Player Watch #9 Will Hayward

[Kennedy Parker]

Will Hayward
Spritely Sydney Swans forward Will Hayward

9

Will Hayward

Age

25

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

9.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.4

5star

enjoyed a rocketing start to his career as he became the 11th-youngest player in the AFL era to reach 50 career goals in 2018. The 2016 draftee’s nippy pace and cunning goal awareness have made him a dangerous option in coach John Longmire’s forward line. A broken jaw and a persistent hip injury limited Hayward to just 12 goals in 13 senior games in 2019, but the South Australian is attacking the 2020 campaign on the back of his first full pre-season. Don’t be surprised if the exciting Swan finds himself on a wing this year.

Will Hayward

9

Will Hayward

Age

25

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

9.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.4

5star

DOB: 26 October 1998
DEBUT: 2017
DRAFT: #21, 2016 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Walkerville (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

Will Hayward | AFL

Follow Will Hayward's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[bedford]

Showing your age there Rusty!

Good show in it's day , wasn't there a stunning blonde ?

 

[caesar88]

So if Hayward is not being squeezed out due to salary cap and not being squeezed out because we have excess players fulfilling his role, how again will he be squeezed out? It honestly just sounds like you don't rate him or his role and so would spend his money elsewhere. If that's the case, there is no squeezing - just releasing.

Not sure what I have to do with it. It's not me in charge of the salary cap and how we spend it. It's the club's decision and they've shown in the past they are willing to let players go if their price tag exceeds their perceived worth to the team. And that's not to say he's worthless, but relative to many others he's worth less.

 

[Kirkswan]

Good show in it's day , wasn't there a stunning blonde ?

No idea... wouldn't have noticed if there was... but the male lead was okay

 

[wills2g]

Period in 2022 when the team was doing just fine without Hayward, in fact it was working really really well when he was dropped

Medium forward is just a hard role to play

I don't think Hayward has been that bad this year, if he gets 1-2 goals a game that is a crazy good return

 

[Dan87]

When was the last time we squeezed out a best 22 forward

 

[bedford]

No idea... wouldn't have noticed if there was... but the male lead was okay

A future star

No idea... wouldn't have noticed if there was... but the male lead was okay

Farah Fawcett , Charlies Angels sadly has left us . That hairstyle was the fashion , as we no doubt go to posts that don't matter . Sorry

 

[bedford]

When was the last time we squeezed out a best 22 forward

We squeezed out a best 22 mid

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

We squeezed out a best 22 mid

Hewett ? If correct, am I the Bedford whisperer ?

 

[Jimbo OZ]

Not sure what I have to do with it. It's not me in charge of the salary cap and how we spend it. It's the club's decision and they've shown in the past they are willing to let players go if their price tag exceeds their perceived worth to the team. And that's not to say he's worthless, but relative to many others he's worth less.

So this is not your opinion? This is real? It has happened? OK. Good to be in the know I guess.

 

[Dan87]

We squeezed out a best 22 mid

We do this for fun

Hewett, Jones, Mitchell

 

[Dan87]

Maybe we squeeze out Lloyd and keep Hayward

 

[Kirkswan]

A future star

Farah Fawcett , Charlies Angels sadly has left us . That hairstyle was the fashion , as we no doubt go to posts that don't matter . Sorry

Oh that's right... I'd completely forgotten that!

 

[Arrr]

Just out of curiosity, in the starting line up where would people rank him as far as value to the team?
Personally I would put all of the following ahead of him in no particular order:
Heeney
Papley
Gulden
Blakey
Warner
McCartin
Rowbottom
Mills
Parker
MacDonald (at this stage only due to the fact he would be ridiculously expensive to replace).

I personally see that group as the top tier of importance to the team, after that would be the bracket I would put him in along with:
Florent
MacInerney
Rampe
Lloyd
Cunningham
Wicks
Grundy
McLean
Melican

Rampe, Lloyd, Cunningham all getting closer to the end so could easily see them getting pushed down this list to accommodate players like Roberts, Armaty, Campbell, Sheldrick, Jordan.
It would be nice to see some more talls pushing this group also.

 

[Kirkswan]

Not sure what I have to do with it. It's not me in charge of the salary cap and how we spend it. It's the club's decision and they've shown in the past they are willing to let players go if their price tag exceeds their perceived worth to the team. And that's not to say he's worthless, but relative to many others he's worth less.

Cool story... needs more dragons!

You speak as if this is fact, when we all know the club does not comment on contract negotiations, player payments, or their personnel strategies.

 

[ashep]

This is where I'm at with him in regards to team selection as well. If he's in fine, but if he has to go make way to keep say Parker, Wicks, Fox, Lloyd and Jordon in the team, all of whom I think are better players/more important to the team, then so be it.

lol what? Parker is the only one on that list above Hayward. You can quibble over Lloyd given the role he's now playing. Wicks, Fox and Jordon are all playing 2's well before Hayward goes down.

 

[bedford]

We do this for fun

Hewett, Jones, Mitchell

Jones is a spud and always has been according to Morrey

 

[hairy biker]

Good show in it's day , wasn't there a stunning blonde ?

