Beware the team flying under the radar.
Twelve months ago, the Swans were bundled out of the 2021 finals race with a heartbreaking one-point elimination final loss to rivals GWS.
No one expected the Swans to mount a serious premiership challenge and finish top four.
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Critics wrote Sydney off in 2022 as Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs were deemed the biggest threats.
Now only Geelong remains standing from that list between the Swans and premiership glory – while Collingwood and Brisbane loom as danger opponents.
But it’s how Sydney have turned their fortunes around that has impressed most, with their attack end the fourth highest scoring this season, while their “recycled” defence the third-best in the competition.
“It still gets talked about that we are emerging and young, but this group’s been playing together for a few years now,” Swans veteran Sam Reid said on RSN this year.
“We had strong belief at the start of this year and it‘s good that we’re starting to see some reward, but by no means is the challenge done yet, so the hard stuff starts now.”
The Swans backline, in particular, is the most unique in the competition, with none of the back six snapped up in the national draft as defenders.
In fact, three of their best backmen are forwards who swapped roles under the watchful eye of coach John Longmire.
THE BIZARRE BACKLINE
None of the Swans back six arrived at the club as defenders through the conventional National Draft route or via trade.
Tom McCartin, the youngest player drafted in 2017 as just a 17-year-old after opting out of his Year 12 studies to pursue his AFL career, arrived at the Swans as a forward.
His Geelong Falcons coach Dan O’Keefe praised McCartin as a “super athlete” who was “courageous” in the air and “probably similar to older brother Paddy”.
Paddy McCartin was a pre-season supplemental selection pick up in January after years out of the competition due to lingering concussion effects.
He had been a forward when taken by the Saints with the prized pick one back in 2014 but made the switch to defence in the VFL under coach Jeremy Laidler in 2021.
Together the duo are now effective known as the “bruise brothers” according to Swans teammates.
Sam Reid said he had tried to compete with Paddy McCartin for a spot in Sydney’s backline but the young gun simply “blew me out of the water”.
“At the start of the year I think he and I were going for the same defensive spot and he blew me out of the water,” he said on RSN.
“It’s been great having those guys flying.”
Dane Rampe was twice invited to train with the Western Bulldogs, but was overlooked before being snapped up by the Swans in the 2013 Rookie Draft.
Jake Lloyd joined Rampe in that Rookie Draft and headed to the Swans – after Sydney had passed on their final three draft selections.
Nick Blakey, the son of North Melbourne great John Blakey, was deemed one of the most “highly-rated forwards” of his draft class.
Sydney were forced to match a bid from rivals GWS to get Blakey, a Swans Academy player, to their club in nervous scenes in the 2018 Draft. But they managed to hang onto the prized second round draft pick (James Rowbottom) after some brilliant live-trading moves with West Coast.
AFL Academy coach, and premiership player, Luke Power praised the Swans decision to snap up Blakey early.
“He’s going to be a real long-term player for them. I’ve known this family for a long time and they’re just a quality family. It’s not hard to see why this kid’s such a good person. He’s also a special player,” he said.
The Swans had grand plans to use Blakey as the second mobile forward to take pressure off marquee player Lance Franklin. But he quickly found a home in the backline instead.
Justin McInerney was drafted as a winger, with his pace (running the 20m sprint in 3.01 seconds) his biggest asset.
But like his fellow defenders, Longmire found a home for McInerney in the backline.
THE MCCARTIN MIRACLE
When Paddy McCartin was snapped up with the number one draft pick back in 2014, no one could have predicted how his career would turn out.
The young forward was so talented, he was snapped up ahead of the likes of Christian Petracca, Angus Brayshaw, Jordan De Goey and Darcy Moore.
But he managed just 35 games for the Saints before repeat concussions cut his career short, and he walked away from the game at just 22 years of age.
Spending two full seasons on the sidelines, McCartin struggled with his health.
He admitted to being the “shell of a person” he once was as he struggled to cope with extreme headaches and light and sound sensitivities.
“I’ve sort of lost my footy identity a little bit, but then also my identity as a person as well, just because I can’t do stuff,” he said in an interview back in 2019.
“The hard thing is there’s no real timeframe on it. So, hopefully, I’m better next week, but I could be better in a year or six months – I don’t know – so it’s been tough.”
But the decision to head north and join younger brother Tom in Sydney was a game changer for the then 24-year-old.
Turning out for Sydney’s VFL team under coach and former Swans defender Jeremy Laidler, proved the making of McCartin as he shifted into defence.
In three games, he averaged just shy of 23 disposals per game and nine marks.
Coach John Longmire and Swans footy boss Charlie Gardiner had seen enough to give McCartin another chance at AFL level, handing him a lifeline in January’s pre-season supplemental selection period.
“To his credit, he has overcome several challenges and ultimately his strong VFL form last season and commitment to training over the pre-season has enabled him to earn another AFL opportunity,” Gardiner said.
“At just 25 years of age Paddy still has plenty of footy left to play, and his re-joining the senior list will provide the club with the flexibility of another tall option who can play at either end of the ground.”
