#36 - Dane Swan

[Pie 4 Life]

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o43/brent_463/swan.gif?t=1196947770


Name: Dane Swan
Nickname: "Swanny"
D.O.B: 25th February 1984
Height: 183cm
Weight: 84kg
Recruited From: Westmeadows/Calder U18
Career Matches: 76
Career Goals: 37

[Pie 4 Life]

Past Article ~ Swan taking his chance

Mon 8 May, 2006


Dane Swan admits there is no secret behind his improved form in 2006 rather it's simply a case of a young player making the most of his last chance to forge an AFL career.

The 22-year-old admitted - after helping the Magpies to a 72-point win over arch-rival Carlton at the MCG on Sunday - that he cannot afford to make any more mistakes if he's to remain a league player.

Swan said Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse made the situation quite clear to him after he was involved in a serious off-field incident a couple of years ago, which ended up with the young Magpie facing court on assault charges.

"I had a bit of trouble off-field a couple of years ago and Mick sort of put an ultimatum to me," Swan admitted.

"He just said 'you are on your last legs, do something about it'.

"Then I realised what I had to do to become an AFL footballer.

"I don't think I am there yet but I have taken a few steps to where I want to be."

After playing just 30 games in his first three seasons, Swan has been one of the Pies' most improved players in 2006 - not only playing every game but also averaging 25 possessions per game.

However he still feels his place in the side is far from secure.

"There is still the fear of getting dropped," Swan said.

"I know every week I have to keep performing well, particularly with a guy like Rhyce Shaw screaming at the door to get back into the side (after resuming in the VFL recently following a serious knee injury)."

But for now the much-improved Swan is revelling in being part of a Collingwood revival with the Magpies sitting on top of the ladder after six rounds.

And he said the secret to the Pies' success has been their overall evenness.

"We have got no passengers and right up to our 22nd bloke is pretty good," Swan said.

"Probably last year it was Buckley, Tarrant, O'Bree or Holland - they were always the people (carrying the load) and if they weren't going well then we were struggling.

"But there is just a lot of consistency and depth in our side at the moment."

[Pie 4 Life]

Past Article ~ Keeps on keeping on

Sat 27 May, 2006

Dane Swan has continued his emergence as one of the Magpies’ most influential players in 2006, in Collingwood’s 34 win over the Bulldogs at the MCG on Friday night.

The unassuming Collingwood midfielder broke the game open at the start of the fourth quarter after the Doggies had mounted an assault with the last four goals of the third.

Kicking two goals in quick succession, Swan was full of running. Having started the game on the substitute’s bench, Swan racked up a commendable 29 possessions, having only played 62 percent of the game.

His final goal, his third, and the matches last, was delightfully knocked to his advantage in marking contest by Anthony Rocca, only centimetres from the goal line. In a flash, it was on his boot, and speaking with CollingwoodTV after the game, the Magpie midfielder could hardly contain his delight.

“I spent a bit of time on the pine – but everyone does it. It was good to come on fresh in the last quarter and be able to run over the top of them.

“I was pretty lucky I suppose. I had kicked a couple (of goals) – so I sneaked down forward (after kicking 2 goals) to see if I could kick a cheeky one and I did.”

On a personal level, Swan puts his recent run of good form down to preparation and organisation. He is team focused, and just pleased that he is able to start repaying some of the faith that his club has shown in him over the past few seasons.

“What’s most important is how the team plays – and what I can contribute to the side winning.

“It starts with work rate, and then realising what I have to do to play AFL footy. It all started back in October when we started pre-season training.

“It has been my best pre-season and maybe we are reaping the rewards of that a bit.”

[Pie 4 Life]

Past Article ~ Dane Swan

AM Wed 6 September, 2006

A gritty, prolific ball winning defender, Swan was recruited late in the 2001 National Draft.

He spent the whole of the 2002 season at Williamstown, gaining valuable experience, before breaking into senior ranks for three games midway through the year.

2004 was a real break through season for Swan, who played his first game against Brisbane in round three and never looked back. His composure and skill were valuable assets to the Pies defence as he went about cementing his place in the side.

