‘I wasn’t moving well’: Heeney reveals stress fracture after Sydney’s grand final shocker

Isaac Heeney has revealed he was carrying a stress fracture in his ankle throughout Sydney’s AFL finals campaign, and it flared up on Saturday at the worst possible moment.

Compounding the failed punt taken by coach John Longmire on Logan McDonald’s injured ankle, the Swans had to deal with the prospect of one of their prime movers being hobbled as they were blown away by the Brisbane Lions in their 60-point grand final hammering.

Isaac Heeney runs with the footy. He sat out most of the final term with a lower leg injury.Credit: Eddie Jim

The injury occurred before Sydney’s qualifying final win over the Giants, Heeney said, and while it clearly didn’t limit his output then, or in their preliminary final victory over Port Adelaide, it does explain why the 28-year-old was so far below his best at the MCG.

Heeney had only 14 disposals and kicked one goal but was spotted in long discussions with staff on Sydney’s bench during the match and was brought off in the last quarter, holding his head in his hands after being told his afternoon was over.

“I’ve had a stress fracture in my ankle for the whole final series, so I’ve had to manage that,” Heeney said.

“After the Port game, I was pretty sore, so I had to get through the week. I felt good going into the game, and then I hurt it when I got run down and tackled, I think it was late in the first [quarter]. Obviously couldn’t get through, and in the end it was too far of a deficit. I wasn’t moving well, and they [the coaches and medical staff] just said, ‘You’re done.’

Isaac Heeney on the interchange bench.Credit: Getty Images

“That’s frustrating in itself because we had Loges go out too, and a few of the boys were pretty sore.”

McDonald was subbed out of the match shortly after half-time after touching the ball just once, despite assurances from Longmire, his assistants and other players during the week that he was right to play on the rolled ankle he suffered against Port.

Longmire stood by the call to select McDonald.

“He obviously wasn’t moving that well. We made a call at half-time,” he said. “He did everything that was required to do to try and have it 100 per cent, pulled up fine.”

Heeney said he wasn’t sure if he would require surgery on his ankle but that wasn’t his immediate concern when he spoke to reporters in Sydney’s change rooms, which were a picture of utter devastation as friends and family rallied around the team’s shattered players.

Like everyone else, he was at a loss to explain why the Swans were so far off the pace.

“They were just harder and better than us,” he said.

“They had some big bodies that cracked in, and you’ve got to be hard with it. You’ve got to be clean too. We weren’t, we fumbled a bit, and then in the end, they worked us over with their contested marks and made us work so hard defensively there that we probably didn’t have much in the tank in attack.

“It was a tough one - another tough one, another frustrating one. It’s one of those days, but it’s happened now twice in two years, and it happened against Port earlier in the year too. It was just not up to standard in what we hold ourselves to, so I think we’ve got to review this one, we’ve got to figure out the specifics as to where we went wrong and why it went wrong again.”

Watching the Lions receive the premiership cup, Heeney said, was a “numbing” experience.

“It’s a tough one, especially when you see them receive it and you’re like, ‘We’ve been the best side all year, and we couldn’t match them on the day that really counts’. It’s upsetting,” he said.

Longmire conceded that the Swans were simply blown away in terms of intensity and pressure around the ball.

“We didn’t get it done today. We didn’t pass the test today,” he said.

“Look, we’re disappointed. There’s no question about that. It’s a very difficult challenge to stand there on grand final day and win. It’s a really difficult challenge to get there. This footy club’s been pretty resilient to be able to show the ability to get back there time and time again. It’s very hard to win it if you’re not in it.

“We’d much rather get into the ring and have a swing than be standing outside looking in. Ultimately, we’ve been able to get ourselves into the position of having an opportunity, and we haven’t got it done today.”

Asked about his now 1-4 record as a coach in grand finals, Longmire said: “It’s not about me, mate. It’s about the footy club.”

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