AFL 2025: Sydney’s unlikely forward line a tactical masterclass

Sydney’s season has not gone to plan with injuries derailing their start to the year. But a piece of tactical brilliance has kept them in the hunt. Lachlan McKirdy unpacks it here.

Two years ago when the Swans travelled to Marvel Stadium to take on the Bombers in July 2023, the legendary Buddy Franklin was their main forward target.

Unknown to any in the lead-up to the match, it would end up being his last-ever game in the AFL.

The 36-year-old was subbed out of the game after a calf injury in the second quarter, and retired a week later. It brought down the curtain on a remarkable career that spanned over the best part of two decades and saw him finish with 1,066 goals.

Franklin’s last AFL game was against the Bombers at Marvel Stadium in 2023. Picture: Getty Images

Not only was it the end of the Franklin era at Sydney, but it seemingly marked a line in the sand for the belief that the Swans needed a marquee forward target. The days of Franklin, Kurt Tippett, Barry Hall and Tony Lockett were gone, with the club putting their faith in Tom Papley to be the senior leader as inexperienced key forwards such as Joel Amartey, Hayden McLean and Logan McDonald developed their craft.

In one aspect it worked, with the Swans boasting the number-one attack in the competition in 2024 as they qualified for the grand final. Unfortunately, that was just one element of their game that was found out against the Lions last September.

But two years on from that Bombers clash, the Swans’ forward fortunes have never been so contrasted.

They head to Melbourne without Papley, Amartey or McDonald in their forward line. Instead of a 1,000-goal legend as their spearhead, they’re coming off a win where one of their key forwards kicked his first-ever AFL goal after a decade in the competition.

Joel Hamling and Aaron Francis worked together playing as defensive forwards and led the Swans to a big attacking day against one of the best defensive groups in the AFL.

On paper, it was a complete mismatch, but that’s part of the beauty of the AFL. It was a victory won on the whiteboard as Dean Cox’s tactical masterclass paid off.

Hamling got under the skin of the Giants’ defenders, but completely disrupted their intercept marking game. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“I think one thing they did really well is they executed the role and that was about trying to nullify (the Giants’) strengths,” Cox said.

“They’ve got a phenomenal backline at GWS, and like any team, we want to try and take strengths away from the opposition. But on top of that, it allows us to play to our strengths, and Joel and Aaron performed really well.

“They’re really strong intercepting defenders, so they play a little bit differently than normal forwards do. And they’re defenders, so they went and defended their defenders.”

While the Swans’ hand has clearly been forced by injury, it’s a unique position to be in that two players on their rookie list are now their main forward targets.

So happy were the Swans with the performance of Hamling and Francis that rather than drop one of them back to cover the suspension of Lewis Melican, former Saint Ben Paton has been rushed back into the side.

But if their game plan worked against the Giants’ defence, who boast elite players in the competition such as Sam Taylor, Jack Buckley and Connor Idun, then Essendon are certainly there for the taking.

Francis is set to play a key forward role in his first game against his former club, Essendon. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Despite two wins in their past three matches, the Bombers’ defensive numbers stick out as an area that Cox can exploit. They’re currently in the bottom four teams in the competition this season for spoils, inside 50 marks conceded, and goals per inside 50 conceded.

The Swans want to create a system where if their defensive structures are solid, it doesn’t matter who is playing forward of the ball. But it certainly helps when they can bring in experienced players who have been in the AFL system for many years.

With Papley and Amartey in particular to return within the next six weeks, and the Swans still hopeful that McDonald will see some action in 2025, at the end of the day it’s a stopgap measure that is keeping their season alive.

“Strip it back, we had defensive forwards doing their role,” Isaac Heeney said after the Giants clash.

“Franger (Francis) was more attacking, but Joel Hamling was … nullifying the intercept marks and that goes a long way to us bringing the ball to ground and getting after it.

“Boys playing their role and sticking to it for four quarters. It’s as simple as that.”

COX, SWANS FINALLY DISCOVER CURE TO BRUTAL LONGMIRE HANGOVER

The Swans’ three wins in 2025 have arrived from their three slowest ball-movement games this season as they begin to find their most efficient blueprint under coach Dean Cox.

This season, a new Champion Data statistic measures the speed of ball movement, combining factors such as how long it takes to dispose of the ball, the distance covered, and the distance towards the goal of the movement.

And the figures in each of their three wins so far this season – against Fremantle, North Melbourne, and last weekend against the Giants – were ranked as their three slowest games in 2025.

The statistics also back up the fact that when they control the ball and are able to generate pressure further up the field, they are a far more potent side.

Cox’s side takes 20 more uncontested marks in games they win compared to when they lose, while they score nearly two more goals per game from forward half intercepts in wins.

When the Swans slow down the tempo of the game, they are a far more potent side in 2025. Picture: Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

The Champion Data numbers also show that of teams that have won in 2025, the Swans have moved the ball slowest in those wins.

Although the hallmark of Sydney’s attack might be Nick Blakey dashing off halfback or Chad Warner bursting through the corridor, Cox concedes it’s important to find a balance with slower build-up play that creates the perfect end product.

“Something you certainly look at is when are you most potent,” Cox said.

“On top of that is where you get the ball, where you win the ball back, whether it’s from a contest, intercept mark or free kick which is already in slow play. So, how you build the ball up from that and then whereabouts on the ground you can do it?

“I say to the players, they’ve just got to play what they see. There’s so many decisions on the football field they have to do, that they’ve got to make them at the right time. And there’s going to be errors doing that, but there’s no one distinct mode we want to use.”

Part of the flexibility that Cox wants to encourage his players to adopt is finding different entries into their forward half.

With a new-look team including Aaron Francis in the forward line, Cox is encouraging his side to find different ways to attack. Picture: Phil Hillyard

In the majority of the Swans’ defeats this season, their biggest challenge has been making the most of their inside 50 entries. Often their kicks have been hacks out of stoppage, which makes it unpredictable for their understrength forward line.

However, when they slow the game down, they are able to find more rhythm in their movement. In their three wins, they average 14.3 marks inside 50 per game, as opposed to 8.2 in their defeats.

“One thing we want our players to do is to try and not just play a straight-line game,” Cox said. “At times, you have to do that, but you want to try and test with your width and use the ground as much as you possibly can.

“That opens up some pockets and holes that we could actually find, and it also depends who gets the ball as well.

“When you have Chad (Warner) winning 10 inside 50s and hitting five targets, it’s a pretty high rate when you’re winning the ball back in your front half as well.”

Cox will have to make at least one change this weekend with Lewis Melican suspended for the next three matches. The most likely will see Joel Hamling moved back after his successful stint in the forward line.

Taylor Adams may return through the VFL to build up his game time, while captain Callum Mills could also make his comeback through the reserves in next Friday’s curtain-raiser against Carlton at the SCG.

Swans captain Callum Mills could make his return through the VFL. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“(Callum) trained twice last week, he’ll train again today and over the weekend,” Cox said. “We’re making sure that we can build the volume and next week work out how much has he done. Is it another bigger session or an ability to play a game of some sort?

“If you plan exact dates of when they’re coming back, it becomes tough. We just try and look at every week what he does.”

The Swans also remain hopeful that Logan McDonald will have a role to play later in the season, after the decision was made for him to undergo surgery after suffering a stress fracture in his ankle.

Originally published as AFL 2025: Sydney’s unlikely forward line a tactical masterclass