Following a good showing against Carlton in round seven, Swan suffered a quiet patch midway through the year and was dropped for round 10. He spent the rest of the year dosidoing in and out of the senior outfit, remaining on the cusp of regular placing in the side.

Swan’s 2005 followed much the same pattern as 2004, enjoying a consistent patch mid year, and displaying glimpses of form for the rest of it, displaying an ability to win the ball through the centre, employed as a ruck-rover against the Hawks.

2006 has been a massive year for Swan, his 5th year in the system, and easily his most consistent and best. Apart from missing due to a hamstring strain mid season, Swan has been a major contributor in Collingwood’s rise up the ladder in ’06.

[Pie 4 Life]

2007 Season Stats:

Round 1 ~ 12 Kicks, 9 Handballs, 21 Disposals, 6 Marks, 3 Tackles
Round 2 ~ 14 Kicks, 8 Handballs, 22 Disposals, 7 Marks, 5 Tackles
Round 3 ~ 19 Kicks, 16 Handballs, 35 Disposals, 11 Marks, 1 Goal, 4 Tackles
Round 4 ~ 15 Kicks, 6 Handballs, 21 Disposals, 6 Marks, 2 Goals, 5 Tackles
Round 5 ~ 13 Kicks, 8 Handballs, 21 Disposals, 8 Marks, 3 Tackles
Round 6 ~ 21 Kicks, 11 Handballs, 32 Disposals, 7 Marks, 4 Tackles
Round 7 ~ 20 Kicks, 9 Handballs, 29 Disposals, 7 Marks, 1 Goal, 4 Tackles
Round 8 ~ 15 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 19 Disposals, 5 Marks, 3 Tackles
Round 9 ~ 12 Kicks, 6 Handballs, 18 Disposals, 5 Marks, 1 Goal, 2 Tackles
Round 10 ~ 27 Kicks, 8 Handballs, 35 Disposals, 9 Marks, 2 Goals, 4 Tackles
Round 11 ~ 14 Kicks, 9 Handballs, 23 Disposals, 8 Marks, 2 Tackles
Round 12 ~ 13 Kicks, 1 Handball, 14 Disposals, 6 Marks, 3 Tackles
Round 13 ~ 16 Kicks, 14 Handballs, 30 Disposals, 13 Marks, 2 Tackles
Round 14 ~ 24 Kicks, 5 Handballs, 29 Disposals, 11 Marks, 1 Goal, 3 Tackles
Round 15 ~ 15 Kicks, 1 Handball, 16 Disposals, 8 Marks, 4 Tackles
Round 16 ~ 5 Kicks, 6 Handballs, 11 Disposals, 1 Mark, 5 Tackles
Round 17 ~ 22 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 26 Disposals, 8 Marks, 5 Tackles
Round 18 ~ 19 Kicks, 5 Handballs, 24 Disposals, 6 Marks, 6 Tackles
Round 19 ~ 11 Kicks, 2 Handballs, 13 Disposals, 3 Marks, 1 Goal, 3 Tackles
Round 20 ~ 15 Kicks, 9 Handballs, 24 Disposals, 8 Marks, 2 Tackles
Round 21 ~ 15 Kicks, 9 Handballs, 24 Disposals, 8 Marks, 1 Goal, 1 Tackle
Round 22 ~ 24 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 28 Disposals, 14 Marks, 1 Tackle

Elimination Final ~ 13 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 17 Disposals, 5 Marks, 1 Goal, 4 Tackles
Semi Final ~ 28 Kicks, 10 Handballs, 38 Disposals, 9 Marks, 2 Goals, 4 Tackles
Preliminary Final ~ 20 Kicks, 5 Handballs, 25 Disposals, 8 Marks, 3 Tackles

[Pie 4 Life]

Career Stats:

