AFL 2024 Sydney season review: Swans’ grand final humiliation overshadows dominant talent-packed season
It’s obvious the Swans are packed with talent on the field, but with two chokes on footy’s biggest stage in three years, John Longmire needs to spend summer conquering mental demons. LACHLAN McKIRDY unpacks how.
A year of so much promise ended in the worst way possible for Sydney as it was handed a 60-point humiliation in the AFL grand final by a rampant Brisbane Lions outfit.
On its own, reaching the grand final after such a dominant season was a positive result for Sydney and John Longmire. However, when you put it in the context of their similar defeat to Geelong two years earlier, it poses a question of what changes need to be made so the Swans can finally claim the premiership they’ve almost deserved over the past decade.
The Swans are well-placed to bounce back structurally. But whether they can cope with the mental demons that emerge following Saturday’s defeat remains to be seen.
2024 SEASON
The Swans finished with the most productive attack in the competition, some breakout years for multiple defenders and three of the top 10 players in the Brownlow Medal count.
It’s no surprise they won the minor premiership with that sort of output, but even beyond the well-publicised seasons from Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Errol Gulden, there was a lot to like.
Joel Amartey and Logan McDonald both produced the most consistent, goalscoring years of their careers. While the likes of Nick Blakey and Lewis Melican took massive strides in their development, the former becoming an All-Australian for the first time.
In terms of their youngsters, Matt Roberts was probably the breakout star, but because they had a strong run without injuries many of their prodigies like Caiden Cleary and Corey Warner were left to be happy with fleeting appearances.
During the regular season, there were two pivotal periods that ended up defining their year. First, the home loss to Fremantle which ended their 10-game winning streak started a mid-season slide. While in back-to-back weeks against Port Adelaide away and then Collingwood at home, they produced one of their biggest-ever defeats and one of their most rousing comebacks.
However, they saved their most disappointing match until last in the grand final. From the opening quarter, you could see the lack of intensity from the players who looked overawed by the occasion. Their pressure was simply not up to scratch and the Lions’ midfield ran rings around them. It was an embarrassing way to end a season that for all intents and purposes should have ended with a premiership.
There were two key areas where the Swans struggled this season. In many games, they were exposed for their inability to get the ball out of their defensive 50. When teams pressed effectively, they could lock Sydney in and create forward-half turnovers.
The second was that they almost became too accustomed to winning at the SCG. Robbie Fox spoke following the grand final about the wider expanses of the MCG suiting the Lions.
However, it was clear the Swans weren’t able to adapt. Not only were they reluctant to take risks, but they were too compressed when they moved the ball and didn’t try to stretch Brisbane’s defence.
Overall, the Swans will be pleased with how the season went. But they won’t be satisfied with how it ended and that will leave a sour taste in the mouth and likely force some big changes.
OFF-SEASON MOVES
The first big call for the Swans appears to be around veteran Luke Parker. He is the most experienced player left on their list, and with North Melbourne reportedly sniffing around, sorting out his future needs to be a priority.
For most Sydney fans, they will be devastated if he leaves. He’s been a stalwart of the club and his three late goals in the grand final epitomises the fact he never gives up. However, it was clear that for at least half the season he wasn’t in Longmire’s best 23 so it won’t be a surprise if the club allows him to depart.
There are then a handful of tough decisions around their off-contract players. Harry Arnold and Jack Buller have both impressed in patches since being picked up in last year’s mid-season draft, but have been heavily hampered by injury. There’s probably more upside to Arnold being a defensive prospect.
Aaron Francis is another who is a strong fringe player, but it’s unlikely the Swans would stand in his way if he is given consistent opportunity elsewhere. Caleb Mitchell has also been given a few chances and will probably be kept around.
Jacob Konstanty potentially looms as the most interesting player, a first-round draft pick who hasn’t been able to progress as hoped in his two years on the list. An injury saw him miss a large chunk of VFL this season, and it remains to be seen what role the club has for him in the future.
In terms of potential incomings, veteran defender Sam Frost has been linked with a move to Sydney and would provide some experience to an ever-improving defensive line. However, if the Swans wanted to finally land the big defensive recruit they’ve searched for over the past few years, making a hard play for Geelong’s Sam De Koning wouldn’t go astray. He was left out of the Cats’ side in the latter half of the year and would immediately slot into Sydney’s best 23.
Essendon’s Jake Stringer is another name linked to the Swans, but it’s hard to see how he would fit in Sydney’s current set up.
OFF THE FIELD
Can John Longmire get the Swans back to a grand final and end up on the winning side? That will be the big question not only around the club but externally after a fourth-straight grand final defeat.
His job has always been secure at Sydney with chairman Andrew Pridham claiming the role is his for as long as he wants it. Yet, as good as Longmire’s record is at continually qualifying for finals and beyond, a premiership has to be the ultimate goal.
Tactically the Swans were exposed against the Lions. They couldn’t shut down Brisbane’s obvious strengths and the result was a demolition in most facets of the game. Whether that was the pressure of the occasion getting to players and coaches alike remains to be seen.
Longmire is signed until the end of next season. He will coach in 2025 but the decision beyond that point is likely in his hands.
Clearly this season he was able to aid the development of some of his youngest stars and that’s the only reason they were in the grand final in the first place. Players like Gulden and Warner weren’t alone in taking huge steps in their careers. Longmire has the fortitude and experience as a coach to make sure they do that again.
But waiting in the wings is Dean Cox. The former West Coast ruckman is committed to the Sydney project and appears to be next in line for when Longmire finishes. Formalising a succession plan over the next five months could potentially create more security for all involved.
The key for the Swans is the mindset with which they approach 2025. In the lead-up to the grand final, they spoke about the work they did with mindset coach Emma Murray and really approaching the psychological aspect of professional sport. However, that will be taken to another level after their second grand final drubbing in three years.
This team has the talent, there’s no question about it. But to ensure they don’t get the tag of flat-track bullies, they need to produce their best on the biggest stages. There was a focus on not letting one game define them, but when you have other players like GWS’ Sam Taylor labelling them smug throughout the year, they need to find a balance of also believing they should be the team that wins the 2025 flag.
2025 PREVIEW
Isaac Heeney is the heavy favourite to claim his first Bob Skilton Medal at the Swans’ B&F on Friday night after his breakthrough season. And it’s likely he will be at the heart of their success again in 2025. His midfield form was sensational, and despite being tagged at various stages he showed that he could power through it with some brilliant September performances.
Their three other All-Australian players will also have the weight of expectation on them to perform again. However, the most under-pressure player is likely their captain, Callum Mills.
Mills only made seven appearances in 2024 due to various injuries. They’ve been well-documented but the club clearly believes he is the best leader for the team and he’ll want to prove them right. His return in the back half of the season didn’t live up to his own high standards, so a big pre-season should place him well to impact from round one.
The hard thing going forward about the Swans is they can’t really be properly judged again until they make a grand final. The shadow cast over them is, ‘Can they stand up to the pressure?’. Everything leading up to that point should take care of itself. They have a talented list full of players still moving towards their prime, while, theoretically, they once again should be better for the experience.
The Swans should be focusing on another top-four finish in 2025. They can make the SCG a fortress again and have hopefully received the wake-up call over the past three years that they can’t just assume things are going to happen for them in the final game of the year. If at any stage it does become confirmed that it’s Longmire’s last year in charge, that could galvanise them even further in the hopes they can finally win the second premiership that has eluded him for over a decade.
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