2019 Team Preview – Sydney

Written by Chillo on January 27 2019

After a spectacular flameout against the Giants resulted in their earliest exit since 2013, the Sydney Swans will look to rebound in 2019. Some high profile acquisitions and the controversial abolition of the COLA has had a tangible effect on the Swans’ playing stocks. The club has been forced to trade away high-profile players such as Tom Mitchell and Dan Hannebery in recent years, while club stalwarts McVeigh, Jack and Grundy enter their twilight years. The result is that there are certainly opportunities for the club’s younger brigade to step into the breach this year – good news for Supercoach!

Defenders

Lock and Load: I made some controversial comments about Jake Lloyd ($608,200) last season, and while I admit those comments were mostly made out of the frustration of being a non-owner, I stand by them. If you could cross a seagull with a swan, the result would look a lot like Jake. After a mediocre start to his 2018 campaign, the reigning king of uncontested footy flicked the switch and recorded a ridiculous 122 ppg clip in the last 15 games of his breakout season, making him by far the highest scoring defender for the year and seventh overall. The upshot of this is that Lloyd is insanely expensive to start this year, but with the new kick-in rule sure to boost his output, there’s no reason Young Anakin won’t put up similar numbers in 2019.

Feeling Lucky: A run-in with a football of a different kind ruined 2018 for Callum Mills ($428,900), who comes with a tricky low-400K price tag for the third season running after recovering from a fractured foot. No one doubts the class of the 2016 Rising Star, but how does that translate to Supercoach? Perhaps the departure of Hannebery will enable Mills to take that step into the midfield that he seems destined for? And how will Mills’ return affect the output of the similarly styled Lloyd? Intriguing times on the Swans halfback line.

Midfielders

Feeling Lucky: They’ve been the granite-like core of the Swans engine room for years now, but 2018 was below expectations for Luke Parker ($561,700) and Josh P. Kennedy ($525,600). JPK averaged below 100 for the first time in seven years as he fought through tags and back soreness, while Parker had his moments but spent far too long in the Swans undermanned forward line on his way to 103 ppg. Both men will have huge POD value this year and are priced well below their potential output. At the very least, these two should be on your mid-range draft list.

Rucks

Feeling Lucky: After trading away Mumford and Nankervis in recent years, the last thing Sydney needed was a Sam Naismith ($251,400) ACL rupture. Unfortunately the high leaping Naismith was grounded for twelve months with that little red cross next to his name, and thus comes with a nice discount on his 2017 price tag, where he averaged 66. Sam stands alongside The Mummy and Billy Longer as a cut-price ruck option if you’re not prepared to fork out the big bucks for Gawndy just yet, although you should be warned that at the time of writing, he is no certainty for round 1.

Money Maker: NEAFL beast Darcy Cameron ($135,700) will be looking to do what he couldn’t quite manage last year, and that is to establish himself in the senior squad. Cameron stuffed the stats sheet like few players in history in the ressies in 2018, averaging 21 possession and 39 hitouts, as well as kicking 26 goals. Naismith’s return will make it difficult for Darcy however, so moderate your expectations.

Forwards

Lock and Load: He basically plays as an on-baller these days, but Isaac Heeney ($529,200) is back with forward status again for 2019. His 97 ppg last year included a concussion affected 18 against the Tigers, and Heeney was the eighth highest scoring forward for the season. Not withstanding any unforeseen disasters, you can put the 22 year old down for another top 10 finish this year too. A safe choice for your starting lineups.

Feeling Lucky: As an unabashed Swans fan, there’s few better sights in the game than Lance Franklin ($543,500) in full flight. Unfortunately, I can’t really recommend him that highly as a starter for your Supercoach side, given his key position role and the associated fluctuation in scoring that comes with it. Buddy will turn in a quiet game or two at some stage, and that’s the time to pick him up. Then you start praying that Franklin’s high ceiling kicks in and he can finish like he did last season, when his last three games returned 161, 98 and 178!!