Year Team Games Kicks HBs Disp Marks Goals Beh Tackles HO FF FA Brownlow
2007 Collingwood 25 422 173 595 187 13 14 85 0 22 17 20
2006 Collingwood 21 311 176 487 168 19 12 44 0 18 6 11
2005 Collingwood 14 143 91 234 67 3 2 22 0 5 4
2004 Collingwood 13 105 66 171 49 2 5 18 0 4 1
2003 Collingwood 3 14 13 27 4 0 0 3 0 1 1
Career 76 995 519 1514 475 37 33 172 0 50 29 31

[Pie 4 Life]

AFL Statistical Rankings:

Ranked 3rd in Kicks Per Game
Ranked 2nd in Total Kicks
Ranked 7th in Total Marks
Ranked 16th in Marks Per Game
Ranked 8th in Total Disposal

[Pie 4 Life]

Dane Swan Gallery:

http://l.yimg.com/au.yimg.com/i/sp/afl/players/dane_swan_220105_l.jpg
2005 'Image'

http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/Collingwood/Swan_dane-thumb.jpg
AFL.com.au Image

http://www.geocities.com/buckleysurfers2006/2006nab1swan1.jpg
NAB Match vs St. Kilda in 2006

http://www.geocities.com/buckleysurfers2006/2006rd8swan1.jpg
Swanny in Round 8, 2006, when we belted the Cats by 102 points

http://img.footywire.com/afl/img/player/5/dane_swan.jpg
From Footywire

http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/76889327.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1937EB7531422ED89F6ACD529C77A7D26D8284831B75F 48EF45
On the Training Track

http://www.afana.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=8843&g2_serialNumber=2
ANZAC Day, 2007

[Pie 4 Life]

Dane Swan Gallery continued.


http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200601/r70340_195503.jpg
ABC.com.au pic

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5664616,00.jpg
Round 15 vs Geelong, 2007

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/Portals/0/Collingwood_images/photo_galleries/070916_sf_wcecoll/16swan.jpg
Semi Final vs West Coast, 2007

[Pie 4 Life]

Dane Swan on YouTube:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR0qOX9goUI

Here it is incase it doesn't work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR0qOX9goUI

[Swanny36]

Thank god mate..
if someone was gonna take swanny over me im glad it was you...
i just wanted someone to do him really well and you have so congrats...
nice pics and vids and stats etc..
reall y well done

[Marklar_33]

http://www.geocities.com/buckleysurfers2006/2006rd8swan1.jpg
Swanny in Round 8, 2006, when we belted the Cats by 102 points



Never, ever will I get sick of hearing about that match :D

[Pie 4 Life]

Average Dream Team Scores for Dane Swan by opponent:

1st Carlton = 99.3
HIGHEST: 136 (2006, 2nd time)
LOWEST: 53 (2005)

2nd Fremantle = 98.8
HIGHEST: 150 (2007)
LOWEST: 68 (2004)

3rd Adelaide = 96.8
HIGHEST: 138 (2006, 1st time)
LOWEST: 6 (2004)

4th West Coast = 93.2
HIGHEST: 158 (2007, 2nd time)
LOWEST: 34 (2004)

5th Port Adelaide = 89.2
HIGHEST: 109 (2007)
LOWEST: 76 (2005)

6th Sydney = 86.5
HIGHEST: 106 (2005)
LOWEST: 65 (2007, 1st time)

7th Geelong = 85.4
HIGHEST: 123 (2006)
LOWEST: 17 (2004)

8th Hawthorn = 84.8
HIGHEST: 126 (2006, 1st time)
LOWEST: 45 (2004)

9th St. Kilda = 84.0
HIGHEST: 136 (2007)
LOWEST: 47 (2004)

10th Kangaroos = 79.8
HIGHEST: 100 (2006, 1st time)
LOWEST: 52 (2005)

11th Melbourne = 78.3
HIGHEST: 94 (2007, 2nd time)
LOWEST: 52 (2005)

12th Richmond = 78.2
HIGHEST: 141 (2007, 1st time)
LOWEST: 46 (2003)

13th Essendon = 72.4
HIGHEST: 141 (2006, 2nd time)
LOWEST: 20 (2003)

