Sydney’s form recovery this season mirrors health of star Isaac Heeney

ISAAC Heeney has become Sydney’s barometer, leading the Swans’ unlikely finals charge. And there is bad news for opposition teams — he still isn’t completely recovered from glandular fever.

Isaac Heeney played his best game for the season against the Bulldogs.

ISAAC Heeney’s importance to the Sydney Swans is growing by the day.

His health has almost been the mirror image of his team’s fortunes this season.

When he was ill with glandular fever early in the year the Swans looked a pale imitation of their former self and lost the first four games.

He returned in Round 5 but still wasn’t 100 per cent, and neither were the Swans. He was sleeping 13 hours a night and his energy levels were nothing like they normally are. Neither he nor his team could wake from their slumber as they stretched their losing run to 0-6, their worst start in 24 years.

By Round 7, his third game back, the colour in his cheeks was returning and so was the run in his legs. He was spending more time in the midfield and making a difference.

He was on the up in virtually every statistical category and his clearance numbers had more than trebled from 1.5 per game to 3.8.

His performance in Thursday night’s 46-point win over the Western Bulldogs was arguably his best in red and white.

The encouraging thing for John Longmire is Heeney is still not completely back to full health. The worrying thing for opposition coaches is what he will be like when he is sleeping normal hours and jumping out of bed full of energy.

“I’m not back to 100 per cent, but I’m not far off,” Heeney said.

“I’m able to run games out without cramping.”

While the 21-year-old is playing well, he still needs to pay close attention to his wellbeing or risk a recurrence of the illness that laid him low.

“I need a lot of extra sleep, especially the day after the game,” Heeney said.

“I’ve pulled up all right today but the next few days it impacts my fatigue. I do feel exhausted if I don’t sleep and eat right. Diet is massive as it is in any professional sport but right now it’s huge because of the fatigue.”

Teammates Heath Grundy and Kieren Jack have both had the disease known as mononucleosis themselves, and have been another handy resource in Heeney’s pursuit of a sustained recovery.

Heeney’s focus has now turned to the Swans’ Round 13 clash against Richmond at the MCG next Saturday night.

“We are concentrating on the Tigers,” Heeney said.

“If we bring the pressure and hardness we did against the Bulldogs we will get into the finals. Definitely we can make the finals, it’s such a level playing field at the moment.”

Originally published as Sydney’s form recovery this season mirrors health of star Isaac Heeney