Anyone that gathers 64 disposals and kicks four goals in a single match would be within their rights to assume that they will be an automatic call-up into the seniors next week.
But that was not the case for Sydney young gun Tom Mitchell, who achieved that mammoth feat early in the season in a NEAFL game against Eastlake.
Mitchell is one of the many Sydney players dominating in the reserves and it is these players that will be the key to the Swans come September.
It is often said that premierships are won by the team with the most depth and the Swans have that in spades this season.
So much so that Carlton coach Mick Malthouse has labelled the Swans the most powerful list he has seen in his 42-year involvement in the game.
“It is the strongest and deepest list I have seen in football.
“My count is that 17 or 18 of their players that aren’t playing would comfortably fit into a lot of teams.”
Among that list of players is Swans champion Ryan O’Keefe, who has toiled away patiently in the reserves.
There is no doubting that O’Keefe, a proven big-game player, would make a difference if he was called upon during the latter stages of the season.
Shane Biggs, a rookie-listed player, is the forgotten man and is another that is dominating at NEAFL level with a 50-disposal game off the half-back last week against Ainslie and a couple of other 40-plus possession games throughout the year.
Biggs made his debut late last season and was more than serviceable in both of his finals appearances.
Dean Towers, a former first-round mature-aged draft pick, will make his debut today against Carlton and has shown in his NAB Challenge performances that he boasts plenty of athleticism and x-factor.
Zak Jones, the hard nut younger brother of Demons star Nathan, has shown that he can be a capable player at AFL level while Jake Lloyd has taken his opportunity with both hands and has not yet lost a game in Swans colours.
Matthew Dick, Daniel Robinson and Tim Membrey are other little known players that are waiting for their opportunity to shine at AFL level.
We all know about Franklin, Kennedy, Hannebery, Tippett and other household names that have put the Swans in the position they are in currently.
But it is their depth players that will hold them in great stead and give them an advantage come finals time.
Getting a gig in the Sydney Swans line-up is proving to be one of the toughest tasks in football.
Twitter – @jclark182
Michael huston
Guest
Agree Olivia. As wrong as I think Malthouse was with the call, it's actually the first time I've been able to look at the Swans team and struggle to find a flaw. I thought the ruck would be the issue for us this year, and we reversed that theory. Same, as I said, about the youngsters, but even they are good and will only get better. I can't even fault Grundy anymore! I've been called cocky for how I worship how brilliant the Swans are, but whats the point in wanting your team to be successful if you can't embrace that success? I'm not saying they'll win the flag, or make the grand final, and I don't really care that much if they don't, but right now I'm just super proud of the boys and love watching them play every week. I only wish AJ was a part of this current team. In some ways he was the back-bone of our flag-winning side and is the quintessential Swans youngster (you know the type: they impress more than the mature players), but the good news is, he's still young, and I expect with Shaw, Richards etc not far away from retiring, he'll slot right in with Rampe, Smith, Grundy and Laidler.
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
Having midfielders like Mitchell, Hewitt, Biggs and Towers unable to get a game in the seniors is a luxury any team would love to have, Throw in Kpp's like Dick, Membrey, Deryckx and Nankervis, defensive swing men like Robertson, Johnson(when available) and Lockyer, and the old heads of LRT and ROK and you start going green with envy. Then factor in that your best mid and one of your best forwards and defenders are out injured and you are STILL a game clear on top of the ladder and it's enough to make grown recruiters cry. If we forget the big two trades for a moment, Kinnear Beetson and his team have created this situation without having high draft picks at their disposal. all the COLA in the world doesn't help to pick a superstar at pick 23 for example, because 22 other recruiters had the chance to take that player before you. Sydney's depth of talent is 10% luck,, 20% coaching and 70% recruiting astuteness seeing what others could not. Whatever his motivations, Malthouse's praise is well deserved.
Michael huston
Guest
For once Bosk you make some valid points, but even still you don't have a full grasp on the idea. So without key players such as Buddy and Richards, Sydney may not find themselves dominant on top of the ladder, but if your depth is good enough to maintain a top four position (as Sydneys was last year, Hawthorn this year) then you at least have a good chance at the flag. If you're in the top four, relying on some of those younger players, you are in good shape. By the way, Sydney weren't struggling because they didn't have Goodes and Tippett. They were struggling because almost our entire engine roon was playing s***house footy. As impressed with Sydneys depth as I am, I can't help but wonder if the likes of Biggs, Mitchell, Membrey etc would add more to our team than the likes of Rohan, B. Jack etc. They seem to be first choice for our seniors side yet don't seem to really make much of an impact.
Bosk
Guest
Its funny because it wasn't so long ago that Hawthorn was being talked up as having the best depth in the competition while Sydney's forward line was struggling badly with Tippett & Goodes on the sidelines. Port were two games clear and then started copping a few injuries and now suddenly they're back with the rest of the pack. My view is that in this day and age depth is largely an illusion for every club. Some teams may be capable of replacing their bottom 6 players better than others, but every club has at least 10 names on their list who are essentially indispensable, who cannot be replaced without the team's overall output suffering. I'm not sure how useful Tom Mitchell would be if Sydney suddenly found itself without Ted Richards & Lance Franklin, for example. Of course that raises another point that talls are generally much harder to replace than running midfielders, and then there's the other issue of continuity and synergy whereby a team's forwardline, midfield and backline in particular will function far better if the same guys are manning the same positions every week. That said the Swans may well be in a better position to cope with injuries than most other teams this year, but depth always looks better on paper before its actually tested.