14th Western Bulldogs = 65.4
HIGHEST: 114 (2006, 1st time)
LOWEST: 24 (2003)

15th Brisbane = 62.2
HIGHEST: 119 (2007, 2nd time)
LOWEST: 19 (2004, 2nd time)

[Pie 4 Life]

Dane Swan's luck:

2003:

With Swan in the team = 3 wins/0 losses = 100%

2004:

With Swan in the team = 4 wins/9 losses = 31%

2005:

With Swan in the team = 4 wins/10 losses = 29%

2006:

With Swan in the team = 13 wins/8 losses = 62%

2007:

With Swan in the team = 15 wins/10 losses = 60%


In total, when Dane Swan is in the team, we win 51% of the time.


Not really that lucky, but like his football career, a gamble :p:)

[Pie 4 Life]

Dane Swan's Highs and Lows:

Most Games: 25 (2007)
Least Games: 3 (2003)

Most Kicks: 28 (vs West Coast, Semi Final, 2007)
Least Kicks: 0 (vs Adelaide, Round 9, 2004)

Most Handballs: 18 (vs Adelaide, Round 1, 2006)
Least Handballs: 1 (5 times)

Most Possessions: 38 (vs West Coast, Semi Final, 2007)
Least Possessions: 1 (vs Adelaide, Round 9, 2004)

Most Marks: 15 (vs Adelaide, Round 1, 2006)
Most Goals: 4 (vs Geelong, Round 8, 2006)
Most Tackles: 6 (2 times)

[Coin_Toss]

He's one of my favourties. :thumbsu:

Great thinker, good balance as well as the ability to find the ball and use it.

[bradrowe#32]

Had nearly 600 possies this year! The man just keeps getting it and as long as he does, he will always be in the team. Also kicks goals.

[Skade]

And he holds the club record for bench press 140kgs. 10kg more than big Ant and Brown.

[loki04]

And he holds the club record for bench press 140kgs. 10kg more than big Ant and Brown.

Buckley use to with 154kg, I can't believe Rocca can't bench over 130kg that is piss poor for a bloke his size and years of training.
Who does our strength training? Our KPP should be aiming for at least 150kg in the bench J.Brown was doin 160+ a couple years back, no wonder brisbane were physically bigger and stronger than us.
There is an article with M.Micheal he said when he got traded to lions that their weights program was a lot more full on, i think our boys are training for tone but not have the strength to back it up.

[Smoky]

Buckley use to with 154kg, I can't believe Rocca can't bench over 130kg that is piss poor for a bloke his size and years of training.
Who does our strength training? Our KPP should be aiming for at least 150kg in the bench J.Brown was doin 160+ a couple years back, no wonder brisbane were physically bigger and stronger than us.
There is an article with M.Micheal he said when he got traded to lions that their weights program was a lot more full on, i think our boys are training for tone but not have the strength to back it up.

Speed and agility wins every day of the week. Dane Swan is an absolute legend if he can bench the most at the club - I'd have thought he'd have been somewhere around 5th.

I got a chance to talk to Dane at the Copeland last year - he'd had a few by that stage and just wanted to talk about his new tat. Genuinly really nice guy - me and my mate had had a few by that stage also and we told him that he was "the coolest man in football" - his response (with a big grin) was "thats what its all about!"

[Harries08]

And he holds the club record for bench press 140kgs. 10kg more than big Ant and Brown.
do you hav a list of each player and there max bench?

[loki04]

Speed and agility wins every day of the week. Dane Swan is an absolute legend if he can bench the most at the club - I'd have thought he'd have been somewhere around 5th.

I got a chance to talk to Dane at the Copeland last year - he'd had a few by that stage and just wanted to talk about his new tat. Genuinly really nice guy - me and my mate had had a few by that stage also and we told him that he was "the coolest man in football" - his response (with a big grin) was "thats what its all about!"

If you train right you will lose no speed infact weights can increase your burst speed, and they wont lose too much agility (if any) with all there aerobic and agility training they do.

edit: Sorry to go off topic was just really shocked if true, and Swanny is a bloody legend 140kg is a great bench for a mid.

