Sydney stars Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden and Chad Warner stack up with best midfield trios in recent footy history
Geelong had Ablett, Kelly and Selwood. Collingwood had Pendlebury, Swan and Didak. But Sydney’s midfield trio of Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Errol Gulden might have them both covered. Here’s why.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Heads were shaking and hands thrown in the air in Geelong’s coaches box as Sydney’s brilliant midfield trio took change in round 13.
The Cats appeared powerless against the dominant Swans midfield for good reason – Sydney’s terrific trinity of Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Errol Gulden is the best midfield trio since 2010, according to the numbers.
Trailing by essentially six goals early in the second term, Heeney, Warner and Gulden, with help from ruck Brodie Grundy, took control of the game.
After quarter time, Gulden had 30 disposals, seven inside-50s and booted a beautiful long goal, Heeney had 21 disposals, two goals and 10 contested possessions and Warner threw in 21 disposals, two goals and seven inside-50s.
It was enough to drown the Cats out of the game, with Heeney polling nine coaches votes, Gulden eight and Warner seven.
All three Swans sit in the top nine on the coaches votes leaderboard.
“Their good players are hard to keep down for the whole game,” Cats coach Chris Scott said, before declaring he would be “surprised” if “three or four” Swans aren’t in the All-Australian midfield at the end of the year.
Scott would probably be right – Sydney’s top trio has been flying.
And they stack up with the best onball brigades of the last 15 seasons at the halfway mark of this campaign.
According to Champion Data, when combining the average player ratings scores of the three top midfielders – not including rucks – the 2024 Swans group is the third-best combination of the past 15 seasons.
The player ratings stat is a catch-all number for each player in every game designed to best measure impact on a match and the top trios includes players deemed midfielders, mid-forwards and wingers.
Only Gary Ablett Jr, Joel Selwood and James Kelly from Geelong’s 2010 side (combined ratings points of 55) and Collingwood stars Dane Swan, Alan Didak and Scott Pendlebury in the same year (53 points) rank higher than the Swans (52.8).
Swans coach John Longmire led the fourth-best group on the list to a premiership in 2012, with Josh Kennedy, Kieren Jack and Lewis Jetta having brilliant years.
Western Bulldogs champion Marcus Bontempelli appears in the top 10 three times, including this season, with his combination with Adam Treloar and Tom Liberatore the sixth-best since 2010.
Pendlebury is also in the top 10 as part of four different combinations.
Of the eight best trios on the list not playing in 2024, two won the flag in that season – Collingwood in 2010 and Sydney in 2012 – and the others at least reached the preliminary final.
When asked this week how his Sydney side would fare if hit by injuries to Heeney, Gulden or Warner, Longmire chuckled and said obviously his team would miss them.
“We appreciate our best players playing, I think every team does that,” he said.
Originally published as Sydney stars Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden and Chad Warner stack up with best midfield trios in recent footy history
Track watch: Smith SuperCoach warning, three key Cats ruled out
Bailey Smith is the second most popular player in SuperCoach, and Geelong’s midfield coach has outlined his role. Plus, three important Cats face delayed starts to the season.
Father-son gun Hamill eager to show his dash for Dolphins
Steve Hamill was a much respected player and leader at Frankston. He wore No. 9 – and 30 years later his son, coming off a six-year stint at Adelaide, will wear the jumper.