AFL team preview: Sydney Swans

Sydney’s premier team the Sydney Swans are notoriously under-rated. How do we rate them in 2011?

Team: Sydney Swans

Homeground: SCG (46,000)

Coach: John Longmire

Season 2010: Fifth (P-22 W-13 L-9 52pts 108.27%)

2011 squad: Paul Bevan, Craig Bird, Craig Bolton, Jude Bolton, Daniel Bradshaw, Daniel Currie, Trent Dennis-Lane, Andrejs Everitt, Adam Goodes, Heath Grundy, Daniel Hannebery, Campbell Heath, Kieran Jack, Lewis Jetta, Alex Johnson, Lewis Johnston, Josh Kennedy, Tadhg Kennelly, Jed Lamb, Nick Malceski, Martin Mattner, Ben McGlynn, Jarrad McVeigh, Brett Meredith, Jarred Moore, Shane Mumford, Ryan O’Keefe, Luke Parker, Mike Pyke, Sam Reid, Ted Richards, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Gary Rohan, Mark Seaby, Rhyce Shaw, Nick Smith, Matt Spanger, Byron Sumner, Jesse White. Rookie list: Nathan Gordon, Ben Haren, Eugene Kruger, Chris McKaigue, Dylan McNeil, Max Otten.

Arrivals: Andrejs Everitt (traded from Western Bulldogs), Alex Johnson (2010 AFL Draft), Jed Lamb (2010 AFL Draft), Luke Parker (2010 AFL Draft), Mike Pyke (rookie elevation), Matt Spangher (2010 AFL Draft).

Departures: Ed Barlow (delisted), Brett Kirk (retired), Matthew O’Dwyer (delisted), Kristin Thornton (delisted), Patrick Veszpremi (traded to Western Bulldogs).

Season preview: The Swans are a highly underrated team that have rarely missed September action in the last decade. The fact is, right now they have a good mix of young and accomplished players, two of the best big men in the competition as well as Adam Goodes, Kieran Jack and Jude Bolton.

The one thing that may concern the Swans is the growing injury list that has taken a toll on their backline. Already their best defender Nick Malceski is out after a knee injury at training. Malceski will have LARS surgery for a second time. Campbell Heath (knee ACL) will be missing for seven to nine weeks while there are also question marks over Tadhg Kennelly (knee), Craig Bolton (Achilles), Lewis Roberts-Thomson (hamstring), and Matt Spangher (quad strain).

New recruit Andrejs Everitt will be thrown straight into the action. The 22-year-old had a stand-out game in the Swans’ last NAB challenge match against St Kilda, racking up 27 possessions.

Promising youngster, Gary Rohan (Achilles) will also be sidelined while Daniel Bradshaw (knee), Sam Reid and Jesse White are uncertain starters for round one. Adam Goodes looks set to be Sydney’s best option up forward. Expect big things from Trent Dennis-Lane, who played only 8 senior games last year and kicked 18 goals. He played in both of Sydney’s finals matches and booted 4 (including the sealer) in their 5-point elimination final win over Carlton.

Sydney’s ruck stocks have been boosted with the return of Mark Seaby. The big man played the first six matches of 2010 but missed the remainder of the season with a broken ankle. Shane Mumford was in fine touch last year and notched the fourth most of hit-outs in the league. Canadian, Mike Pyke has dramatically improved and Daniel Currie showed good signs in the reserves and looks ready to make his AFL debut.

The Swan’s will miss inspirational leader Brett Kirk and the run provided by Patrick Veszpremi but it will give younger guys at the club more opportunities. Another player who was shown the door was Matthew O’Dwyer, who racked up 53 disposals and a goal in a reserve grade match but couldn’t seem to find his feet in the senior side.

Sydney has a good group of emerging players like Daniel Hannebery, who’s outstanding season was rewarded with the 2010 NAB Rising Star award. Lewis Jetta, Gary Rohan and Byron Sumner also look promising.

With Paul Roos and Brett Kirk gone, it’s a new beginning for John Longmire and the Swans. However established players Jude Bolton, Adam Goodes, Kieran Jack, Ryan O’Keefe and Jarrad McVeigh were mostly solid last year and will look to lead the club back to the finals in 2011. Sydney has only failed to make the top eight once in the last eight years and with a good mix of experienced heads and talented youngsters, we predict the Swans will have another crack this year and finish seventh.

Main man: Adam Goodes. The two-time Brownlow medalist was back to his best in the second part of last season and after a strong pre-season campaign, he looks to be dangerous again in 2011. The co-captain has the ability to win a game off his own boot. He had the third most for marks, eighth most for contested marks and second most inside 50’s in the AFL and was the Swan’s leading goalkicker last year with 44. The 31-year-old superstar is an essential part of the Swans line-up.

X-Factor: It took him 14 games and 19 behinds to kick his first AFL goal, but overall Lewis Jetta had a good debut season. With plenty of flair and pace to burn, Jetta often creates problems for opposition defences. The talented utility needs to work on his kicking skills but he is already a crowd favourite and has the ability to light up the SCG.

Predicted 2011 finish: Seventh