[Skade]

do you hav a list of each player and there max bench?

Sorry no, I got that info from another thread. But I'd like to know also.

[Pie 4 Life]

Round 1: vs Fremantle @ MCG

21 Kicks
6 Handballs
27 Disposals

8 Marks
1 Free For
3 Frees Against
7 Tackles
0.3

Summary tomorrow :)

[skeetz]

I reckon Swanny is a "rack-em-up" type player. He will never have devestating disposal, and he sure can't kick a goal. What he can do though is accumulate 26 + disposals each week, and use it quite decently.
36 disposals on the weekend. He used it well, hardly ever makes a mistake. Good decision maker, always ready and waiting at the back of the pack to recieve a shovel-out from Obi or Scotty. Hands it off to a Daisy, Pendles, Davis etc.
Job Done!
Is having another fantastic year, as highlighted by these stats stolen from footywire:
Ranked 6th in Total Kicks, Ranked 8th in Total Disposals, Ranked 11th in Total Marks, Ranked 6th in Kicks Per Game, Ranked 12th in Disposals Per Game, Ranked 16th in Marks Per Game.
I hold out hope that Racer could become more like Swan. He's not far off, just doesn't get the amount of ball that Swanny does.
Leading the club with ~26 disposals per game, and averaging 3.4 tackles per game.
If he could only kick a bloody goal!!

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/skeetzr/swanny.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/skeetzr/swanny2.jpg

[Swanny36]

What do you mean if he could only kick a goal, he kicked 2 on the weekend..:p:D;)

[Pie 4 Life]

Sorry guys been really busy, about to do a massive update.

[Pie 4 Life]

Description Date Opponent Result K HB D M G B T HO GA GC I50 FF FA DT SC
Round 10 31st May West Coast Win 173-73 19 17 36 10 2 1 1 0 2 4 6 1 2 133 146
Round 9 23rd May Geelong Win 134-48 16 13 29 11 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 123 109
Round 8 16th May St Kilda Win 103-94 15 13 28 7 0 0 5 0 1 1 7 2 0 114 118
Round 7 3rd May Hawthorn Loss 89-154 13 9 22 6 1 0 4 0 0 1 5 1 0 98 80
Round 6 25th Apr Essendon Win 154-81 15 7 22 7 1 1 2 0 0 1 4 2 0 97 125
Round 5 19th Apr Kangaroos Loss 105-112 8 12 20 6 0 0 2 0 2 2 5 0 0 74 87
Round 4 13th Apr Carlton Loss 88-111 18 9 27 8 1 3 1 0 1 2 7 0 0 109 85
Round 3 6th Apr Richmond Win 122-78 13 5 18 7 0 1 5 0 0 0 1 1 1 89 69
Round 2 28th Mar Brisbane Loss 94-96 15 13 28 6 1 0 3 0 0 1 3 1 0 108 97
Round 1 22nd Mar Fremantle Win 111-85 21 6 27 8 0 3 7 0 0 0 3 1 3 122 80

[Pie 4 Life]

Quick Totals:

153 Kicks @ 15.3
104 Handballs @ 10.4
257 Disposals @ 25.7
76 Marks @ 7.6
6 Goals @ 0.6
9 Behinds @ 0.9
34 Tackles @ 3.4
6 Goal Assists @ 0.6
42 Inside 50's @ 4.2
9 Frees For @ 0.9
6 Frees Against @ 0.6
1067 DT Points @ 106.7
996 SC Points @ 99.6


How he compares over the AFL:

6th in Total Kicks
6th in Kicks Per Game
8th in Total Disposals
11th in Total Marks
12th in Disposals Per Game
16th in Marks Per Game

[Kate1985]

This week's issue of AFL Record had Swan on the cover. Very interesting article about his time at the club and pre-draft.