Not sure what show you are thinking of, but there was a movie called Logan's Run starring the gorgeous Jenny Agutter;


Ms Agutter is now 71yo, but I'm pleased to say back in the day she was not averse to shedding her clothes on film.



Right then night all, I'm off to my bunk and I may be some time.

 

[Arrr]

lol what? Parker is the only one on that list above Hayward. You can quibble over Lloyd given the role he's now playing. Wicks, Fox and Jordan are all playing 2's well before Hayward goes down.

I would argue that Wicks has showed his importance to the team and that he provides something different to what others do in much the same way as Hayward. He isn't a clear goal scorer, his role requires that intense forward pressure also and a good ability to crumb the tall forwards.
I wouldn't say he's better but I would put them as roughly equally important. Likewise Lloyd whilst he isn't necessarily better I would put about on par

 

[ashep]

He's the type who would score a bag against his old team then not score another goal in 3 weeks

Has only gone goalless 3 games in a row once in the last 5 years just for the record.

 

[Callipygian]

Cool story... needs more dragons!

You speak as if this is fact, when we all know the club does not comment on contract negotiations, player payments, or their personnel strategies.

Just on that, people should also be very cautious about believing what is "reported" in the media about contract negotiations and trades etc. Even with the Naughton instance that Beatson seemed to lend credence to, my understanding is that we never made a serious play for him. For instance, I don't think anyone from the club ever met with Naughton. Possibly conversations were had with his manager and nothing more.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

I'm hoping he stays, and I really can't believe so many of you think he doesn't deserve his spot and/or should be traded.

He's 25, just reaching the prime of his career; has almost 150 games of playing experience with our group; is consistently fit to play; delivers 1.5 goals and 2.5 tackles a game; and puts team first by sacrificing his game to play the role is given.

On the weekend he took Frost completely out of the game... this weekend I'm expecting him to go Himmel. He does this type of role week after week, and still he gets no love!

Who the hell are you expecting to come in and play his role? We need someone to come in and hit the ground running, kick 30-40 goals a year, have significant levels of experience (about 100 games), tackle and pressure, and be willing to sacrifice his own game for the good of the team... oh, and cost less!

Worse than Judas. Has a head like a pumpkin.

Don’t play him unless he signs for what he is worth.

 

[Kirkswan]

Not sure what show you are thinking of, but there was a movie called Logan's Run starring the gorgeous Jenny Agutter;
View attachment 1975536

Ms Agutter is now 71yo, but I'm pleased to say back in the day she was not averse to shedding her clothes on film.

View attachment 1975543

Right then night all, I'm off to my bunk and I may be some time.

Lol! Logan's Run was a sitcom in the mid to late 70s (I think)... screened weekly and was a huge hit with the late teens, early 20s crew. Set in the future...

 

[the hypnotoad]

I can't speak for others, and I won't go into the reasons I'm not that keen on him in the side, lest it turn into another Hayward pile-on, but I think as for the reasons to trade him, I think our hands may be tied somewhat.

Judging by his RFA status, Hayward is in our top 25% of earners, but he's not in our top 25% of players (This is not a criticism - I don't think even his staunchest advocates could claim that he is one of or even close to being in our best 11 players.)

We've re-signed better and more important players recently, and will need to re-sign better and more important players in the immediate future, so the club has to think about where - or who - they're gonna put their money towards.

It's very likely we won't be able to offer him what he was previously on. So to stay with us he'd have to take a substantial pay cut. That already works against us. Then when you consider the seemingly desperate SA clubs lurking, it's not hard to imagine a reality where they ARE willing to offer him what he was previously on, possibly more.

It wouldn't be fair to expect Hayward to settle for less if he doesn't have to, and it wouldn't be fair to expect the Swans to offer more if they don't want to. Could just be two parties at odds with each other's priorities.

We've lost better players for less in the past.

you want hayward out of the team, yet you rate lloyd to the extent you give him "best" points and call him "the general" ...
you have so many good ideas and opinions but your lloyd obsession isn't one ...
lloyd of 3,4, 5 years ago, yeah, ok, and that you're a fan is fair enough, but (forgetting money and whatever other issues) to suggest hayward is less important or less worthy of a place in our best 22 is stubbornly, defiantly biased and wrong

 

[TheGoatBaron]

Not sure what show you are thinking of, but there was a movie called Logan's Run starring the gorgeous Jenny Agutter;
View attachment 1975536

Ms Agutter is now 71yo, but I'm pleased to say back in the day she was not averse to shedding her clothes on film.

View attachment 1975543

Right then night all, I'm off to my bunk and I may be some time.

Got to love the 90’s Simpsons

 

[Kirkswan]

Worse than Judas. Has a head like a pumpkin.

Don’t play him unless he signs for what he is worth.

I really wasn't going to ask... but somehow I can't resist... what does the shape of his head got to do with anything at all?

And I imagine we don't want to pay him what he is worth... we want to pay him slightly less to play in a team that has a shot at going deep into the final series over the next 5 years. The question, imo, is what does he want more? A shot at the flag or bigger bucks or the opportunity to play in the midfield?

And for all we know, the could be personal reasons he is thinking of moving.