Isaac Heeney reveals he has been playing hurt this season
Isaac Heeney has produced a stunning highlights reel in his AFL career but the Sydney Swans star wants to be known for his toughness and believes he has proven that this season.
Sydney
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Isaac Heeney’s blond locks may have once belied his warrior instincts, but not anymore.
On the ladder the Sydney Swans might not have much to show for their season of toil, but one significant breakthrough has been their human highlight reel is finally getting the plaudits he deserves as one of the true hard men of the AFL.
Heeney has opened up about playing injured this year with a torn ankle and how being known as a tough footballer means more to him than the stunning skill that has him in the mix to win the Mark of the Year for the second year running.
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In ordinary circumstances, the 23-year-old would have been ruled out for slabs of this year with an ankle injury that restricted him to only leaping off one leg.
But as the Swans have battled through an injury crisis, Heeney has suited up for every match so far and will once again lead the new generation of bloods against the GWS at Giants Stadium.
Heeney has known nothing but playing finals football since his debut in 2015, and admits his first year in the doldrums has been an interesting one. But in the dressing room at least, where it matters most, Heeney’s reputation has been enhanced.
Following in the footsteps of Swans great Jude Bolton, no amount of glitz and glamour can mask the hard man Heeney.
“My body has been battered and bruised through the year, more than it ever has,” Heeney told The Saturday Telegraph.
“I feel like I’ve been beaten to a pulp a bit throughout the year, but we weren’t in a circumstance where I could have had a week or two off, unfortunately. I had to play through that and I’ll be stronger for it.”
Heeney said he wants to be known as a tough player and believes he has proven more about himself through adversity than he has in previous years when everything has gone in his direction.
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“The people who play well through injury and still play well are the people with really good footy smarts,” he said.
“Because, when you play under an injury cloud you can’t perform to your top – whether it be your speed, your agility, your mark, anything.
“I had a little tear in my ankle and it stops your agility and you try not to jump off that foot. It stops you from getting to your peak performance and whether that does affect you mentally – a lot of things come into play and you just try and put it behind you and control what you can control.”
Heeney is confident he won’t require surgery on his ankle or on any of his other bumps and bruises in the off-season.
When the Swans lost to Fremantle in round 18, the penny dropped that the Swans were no chance of taking part in September.
Heeney admits an attitude change took place that he had never previously experienced.
“It was just a matter of sticking tight and just learning as much as we could as a team and try and build a bit of synergy,” he said.
“That’s really where it changed, mentally. Knowing that we’ve got a lot of young players and a lot of experience out of the team and it has really just been a big learning curve for myself.”