Pie Flies Under The Radar

With his unkempt appearance and ungainly style, Collingwood’s Dane Swan doesn’t look the typical AFL star. But as the football world is becoming increasingly aware, there are few more effective players than the hard-working Magpie midfielder.
By Andrew Wallace

It is the dying moments of extra time in the epic 2007 semi-final between West Coast and Collingwood. After nearly 110 minutes of frenetic football at Subiaco Oval, most players are out on their feet.
However, one Magpie is still willing is short, stocky legs through the pain barrier.
He intercepts a wayward clearance from the Eagles, handballs to a teammate, and the scoots forward to receive the one-two
Scuttling into an open goal he slams through the sealer with his 28th kick for the game, pumping his fist as the final siren sounds.
It is a watershed moment for the man who was once dropped from his under-18s side, who was selected with lowly pick No. 58 in the 2001 NAB AFL Draft, who was nearly given his marching orders due to off-field indiscretions, and who so often flies under the radar of media commentators, fans, and opposition players.
This is the story of Dane Swan.
In his 11-year TAC Cup coaching reign at the Calder Cannons between 1996 and 2006, Robert Hyde led his under-18s side to five Grand Finals and three premierships, mentoring future AFL stars such as Paul Chapman (Geelong), Ryan O’Keefe (Sydney), and Brock McLean (Melbourne).
And while the progression of the above trip to the top bracket of AFL players was somewhat expected, Hyde cannot say the same of Swan, who played his final year with the Cannons in 2001.
“To be totally honest, the fact that he’s right up there with the elite midfielders has been a bit of a surprise,” Hyde said.
“Back then you could see he enjoyed life and that there were a lot of other things happening apart from footy.”
Swan confesses that football was far from an obsession, initially preferring basketball as a sport, blissfully unaware how skills such as agility, in-close ball-handling and hand-eye coordination would transfer into his chosen career path.
As he grew more serious about becoming a footballer, ironically it was a speech from his future coach that helped him go to another level.
“Mick (Malthouse) came down to the Cannons and spoke to us at the start of the 2001 finals series,” the Magpie ball magnet said.
“He told us not to worry about what we’d dome up until then and that all recruiters would look at is how you go in the big games.
“I probably had my three best games of the year in the finals, and Mick was true to his word, because he ended up drafting me.”
Swan’s arrival at Collingwood was a proud moment for father Billy, a VFA champion who played 302 matches for Port Melbourne and Williamstown, famously booting the winning goal for the Seagulls in the 1990 Grand Final.
Billy, a wharf worker, and wife Deidre raised Dane and younger sister Bonnie at their Westmeadows home in Melbourne’s north.
Unlike many parents blinded their children’s flaws, Billy did not always believe Dane would make it to the top flight.
“He was a reasonably good junior player and always knew how to get the ball, but he wasn’t outstanding,” he said. “He played against players life Gary Ablett, Chris Judd, Luke Ball and all of those guys, but they were a long way in front of him.
“When he did get drafted, it was probably a bit of a shock – we thought he’d have more of a chance the year after.
“Collingwood took him as more of a speculative late in that draft. He went down there as a 17-year-old, and he wasn’t ready for it at that stage; he was a mile off.
“It was probably just a maturity thing – he’d come straight out of school, so it took him a while to mature and get a bit bigger and stronger. He was still only a boy, really.”
While Billy likes to leave Dane’s coaching to the coaches, early in his career at Collingwood he did offer his son some words of wisdom.
“I probably said a few times that he wasn’t working hard enough and needed to get a bit fitter and a bit more serious about it,” he said.
“My philosophy now is the he’s got better people than me telling him what to do, so I’ve steered away from criticising him, I don’t think it’s for parents to be sticking their heads in.”
To some extent, Billy subscribes to the theory that Dane is underrated, putting this down to his “ungainly” running style and shabby appearance.
“He’s not like a Judd, who looks really brilliant and flashy when he gets the footy,” he said.
“He always has his socks down, jumper out and wears those baggy shorts so he just doesn’t look like a footballer.”
As to comparisons between himself and his son, Billy believes the similarities end with their shared ability to find the football.
