Sydney great Jude Bolton gives his take on the Swans’ midfield mix as Isaac Heeney stars onball

A Swans legend sees some difficulty in bringing back a pair of gun onballers as Isaac Heeney continues to dominate the midfield to start the 2024 season.

Isaac Heeney has starred for the Swans in their dominant start to 2024. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Isaac Heeney’s star turn in the midfield is set to cause the ultimate selection headache for John Longmire.

Across the opening fortnight of the season, Heeney has been the number one ranked player in the competition for consecutive weeks. He followed up a 26-disposal and 13-clearance game against Melbourne with 29 possessions, 13 contested possessions and 10 score involvements against Collingwood.

It’s been an emphatic start to the year for the 27-year-old who has stepped up in the midfield in the absence of Callum Mills, Luke Parker and Taylor Adams.

Two-time Swans premiership player Jude Bolton is hardly surprised by Heeney’s headline-grabbing performances having seen him progress through the Swans Academy ranks.

“I think it’s 73 per cent midfield time over the first two rounds, it just makes such a big impact for him,” Bolton said.

“He was a midfielder as a junior at NSW/ACT, All-Australian as an under 18 as a midfielder, so I was always super confident in him being a strong midfielder.

“The team has previously been a bit hamstrung by the fact that he’s played so well forward that they’ve had to leave him down there. But now that they’ve got a dynamic forward line, I think it makes sense to have that mix of 70-80% midfield time and then push as a strike forward at different stages.”

Throughout the age groups, Heeney has equally impressed in both the midfield and as a dominant forward. Picture: Lachlan Cunningham/AFL Media

Heeney has no doubt benefited from his first full pre-season in several years. While his composure in the midfield is shining through, it’s his speed off the mark that has caught the eye.

And while many felt that it was a temporary move, all the Swans’ planning indicates that it was in the works long before Parker and Adams went down with injuries.

“I think he’s been really explosive from the midfield, can breakaway and then we know he’s got that sort of class to steady and hit targets,” Bolton said.

“He was always going to play midfield minutes without them. Through the pre-season he’d been training and playing as a midfielder. So I think that was always the natural progression.

“He’s a really balanced player and I think that’s why the league has taken wider notice of his midfield play these first two rounds and it gives John Longmire some headaches to think about the team selection over the coming weeks.”

While squad depth is a great problem to have for a team aspiring to win a premiership, the way the Swans are playing could mean that Longmire is reluctant to change a winning formula.

With Heeney, Chad Warner, Errol Gulden and James Rowbottom working as a formidable quartet, there’s no guarantee that there will be places waiting for their more experienced teammates.

Longmire continually praises his side’s flexibility and Heeney’s move to the midfield is the perfect example. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Bolton believes that Mills’ flexibility makes it easier for him to come back into the side, but the speed with which the Swans’ forwards are attacking their opposition could make it slightly more difficult for Parker and Adams.

“John Longmire doesn’t flirt with form at all,” Bolton said. “You’ve got to be playing good football.

“I remember in 2005, I think we made one change and it was in the last eight or nine rounds. There were blokes knocking on the door for representation, and you know, you just say, ‘Look, I’m sorry, we’re trying to get you in there, but it’s hard to get into it’.

“I’m really interested to see what they do with Parker and Adams. They’ve deployed Parker forward at times and he’s shown he’s super capable down there. But you do need pace at ground level, so he’s gotta show his worth down there … I think he’ll be one of those midfield rotations.

“Taylor Adams just has to get his body right. I know how frustrated he was that he didn’t get to start the season in the side due to injury, but the time will come and that midfield mix is going to really test teams because they can throw different strong bodies in there but also the speed and skill as well.”

Adams could find it difficult to return to the Swans’ midfield if they remain undefeated by the time he is ready to make a comeback. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Parker and Adams are not expected back for at least another fortnight, with the former Collingwood vice-captain back running strongly at training this week following his medial ligament strain. The club could adopt a more cautious approach for the pair, especially with a bye in round five after their Gather Round clash against West Coast on April 6.

However, Bolton believes the priority for the Swans will be ensuring that all their experienced players are in peak form when September rolls around.

“Sydney has been tested previously around contested football and bigger bodies have been a challenge,” Bolton said.

“But it shows that they were really well prepared for the pre-season. Isaac is throwing his body in there, Brodie Grundy, his follow up acts as a fourth midfielder. So that’s been a real positive.

“When you win games of footy early in the season, it gives you that sense to actually manage your list well. Perhaps they choose not to take one of those guys to Perth in round nine versus Fremantle, for instance.

“Where you start to get banged up in the middle of the season, we’ve seen Geelong and other premiership sides do that and manage their lists really well.”

Originally published as Sydney great Jude Bolton gives his take on the Swans’ midfield mix as Isaac Heeney stars onball