Stephens really step up his game. He has always been a fitness freak, he can run all day, but he’s really taken his game to the next level. And Errol Gulden is just one of those silky players, you could nearly call him Mr Consistent. He has always had a good tank, so our midfield is looking good. Chaddy (Chad Warner) is coming through too as a powerful unit in there who is really explosive, so it’s been a good summer.”
Touch wood, that midfield will be delivering the ball laces-out to Lance Franklin not only for his 1000th goal (he needs five more) but deep into September.
“He is flying. He is feeling good, he is training really well, he has got the kilometres under his belt and he hasn’t had that in previous pre-seasons,” said Heeney of the 34-year-old champion.
“He is a powerful beast and he changes the dynamic of our forward line and our whole team. We would love to win one (a premiership) so hopefully we can contend this year and go deep into September.”
Heeney on the silver lining to Swans’ Xmas Covid crisis
Sydney star Isaac Heeney believes the club’s long list of players who have already endured omicron over summer will hand the club a competitive advantage early in the season.
Heeney’s Christmas cheer was dented when he was one of a “chunk” of Sydney players who contracted omicron over the break and while he had hoped to avoid Covid there is a significant silver lining.
Medical opinion differs about the length of immunity granted by omicron, but the league has made clear clubs will have to top up their lists with reserves instead of postponing home-and-away games.
The AFL is yet to decide on mandating a booster shot for AFL players but it is understood more than 300 players and staff from clubs have already had a booster, with Gold Coast, West Coast and Adelaide leading the charge.
Heeney said Sydney’s months on the road last year had been challenging yet rewarding, with the club determined to embrace the coming season no matter the curve balls.
Yet clubs like Sydney who have had the majority of their players contract Covid are better placed than the WA-based clubs, which could yet have the wave pass through them resulting in half-strength teams.
“Yeah, I had it. There were a fair chunk of us had it over Christmas time. Unfortunately I gave it to my parents. I went home for Christmas and unfortunately gave it them and had a bit of a lock-in, parents and myself,” he told the Herald Sun.
“Professionally it’s a great time to have it. Personally it sucked. But I have had it now and hopefully I have still got a bit of immunity left. I will be cautious leading into the season.
“You hear a lot of things about how long immunity lasts but hopefully it lasts a while. We need to be cautious and safe over but a fair chunk of the Swans boys have had it now, so I guess that’s a positive.”
At least 10 Sydney players contracted Covid on a Sydney Harbour boat cruise, while Heeney’s case forced himself and his parents into a more modest Christmas break.
“I was one of the lucky ones, I had a day where I felt like if I did anything strenuous it would put me in a hole, so I laid pretty low and after 24 hours of not feeling amazing, but not feeling bad I kicked it quick, over the 10 days (of holiday) I ran three times.
“I felt bad for my parents. I went home and realised I had had it and did a bit of isolation at the other end of the house, and I was going to leave so I didn’t give it to them but they wouldn’t let me leave and they ended up getting it as well. It was still a nice family Christmas, just a bit smaller than normal. The (extended) family came over for a few hours and sat on the road in front of the house (at Christmas time).”
Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor said this week a majority of Pies players had already caught the omicron variety of Covid and quickly recovered, which should minimise in-season distractions for players.
“I got it straight after New Year’s Eve, which half the country did. So I was fine. I did my seven day iso and came back a little bit off in the first week and have been fine since, so it’s actually not a bad result. I have my booster coming up in the coming months so that should provide me with more immunity so hopefully I can get through the year Covid-free and play footy without having to think about it,” he said.
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