“He’s a lot quicker than I was and is definitely a better overhead mark than me,” he said.
“I might have been a bit better kick, but when I played there wasn’t the pressure on you that there is now. It’s all a lot different, but I think he’s got me covered.”
Collingwood great Nathan Buckley first laid eyes on Swan when the scruffy-looking teenager landed at Victoria Park before the 2002 season.
“The first thing that struck me was that he ran kind of funny,” laughed the former captain.
“He’s a little bit like Heath Shaw in that he hasn’t got the most fluent running style, but you worked out when you got into a game just how quick he actually was.”
The youngster did not debut in is first year at the club, and played just three matches the following season, a Grand Final year for the Magpies.
“He wasn’t in much of a different situation from a lot of kids when they arrive, they think they’ve made it when they get on to an AFL list,” Buckley said.
“I don’t know whether that was the case with ‘Swanny’, or whether he just enjoyed the other aspects of his life and wanted to maximise those as well.”
Swan’s major wake-up call came following an incident in 2003. The fallout almost ended the midfielder’s AFL career and plagued him for years to come
“The trouble that he got into and the way it dragged on, I think he realised then that if you float along and let yourself get caught up in certain situations, then it doesn’t end well,” Buckley said.
“The club told him in no uncertain terms that he was on his last chance after that.
“He came to a sliding doors moment where he could have gone one way or the other, and he chose to do the right thing.
“By his own admission he feels like he owes the club, he could have easily been moved on or delisted, because he hadn’t really shown much to anyone at that stage.”
Swan freely admits that he was perilously close to being shown the exit in 2004.
“I was told I was gone and that the board wanted me sacked, but I think the people who save me were (coach) Mick Malthouse, (former CEO) Greg Swann, and (football manager) Neil Balme,” he said. “Mick convinced them that you couldn’t end a kid’s career on one stuff- up, but from then on I knew I was on my last legs.
“I had definitely taken my first three years for granted; I thought I was always going to play AFL and make good money, so I probably went out a bit too much and socialised a lot more than I do now.
“I realised it could all be taken away from me very quickly, and that’s when I decided to do something about it.”
Buckley is adamant that Swan has made all the right choices and changes in his life, and now rates the 24-year-old as an undoubted match-winner.
The midfielder has not missed a game since round 12, 2006, polled 20 votes in last year’s Brownlow Medal count and is averaging 25 possessions a game this season.
“I think he’s still improving and that his rate of development over the last couple of years has been fantastic,” Buckley said.
“He can go down back and pick up a lot of the ball as a sweeping backman; he can go up forward where he finds space and times his leads very well, but I think his greatest strength is his ability to win the ball in tight.”
And while to 2003 Brownlow medallist believes his former on-ball colleague still flies under the radar in terms of media attention, he feels this is far from the case within 15 other AFL clubs.
“When he’s on the field, invariably he’ll be one of the first guys they’ll go to,” he said.
“Opposition teams earmark Swanny as one of the guys they want to shut down, and generally he cops a tag because of that.
“He also gets around in some pretty ‘out-there’ clothes and his dress sense isn’t too crash-hot, so maybe he draws more attention on the street than he does on the footy field!”
As for the tags, Swan feels he rightly receive less scrutiny than marquee players such as Ablett and Judd. “I don’t deserve the recognition that they got, because they’re obviously superstars of the game and I’m not one of them,” he said. “But because we’re got an evenly balanced midfield, I do get picked up by someone most weeks, which is something that I’ve got to deal with.”
Tactics for losing a game-day shadow depend on Swan’s opponent. They include dragging an aerially suspect player to the forward line, trying to burn off a slower opponent with pace, or taking a lightly framed rival to plenty of stoppages.
“Some of the first-year players who haven’t played many games can by really tough, because they’re trying to do their job to stay in the side, and don’t look for the ball as much,” he said.
“In the end, you’ve just got to play your role, and if we’re winning and I’m not going well, I’m fine with that.”
AFL Record Round 13, June 20-22 pg 58-62