Whether you agree or disagree with the AFL’s stance on preventing Sydney from trading during the past trade period, it did mean that Sydney needed a strong draft to top up and plan for both short and long term needs.
Because of being omitted from a crucial part of the offseason, the significance of this draft for Sydney cannot be understated.
And, as if the football gods were levelling the league’s stance, Sydney would get potentially the biggest steal of the draft with top five talent Isaac Heeney joining the club with pick 18 as an academy selection.
Heeney was one of three players that Sydney were able to take in the 2014 draft that were products of the AFL NSW Academy, a pathway designed to encourage the growth of the game in the northern states.
Along with Heeney, Jack Hiscox and Abaina Davis will be in Swans colours next year after impressing at the academy and at the division two underage championships.
While Hiscox and Davis have the ability to have an impact on Sydney in the long term it is really Heeney that will have the biggest impact to play in 2015 as Sydney continue to revitalise its list.
At underage level, Heeney has been shown to be an elite ball-winning midfielder. Yet it would be expected going into the Swans for his first year his presence will be for a role and to push others into more midfield time.
Sydney has done an outstanding job of developing players by allowing them to grow in a role while also priming them for their next step and role. Kieran Jack started as a tagger before becoming a ball-winning midfielder. Ted Richards was a third tall when starting at Sydney before becoming the number one key defender at the club.
Luke Parker was a role midfield and forward player before now being considered a standout inside midfielder. Lewis Jetta spent more time forward early on before being allowed the freedom to move up the ground.
The arrival of Heeney will allow players like Harry Cunningham, Tom Mitchell and Jake Lloyd more midfield time while Heeney shows his wares up forward with short midfield stints. Heeney helps Sydney with the ongoing transition that they like to use.
Sydney’s fourth live pick in the draft and the only player from outside New South Wales that will be joining the club in 2015 is South Australian product James Rose, who was a second round selection. Rose is a medium-sized forward who seems to be part of Sydney’s belief of developing a core forward group to compliment veteran forwards Adam Goodes, Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett.
Indeed a player like Rose who is physical and has a strong kick would potentially allow Sydney the chance to have a different forward line look. Rose is unlike any other forward on the list and for that reason could have real value as he develops.
But for Sydney this was draft that was all about the academy. It works in cycles and Sydney is currently enjoying the benefits. Next year they could be looking at father-son selections to compliment their academy crop. Changes are going to come to the academy system but for now it is Sydney who are gaining.
Just as the AFL banning Sydney from trade week is controversial so too are the northern states academy systems. However, Heeney probably summed it up best. If not for the academy he would be playing rugby right now. Having the best talent playing Australian Rules should be the overriding thought and seen as the reason why the academy is working.
Rugby’s loss is Australian Rules’ gain. Australian Rules’ gain is the AFL’s gain. The AFL’s gain is the Sydney Swans gain.
Talk about controversial topics.
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