Money Maker: Draft days shenanigans aside, Nick Blakey ($166,800) was always going to get to the Swans last year, but despite the big wraps you shouldn’t expect too much from the Academy product just yet. The Swans forward line in the post-Buddy era looks promising with Blakey and Tom McCartin sure to feature, but in the meantime my gut feeling is that Nick will see a lot of footy in the NEAFL as he develops his game to a senior level. NB: this assumes that Sam Reid defies recent history, and actually spends some time on the field!
Matthew Ling ($123,900) had an abbreviated rookie season in 2018 due to toe surgery, but showed enough to suggest he will push for senior footy this year. Taken at pick 14 in 2017 as a rebounding defender, Ling actually spent a fair bit of time forward in the NEAFL and averaged a couple of goals a game. Ling has good speed, an accurate left foot and a willingness to take the game on, which should all translate well to senior footy.

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10 thoughts on “2019 Team Preview – Sydney”

  1. Llyod was so frustrating for me last year too being a non owner. I don’t really understand how kicking it sideways so much resulted in so many points. I guess each given game has a set of different stats and what he was doing just resulted in points. I cannot pay 600k for a defender who has only done it once and doesn’t play any mid time.
    Heeney is locked in.
    Mills looks the most tempting he has been so far after seeing the recent write up on his midfield minutes at swans intra club.
    Thanks for the write up

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  2. Thanks Chillo
    Have Heeney , Lloyd and Blakey atm and Ling in and out..
    Heeney can go missing in games but is generally consistent and hopefully ceiling will be higher this year with another preseason and more opportunities in midfield.
    Would have gone for Laird instead of Lloyd however has same bye as Whitfield and Williams , not sure re influence of B Smith back for Crows and new kick in rule should assist Lloyd further.
    Not sure about Mills given other options at tbat price.
    Will watch Blakey and Mills

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    1. Blakey looks a likely later starter. He’s still not fully fit.

      Worth keeping an eye on a few players who are looking at midfield time after the Swans purge. Players who have been monsters in the NEAFL like Robbie Fox, James Rose and Jordan Dawson are looking more likely to get a go at the top level, as Hanners is gone, and Kieran Jack will struggle to be best 22 this year.

      Mills is definitely marked for the midfield, he’s absolutely owned in there in training even against our best tagger, Georgie Hewett.

      Expect to see some midfield time for Tom Papley and Zac Jones too.

      Naismith should be off everyone’s list. With English the no 1 ruck at the Doggies with little depth, Lycett to be clear #1 ruck at Port with Ryder injured, and obviously Longer a sole hand at St Kilda there are some good mid price options, and Darcy Fort looks a lock for round 1 at Geelong.

      I’ll be running a 3 ruck lineup for the first time in ages.

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  3. Nice one Chillo. Will you be starting Lloyd? Can we afford not to?
    Am highly likely starting Grawndy, Danger, Oliver and Heeney (all Rd13 byes) which means I only really want to START one more. I’d feel much happier with Yeo and maybe even Neale ahead of him.
    The ghost with his uncontested crab-like disposals gives me the shits, but he may average 120+ this year. That could spell catastrophe for those that don’t have him from the start, who are focused on overall rather than leagues.
    Hmmmm ….

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    1. I’m not starting Lllllloyyyyyyddd, and I can’t believe I’m saying that after he caused me so much angst last year. However, that bye round is problematic for the defenders on my ‘want’ list.
      I’m not worried by his price tag though – Shaw and Docherty have both shown recently that defenders can back up big scoring.

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  4. Well done Chillo, I have the usual suspects in my team with Blakey and Naismith on my Radar, Will see how JLT goes….I currently have Heeney but a Swannie mate (He finished in the top 500 last year) is raving about Callum Mills who he thinks may play midfield this year, what do you think?

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    1. I’m trying very hard to stay away from mid-pricers this year. The strike rate for success with them is so low, and Callum has also missed a lot of footy. Maybe next year, when he’s a bonafide mid?

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  5. I love this site and wish that I’d found it last year instead of getting abused and frustrated at the troll capital of supercoach sites (reynolds).
    Great write ups and no massive egos tearing everybody down.
    Keep up the good work you guys

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  6. Callum Sinclair?
    Career best SC ave of 97 last year 11 times over 100 five of them 120+ and a top score of 152.
    Doesn’t he put a large dent in the prospects of Naismith and Cameron?
    Will the Swans play 2-rucks with one resting forward?

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