Why the Sydney Swans Dylan Stephens looms as a real menace for AFL opponents in 2020
Sydney has some fast players. But when they took off for a 2km time-trial, they couldn’t get near Dylan Stephens. And one senior Swan says the No.5 draft pick can terrorise opposition defences in 2020.
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Beware of the whippet. He’ll bite.
Dylan Stephens has already made his way into an AFL legend’s SuperCoach side before a Sherrin is booted in anger and one of his Swans’ teammates is confident the teenager will prove an utter menace to tiring defences in 2020.
The Swans’ No.5 draft pick number five has impressed senior players since arriving at the Swans with former Brisbane Lions favourite Jonathan Brown pencilling Stephens into his SuperCoach side for 2020.
The 19-year-old midfielder’s speed, engine and left foot have also caught the eye of teammate Isaac Heeney.
He believes Stephens, something of an unknown factor for rivals to grapple with, can really come into his own as contests enter the closing stages.
Heeney looked on as Stephens saw off some serious running competition to win a recent 2km time-trial.
“He’s a little whippet. Running that time-trial was incredible,” Heeney told The Daily Telegraph.
“We’ve got some fit players. Robbie Fix is extremely fit, Jordan Dawson too (the duo finishing second and third), he just took off and they couldn’t get near him. It was an impressive performance.
“He has a pretty big weapon of a left foot too, which is extremely exciting. Hopefully he can jump straight in and do some damage for us.
“Someone who can run the game out like that are really important They can turn a game purely off their fitness and ball handling in the last half to last quarter.”
As for SuperCoach, Brown clearly likes the potential on offer from the Swans draftees with defender Will Gould among his bench options for the 2020 campaign.
Heeney recently spoke about his near brush with the bushfires and his desire to help. The 23-year-old and his partner Lauren spent a few days around New Year with Luke Parker and his partner Kate at the latter’s holiday home in Manyana, a small beach town 200km south of Sydney on the NSW South Coast.
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As well as putting his hand up to play in the State of Origin bushfire fundraiser, Heeney could be among those to participate in AFL community camps in the next two months, with both the Swans and the Giants heading to areas which include those impacted by bushfires.
The Swans’ community camps will include the Southern Highlands, Batemans Bay and Ulladulla (February 18-19) while the Giants will take in the South Coast, Sapphire Coast, Southern NSW and Canberra (March 8-9).
Originally published as Why the Sydney Swans Dylan Stephens looms as a real menace for AFL opponents in 2020