But they haven’t needed McCartin at either end of the ground, with the now 25-year-old locking down on the opposition’s best key forward each week.
Together he and brother Tom have formed a formidable duo in defence in what’s been a remarkable turn around of fortunes.
“I was always pretty confident I’d get back and play – I just needed the opportunity to do it,” McCartin said.
“The part that was most difficult was getting the opportunity and convincing clubs I was all right, especially with the litigation stuff that comes with concussion now.
“I’m really lucky the Swans put in the time and gave me the chance.”
THE ‘REAL DEAL’?
Fox Footy’s Leigh Montagna believes the Swans are now the real deal in 2022, as they have strength across the field.
“I must admit I’ve been a bit slow to come to the party with Sydney,” he said.
“We’ve known about their offence and their ability to score off a turnover. We’ve sort of always raved about their defence, particularly with the (Paddy and Tom) McCartins, but what I’ve been impressed with is they’re continually improving their contestable pressure game.
“At the start of the year, it was inconsistent, and we touched upon it in games and even in quarters, but the last six or eight weeks, their contestable and pressure numbers have been through the roof, which is now elevating them.”
Sydney’s “crazy” pressure rating in the qualifying final win over Melbourne was so impressive, their stats were “unheard of”.
“There’s something unfolding here. There’s a destiny about this at the moment with this Sydney group,” Fox Footy’s Garry Lyon said.
THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED
The Swans were slapped with a trade ban in 2014 and 2015 after they shocked the competition by luring Lance Franklin north on a big-money, long-term deal.
As a restricted free agent, Franklin went to the Swans on a nine-year, $10 million deal, as Hawthorn were given pick 19 as compensation.
Told to chose between giving up their cost of living allowance (COLA) or taking part in the Trade Periods, the Swans sat it out – but ultimately lost the allowance years later.
But that trade ban may have been a blessing in disguise as Sydney learned to make do with the talent available – and not buy their way to the top after recruiting Franklin.
The scrapping of COLA ensured the Swans committed to developing young talent, and by ramping up the ‘Bloods culture’, those kids then opted to stay – the most crucial part of any draft decision.
Callum Mills arrived in 2015 with pick three – as the Swans had to match Melbourne’s bid under new live bidding rules.
And a host of shrewd decisions to cut players to improve their draft hand paid dividends.
Tom Mitchell and Toby Nankervis departed while some swift picks swaps with Port Adelaide allowed the Swans to move up the board and snap up Ollie Florent(pick 11) and Will Hayward(pick 21) in 2016.
Tom Papley also came from the Rookie Draft to join the Swans ahead of the 2017 season.
The Swans split their early pick 13 and made the big call to cut loose Gary Rohan, Dan Hannebery and Nic Newman to accumulate enough draft picks to match the bid on Academy product Nick Blakey.
And it was in that 2018 Draft that they snapped up Blakey and Justin McInerney, along with James Rowbottom.
More tough calls were made in 2019 with Darcy Cameron and Zak Jones out the door while a host of trade swaps ensured Sydney carried plenty of selections into the upcoming draft.
And it was at that 2019 Draft that the Swans looked outside Victoria, opting to select talent only from WA and SA.
Dylan Stephen (pick 5) and Will Gould (pick 26) arrived from the SANFL while the biggest win of the draft was having West Aussie Chad Warner slip to pick 39.
Despite playing on Matt Rowell in an Under 18s match, Warner was somewhat shadowed by his talented East Fremantle colts squad teammates, Melbourne premiership players Luke Jackson and Trent Rivers, and now-Gold Coast Sun Jeremy Sharp.
Warner’s colts coach Jacob Brennan described the West Aussie as “one of the hardest workers I’ve ever dealt with from a junior perspective”.
Remarkably, Sydney have only recruited ruckmen like Callum Sinclair, Tom Hickey and Peter Ladhams by trade since the Franklin ban – relying on smart draft moves to otherwise bolster their list.
And now it’s paying off in spades.
HOW LONG CAN THEY GO?
The Swans have now locked away their top talent, while they are still waiting on a final answer from Lance Franklin about whether he’d play on.
The club has indicated they are willing to give him another deal, albeit with a pay cut – if that’s what he wanted to do.
Callum Mills (2029), Warner brothers Chad and Corey (2025), Isaac Heeney (2028), Justin McInerney (2026), Luke Parker (2025), Matthew Roberts (2025) and Peter Ladhams (2025) are all committed on long-term deals.
The McCartin brothers are locked in for another two seasons together. Paddy has extended his deal until the end of 2024, while Tom is staying in Sydney until at least the end of 2027.
“Our back six have gelled together and we’re playing some consistent footy as a team, so I’ve been focused on consistency and playing my role. Hopefully, we can keep doing that through the finals and see how far we can go,” Tom McCartin said.
It seems 2024 looms as a big contract year for Sydney, with a young of young talent like Errol Gulden, James Rowbottom, Logan McDonald, Nick Blakey, Ollie Florent, Paddy McCartin, Robbie Fox and Will Hayward come out of contract.
