Player Watch #2 Hayden McLean - re-signed end 2027

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Hayden McLean

Player Profile

Pre-season supplementary list rules allowed the Sydney Swans to sign Hayden McLean in March 2019, and while injury ruled out the key-position player for seven of the first 10 NEAFL games of the season, he’d respond in commanding fashion. The former Sandringham Dragons skipper made his AFL debut as Sydney met Fremantle in Round 18, 2019, which saw him battle imposing ruck trio Aaron Sandilands, Sean Darcy and Rory Lobb, as well as a parochial Optus Stadium crowd. Coach John Longmire praised McLean’s debut performance and he finished the season with four AFL games beside his name. The 197-centimetre, 93-kilogram giant is chasing consistent AFL selection in 2020. Draft history: 2019 pre-season supplementary rookie selection

Hayden McLean

DOB:20 January 1999
DRAFT:2018
RECRUITED FROM: Beaumaris (Vic)/St Bede's Coll (Vic)/ Sand U18/Sand (VFL)


 
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How have people seen Hayden's 2nd season with the Swans?

He strikes me as Callum Sinclair's ideal successor.

He will be better than Sinclair IMO.

I see him as a full forward who will match up well with McCartin in the future.
 

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CHF for me but maybe I'm being bullish. He does well at ground level and I really like his link play with the midfield at times. Is good at bringing others into play

I guess I like the idea of the bigger bodied forward being closer to goal, and the more mobile forward (McCartin) up around the arc as a marking target. Either way I wish we were getting to see them getting games together this year while there's nothing to lose.
 

Kiama Chris

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Would be behind Reid, Sinclair and McCartin. Though, could be part of the rotations given the short turn arounds
Seeing Reid's impact on today's game given zero match fitness he is our best KPF after Bud.
Sinkers is in as ruck due to injuries. Not best 22 otherwise. Great guy and terrific clubman who gives 100% but has peaked.
Horse (and his teammates) seem to really love McCartin. At this stage I think he offers a bit more than McLean as a forward.
So I think your comment is on the money UNLESS we convert one of them to CHB or FB.
 
Seeing Reid's impact on today's game given zero match fitness he is our best KPF after Bud.
Sinkers is in as ruck due to injuries. Not best 22 otherwise. Great guy and terrific clubman who gives 100% but has peaked.
Horse (and his teammates) seem to really love McCartin. At this stage I think he offers a bit more than McLean as a forward.
So I think your comment is on the money UNLESS we convert one of them to CHB or FB.
I'd leave them all as forwards. But I would play McLean over Bell if fit. Bell didn't disgrace himself today at all, just really liked what I saw of McLean
 
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Really don't understand what Sinclair offers that McLean can't. Get him in!

Mentioned on the injury update that he has returned from injury, so perhaps he was not dropped at the time but injured / sore.
 

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What would you guys give him out of 10 for the season?

What does he need to do to cement himself in the 22.

Would give him a 4-5, showed some signs but couldn't nail down a spot even when we were crying for a tall.

Desperately needs to improve the below.
1. His endurance, is out of puff early in the match.
2. His agility, he reads the ball well and puts his body in the line, but struggles to change direction and this hurts him around the contest.
 
Not much in the stats and will undoubtedly make way for Buddy if he returns but just wanted to highlight his contribution in the second yesterday. The first was the contested grab over Grimes and subsequent goal and the second was the slap on which eventually led to McDonald’s first goal.
 
Has played his role and done some good work for us. That tap on was awesome.

His tap on work is elite, going back to last year. His awareness and footy smarts are stand-out attributes you don't usually see in guys built like dinosaurs. He deserves a run of games to build on that, instead of being constantly used as a stop-gap as he has been basically his whole career. It's not conducive to him building any sort of form or confidence.
 

Kiama Chris

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Not much in the stats and will undoubtedly make way for Buddy if he returns but just wanted to highlight his contribution in the second yesterday. The first was the contested grab over Grimes and subsequent goal and the second was the slap on which eventually led to McDonald’s first goal.
Also he ran Grimes all over the place on the lead and greatly reduced his effectiveness. Opened up the leading lanes. He played a role the coaches would have been very pleased with.
 
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He appears to have a professional and mature head on his shoulders with having to handle going in and out of the side despite playing fairly well. I really think he's an untapped resource who can be a genuinely good player. He's got a real sense for playing footy. I don't see why ultimately he can't end up providing what Sam Reid has at his best - hard-working, 2nd tall who tackles hard and is good for 1.5 goals a game while also taking 2nd ruck duties. I really hope we re-sign him with Reid and Bud coming to the end of their careers.

Not a star but an essential type of player in a good team: selfless, industrious, and a good footy brain.
 
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His tap on work is elite, going back to last year. His awareness and footy smarts are stand-out attributes you don't usually see in guys built like dinosaurs. He deserves a run of games to build on that, instead of being constantly used as a stop-gap as he has been basically his whole career. It's not conducive to him building any sort of form or confidence.
 
Is that the most tap ons ever seen by the Swans in one game? It was like the Harlem Globetrotters out there!! Anything to keep the ball moving forward.

The tap on is more important than ever in the current game with pressure levels sometimes making it literally impossible to actually possess the ball. They have that many useless stats these days - might as well add 'tap-ons'.
 

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