Sydney Swans’ Angus Sheldrick emerges as the latest talented member of their young midfield crew
While it’s been a season well below Sydney’s expectations, the Swans have unearthed their latest talented ball-winning midfielder.
It’s been a disappointing year for the Swans, but the emergence of Angus Sheldrick as the latest young midfielder from their enviable production line has given fans another reason to get excited.
Sheldrick’s eye-catching third quarter against the Lions last week kept Sydney in the game. He finished with two goals and 19 disposals after being pushed onto the ball by John Longmire.
The 19-year-old has been biding his time in the red and white. Now he’s ready to make the most of his chance.
“I love being around the ball and it’s always where I’ve loved playing my footy,” he says.
“There have probably been a few things that have fallen my way through injuries and suspensions that have given me this opportunity. Hopefully, I can stay in there as long as possible.”
Sheldrick was Sydney’s first selection in the 2021 draft, and it’s easy to see why they were desperate to land him.
Coming out of the Claremont system – which also helped produce Brownlow medallists Tom Mitchell and Nat Fyfe – Sheldrick had an incredible season at Colts level, including a game-high 27 disposals in the grand final.
But it was all with a relaxed attitude. At the start of that year, he was more focused on leading his school team at Christ Church Grammar School to success. By the end of it, he was an AFL-listed player.
“I probably didn’t even think I was going to have that big a Colts season,” he says. “Then the thought of being drafted became a bit more real.”
Sheldrick had a smaller build than many of his teammates, but that pushed him to work harder on his skills and fitness to stay ahead of the pack.
“I remember when I was a young kid my dad saying, ‘Remember to kick on your opposite foot’, so maybe it’s come from there.”
Jordan Smith, Claremont’s talent manager, says Sheldrick’s exploits on the field during the run to the grand final remain a talking point to this day.
“Very early in his draft year, he was starting to put together consistently dominant performances,” Smith says.
“A lot of the time boys get to that point in their career and they get stressed about what could be on the horizon. But Gus was super mature and took everything in his stride.
“He imposed himself on that whole final series. He copped a serious cork in the semi-final … so he went and sat at full forward and kicked three important goals and got us into the grand final.
“Then he wasn’t quite 100 per cent but just willed himself to influence that game. He couldn’t possibly have done any more.”
Sheldrick’s determination has him on the right path to succeed in the Bloods’ environment.
Against the Lions, he took it upon himself to find a way to have an impact. Face-to-face with experienced midfield stars such as Lachie Neale and Zac Bailey, in the third quarter, it was Sheldrick that rose above the pack.
“It’s still pretty crazy when you’re sitting in the meetings and those names are up on the board, but you relish it,” he says.
“He’s a real competitor and he loves competing,” adds Longmire. “That’s his one wood so he’s very good at doing that.
“He’s still learning the different styles of playing AFL footy and what’s required. What we do know is that he goes out every week and competes which is a good starting point.”
While he only played two games in 2022 as the Swans made the grand final, he absorbed everything he could in his first year at the club.
In particular, he gravitated towards some of the older heads in the group like Josh Kennedy, who was in his final year of footy.
He picked up new skills quickly and has finished with 30+ disposals in seven of his 17 games in the VFL.
Now, he wants to learn from the younger Swans who have already cracked the side. At 22 and under, players like Chad Warner, Errol Gulden and James Rowbottom are the future for Sydney.
Sheldrick has the potential to throw his name into the mix.
“I think everyone around the country looks at that environment at [Sydney] and admires the way they go about it,” says Smith.
“I know someone like Chad Warner has been a really big help to Gus in his development, obviously going through a similar process a couple of years earlier.
“Now that he’s had a couple of consistent weeks and been able to grab an opportunity to play in the midfield, he can put the runs on the board and turn himself into a genuine first-choice player week to week.”
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