Isaac Heeney’s emergence from NSW academy to Swans gives Eddie McGuire license to moan

DON’T tell Eddie McGuire or he’s likely to find a reason to shut this down too. But Isaac Heeney’s emergence from north NSW AFL academy to the Swans has created a huge buzz in Newcastle.

DON’T tell Eddie McGuire or he’s likely to find a reason to have this shut down too.

But Isaac Heeney’s emergence from the northern NSW AFL academy to the Sydney Swans has created a genuine buzz in his home town of Newcastle.

Proving there are more outcomes of the NSW academies than developing AFL talent, the rugby league-loving Steel City all of a sudden has a very good reason to switch codes.

In the SCG crowd during Sydney’s 81-point demolition of Essendon on Saturday were 70 fans from Newcastle who made the two-hour trip south to watch local boy Heeney star.

The majority of them were from Heeney’s former club Cardiff, along with family and friends.

“The local club brought a bus down here,” Heeney said after the game.

Heeney’s got plenty of support from his old club

Franklin celebrates with Heeney

“They give me amazing support, there was 70 odd of them, and my family came as well.”

Not since Nelson Bay’s Craig Bird ran out for the Bloods have the Hunter had an AFL product to cheer for.

Bus loads of sports-mad Hunter fans usually head to Sydney en masse to watch the Newcastle Knights or Test cricketer Josh Hazlewood.

Collingwood president McGuire reignited his war with Sydney’s AFL clubs last week when he called for the Riverina to be taken away from the GWS Giants as an academy zone.

The Swans quickly came to the defence of their cross-city rivals as Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham waged a war of words with McGuire.

Isaac Heeney’s emergence from the northern NSW AFL academy to the Sydney Swans has created a genuine buzz in his home town of Newcastle.

Pridham on Saturday spoke about the broader work the northern states academies play in growing footy.

“There are 600 kids in the academy that’s roughly 1200 parents, 2400 grandparents, brothers, sisters and school friends,” Pridham said.

“We are expecting 30,000 fans and there will probably be and there will be 300 or more who are here to see Isaac Heeney, Dan Robinson and Callum Mills,” Pridham said.

“Before academy there were seven players on AFL lists (one per cent of the player pool) from the Swans academy zone, now there are 15.

Sydney's Isaac Heeney celebrates a goal during AFL match Sydney Swans v Essendon at the SCG. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“In the Giants there were 19 and now they are 28.

“There are a further 18 on rookie lists from NSW which is 20 per cent of the overall rookie list. It’s had a broad impact bringing players into the game like Callum Mills and Isaac Heeney.”

In almost every interview Heeney has done in the last three years he is asked about the Swans academy, on Saturday night he gave the same answer he always has.

“I wouldn’t be where I am now without the academy. I’d most likely be giving NRL a crack, Heeney said.”

Originally published as Isaac Heeney’s emergence from NSW academy to Swans gives Eddie McGuire license to moan