Handball kings: How the Swans turned fade-out ‘problem’ into a big attacking weapon

The Swans were unable to win six games they were leading at three-quarter time in 2023. Following a focus on fitness this pre-season, they’re hoping that issue will be a thing of the past, writes LACHLAN McKIRDY.

The Swans’ inability to run out games in 2023 inspired a focus on fitness this pre-season with the club already showcasing that they’re ready to match it against the best..

John Longmire’s side was one of the strongest across three-quarters last year. However, on six occasions where they were leading at the final break, they were unable to come away with the four points.

Even more concerningly, five of those matches were at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

As a result, building stamina became a priority and across the opening fortnight of this season in wins against Melbourne and Collingwood, the Swans have shown they’re ready to run.

“I guess last year it was probably a little bit of a problem of ours, we’d sort of stop in those last quarters,” Jake Lloyd said.

“This year, I feel like on the back of a strong pre-season, having a real healthy list, it’s enabled us to really get to work early in the pre-season.

“And I guess we can take a lot of confidence out of those first two games and our ability to push teams deep into the fourth quarter and really run over the top for them. It’s another strength of our group and the flexibility of players in different positions really helps that.”

Lloyd has historically been one of the Swans’ most consistent defenders but has found himself further up the field in 2024. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Lloyd is one of several players who have found themselves in a new position in 2024, playing primarily on the wing.

One of the Swans’ more experienced players, Lloyd has typically been an accumulator out of defence and has embraced the small defender role. But his shift up the field coincides with a more dynamic Sydney game plan.

Their metres gained through handballs have nearly doubled year on year, while their work between the arcs has gone to another level, up +14 on the AFL average this season for points from midfield intercepts.

Across the past two weeks, the Swans have also produced two of the best performances in terms of metres gained through handballs over the past two years.

While it was an unplanned move for Lloyd following injuries to Luke Parker and Taylor Adams, the 30-year-old joins the likes of Isaac Heeney, Robbie Fox and Matt Roberts whose flexibility has proven to be a real asset early in the season.

“I spent all pre-season down in defence, did all my training down there in the off-season and it wasn’t until round one where I got flicked up onto a wing,” Lloyd said.

“It is different but I’m certainly enjoying it. For me, it’s about getting forward and trying to test the opposition going the other way.

“As a defender, you’re probably a little bit man-conscious at times, looking for where your opponent is. Playing up on a wing gives you an opportunity to try and test them going forward.

“I think that’s the great thing about our side at the moment, we’ve got a lot of players that can play in different positions, and it’s a real strength.”

“We’ve made some subtle changes around different things in our line-up and that’s really helped,” John Longmire added.

“We need to make sure we continue to run out games and put numbers through our midfield that can allow us to have that flexibility and run so by the end of the game, we’re going strong.”

The Swans’ midfield hasn’t missed a step despite being without Callum Mills, Luke Parker and Taylor Adams. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The togetherness of the Swans’ group is clear to see with their belief high after a near-flawless start to the year.

The squad was in great spirits on Thursday morning as they welcomed guests from Down Syndrome NSW to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day at the SCG. And with that added inspiration on the sidelines, they’re looking forward to seeing what they can achieve in 2024.

“I’ve got a cousin with Down Syndrome and she’s the life of every party we go to,” Lloyd said. “She keeps our family together, they show a lot of love and they’re very caring people.

“It’s fantastic to have a few of the guys out here watching training. We’ve got young Adam who’s joined the team this year and he comes to our training sessions and fills the water bottles and gets amongst it.

“We feel really connected out there on the ground, and we’re all playing our role which is important. So I’m not sure it’s the strongest team (I’ve been a part of), but as a group, I feel like we’re pushing towards something special.”

Originally published as Handball kings: How the Swans turned fade-out ‘problem’ into a big attacking weapon