AFL Finals: Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden and Chad Warner could write their name in folklore
With three All-Australian selections and a dominant minor premiership, is a flag the only thing standing in the way of this current midfield being the Sydney Swans’ best of the modern era?
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Is this the greatest Sydney Swans midfield in modern history?
Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden and Chad Warner have regularly been the catalysts for John Longmire’s side this season. They’ve shouldered the expectation placed on them at every juncture, accepting that burden and rising to the occasion to help guide Sydney to the 2024 minor premiership.
As a result, they’ve already been recognised with All-Australian selection, alongside defender Nick Blakey. But if they can win their next three matches on the way to a breakthrough premiership, the Swans’ Fab Three could write their name in folklore.
“It’s a really proud moment as a footy club,” Longmire said. “It’s great individual recognition for those players, but it’s also recognition for the team and their teammates.
“There’s a couple of younger boys there and Heens, so they’ve got their own stories. To see some of those stories unfold during the course of the year like they have, and hopefully, there’s still a bit to be written there.”
Since 2000, three previous midfield groups have stood out for the Swans. In 2005, Brett Kirk, Adam Goodes and Jude Bolton led the way to a breakthrough premiership, however none received All-Australia recognition.
In 2012, Bolton was joined by Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery, Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh through the centre of the park. They won the flag again, but Kennedy was the only one to receive a blazer.
Four years later they had arguably their best midfield when Heeney and Luke Parker joined the fray. Kennedy, Hannebery and Parker all earned All-Australian selection, but they agonisingly fell in the grand final to the Bulldogs. A premiership in 2024 could mean this current trio rises to the top.
For Heeney in particular, a season like this has been a long time in the making. In many ways, he’s been a victim of his own talent. The 28-year-old has played well above his height as a marking forward and regularly takes on whatever role Longmire has thrown his way.
Heeney averaged 25.4 disposals and 7.9 score involvements a game in 2024, in a campaign that should put him close to the podium for the Brownlow Medal – even if he is ineligible for the award.
Even when he was playing in the Hunter, Heeney always knew he had this ceiling. It was just getting the chance to return to his midfield roots and holding on for the ride.
“It’s really nice to be in (midfield),” Heeney said. “I feel like I could have been there a little while ago, but Horse needed me up forward more than in the guts.
“It’s nice to be able to go out there and have a lot of fun and play a role that I grew up playing throughout my whole childhood and my teenage years.
“I feel like I’ve always been someone that works my butt off and gives it 100 per cent. No matter what I do, I put my head on a pillow at night knowing that I’ve had a crack every day at getting the most out of myself.
“I got more of an opportunity in the midfield and it’s worked beautifully.”
Gulden’s emergence as the game’s best winger has been more rapid. He’s now received back-to-back All-Australian selections in just his fourth year in the competition.
While he’s still the same 22-year-old with a cheeky sense of humour – “I’ll wear (the blazer) down to dinner now and again … kind of stir mum and dad up, they find it pretty funny,” Gulden said – his elevation to one of the AFL’s elite players has come as a surprise.
“It was a massive honour to get my second one,” Gulden said. “But it was definitely more a more enjoyable night this time around having three teammates there with me.
“It is pretty cool on my locker to see the All-Australian and have two years next to it.
“It’s awesome recognition (for the midfielders). The two seasons (Isaac and Chad) have had respectively have been amazing. At times, to sit back like a supporter on the field and watch them go about their business, it’s so good to see.
“For all three of us to make the team playing in the same midfield group, it’s pretty special.”
Even though he’s one year older than the winger, keeping close to Gulden’s accomplishments was always a goal for Warner.
“We’re pretty competitive with each other,” he said. “But having two in four years for him is pretty hard to do.”
But the success of this group stems from how much footy they’ve been able to play together. Since the start of 2022, Warner, Gulden and Heeney have played almost every single match for the Swans, barring injury.
Throw in other midfield cogs like James Rowbottom, as well as this year’s valuable additions Brodie Grundy and James Jordon, and you’ve got a team brimming in chemistry and cohesion.
“Playing with them this year, but also our whole career as well, we’ve gained such a strong friendship as well,” Warner said.
“I think to allow myself, Chad and Errol to do their work, you’ve got James Jordon, James Rowbottom come in, Taylor Adams in there,” Isaac Heeney added. “They’re extremely selfless players.
“We’ve got so many players that play a certain role to help others out. That allows everyone to play off their instinct, play their style of footy, and their talent shines through.”
But All-Australian blazers can only carry so much significance. The coming month will dictate whether they remain in the back of the closet, or proudly on display. And there’s no doubt where their priorities lie.
“People can look at it as a bit of added pressure,” Gulden said. “But we’ve looked at it as confidence and good recognition.
“We’re proud of ourselves to finish top. In some sporting leagues around the world, that’s good enough to win a premiership.
“If you ask any of the four of us what the main goal of the season is, it’s definitely not All-Australian blazers. It’s to perform well and win flags. And we’ve got an opportunity now, starting this week, to put our best foot forward and hopefully achieve that.”
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Originally published as AFL Finals: Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden and Chad Warner could write their name in folklore
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