Past #3 Dylan Stephens

[Kennedy Parker]

Dylan Stephens
The Sydney Swans used their first pick five since Jarrad McVeigh

Jarrad Mcveigh

Age

40

Ht

184cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.3

5star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.2

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.1

5star

MG

327.8

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.4

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

in 2002 to lock in a talented midfielder from South Australian club Norwood at the 2019 AFL Draft. Dylan Stephens

15

Dylan Stephens

Age

25

Ht

184cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

4star

CL

0.0

1star

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

3star

CL

0.0

1star

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

4star

CL

0.0

1star

is a prolific ball-winner and creative user of the footy by hand and foot. He played predominantly on a wing in the early matches of the 2019 AFL Under-18 Championships before starring on the inside in the final match, gathering 33 disposals in a best-on-ground performance. A penetrating left-footer, he averaged 23.8 disposals and 4.8 tackles across the 2019 AFL Under-18 Championships and was rewarded with All Australian honours. He also played some excellent football at senior level with Norwood, averaging 18.2 disposals and 4.6 tackles in 12 matches. Stephens enjoyed a breakout season for the Bloods in 2020 with a memorable AFL debut in Round 6 against Richmond alongside fellow debutant, Chad Warner

1

Chad Warner

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

3star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

2star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

4star

CL

0.0

1star

. Stephens finished the campaign with eight appearances, averaging 12.5 disposals and 3.4 marks per game, while also kicking two goals.

Dylan Stephens

15

Dylan Stephens

Age

25

Ht

184cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

4star

CL

0.0

1star

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

3star

CL

0.0

1star

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

4star

CL

0.0

1star

DOB: 08 January 2001
DEBUT: 2020
DRAFT: #5, 2019 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Red Cliffs (Vic)/Walkerville (SA)/St Peter's College (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)

Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club. All the latest news, videos, results and information.

Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[TheMase]

Will seems a very popular Clubman and top young man. No surprise he was elected to the LG. His leadership skills are not evident during games. In particular he cannot be trusted to convert opportunities and truthfully he doesn't trust himself.

He has led a charmed life getting games which he doesn't deserve. He has been close to a liability in big games. Not as bad as The GRohan but almost as ineffectual.

Rephrase. His leadership is not evident to YOU during games. Clearly his teammates disagree.

He had the yips for a period of time, as did much of the team. Last 7 games he kicked 10.4 (71%). Kicked 25.19 for the year. Only year he has had more behinds than goals was his second season.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Will seems a very popular Clubman and top young man. No surprise he was elected to the LG. His leadership skills are not evident during games. In particular he cannot be trusted to convert opportunities and truthfully he doesn't trust himself.

He has led a charmed life getting games which he doesn't deserve. He has been close to a liability in big games. Not as bad as The GRohan but almost as ineffectual.

Will came to us as an attacking player who IIRC kicked 6 goals in a losing GF. Once he started playing seniors he played attacking footy but was sent back to reserves to work on the defensive side of his game. That side seems to be pretty good but the attacking side seems to have deteriorated. If we had had a ready replacement I would have said go back to reserves and play CHF to get it back. But we didn't. So he didn't. IMO not his fault. He needs a reset from a change in role whether in seniors or reserves. He has been a good player and will be again if handled appropriately.
The shortcomings in Stephens' game make me doubt he can reach that level. Not about confidence but about skill.

 

[TheMase]

I was very keen on getting Stephens with pick 5, in fact he was my preferred choice even before the draft….

After 4 years…

I think he can become a serviceable AFL player for us, or someone else. However, I don’t think he is particularly damaging with the ball, even at VFL level. And I don’t think his skill set is such that he could reinvent himself in another position (such as half back).

Happy to keep him but I personally don’t think it’ll hurt us if we don’t. I won’t be losing sleep over it.

 

[Kiama Chris]

I was very keen on getting Stephens with pick 5, in fact he was my preferred choice even before the draft….

After 4 years…

I think he can become a serviceable AFL player for us, or someone else. However, I don’t think he is particularly damaging with the ball, even at VFL level. And I don’t think his skill set is such that he could reinvent himself in another position (such as half back).

Happy to keep him but I personally don’t think it’ll hurt us if we don’t. I won’t be losing sleep over it.

Exactly.

 

[Nuggetz]

I think Stephens attributes with his endurance & better leg speed than his competing mids have led the coaches to pigeon hole him on the wing/outside in the senior side. If he didn't have those attributes they may have played him on the inside, like they did with a rowbottom, sheldrick. It's not just about opportunities but those opportunities in a favourable position. We've seen the success with players who've left being played in their favourable position with a Dawson (mid), Newman (halfback), Aliir (attacking defender), Nank (primary ruck).

It's not just about performing at VFL level but having a performance at AFL level which is linked positively to the team's performance. We know Stephens has been inconsistent playing an outside type role at AFL level, it's just disappointing we haven't afforded him an opportunity to find consistency in an inside role at AFL level. Especially considering the team has been below it's best for majority of the year...

If Stephens has an inside mid opportunity at another club then he should take it, he & everyone else knows playing him on the outside leads to inconsistent performances. Otherwise he should stay here, as we're at-least in a premiership window & he's close to senior selection on a weekly basis.

In person, he's quite big too. On tv he looks smaller. I remember caesar88 or someone else mentioning that Juzzy looked big in person when I said he was slight/skinny on tv.

Whatever happens, I wish him the best because there's an AFL player within his current skillset. I think it'll be as an inside mid compared to outside mid.

 

[Nuggetz]

Will seems a very popular Clubman and top young man. No surprise he was elected to the LG. His leadership skills are not evident during games. In particular he cannot be trusted to convert opportunities and truthfully he doesn't trust himself.

He has led a charmed life getting games which he doesn't deserve. He has been close to a liability in big games. Not as bad as The GRohan but almost as ineffectual.

You have an amazing way with words, love it. Ha.

 

[TheMase]

I think Stephens attributes with his endurance & better leg speed than his competing mids have led the coaches to pigeon hole him on the wing/outside in the senior side. If he didn't have those attributes they may have played him on the inside, like they did with a rowbottom, sheldrick.

To be fair, if he didn’t have those attributes he probably wouldn’t have been drafted on an AFL list.

I think they gave him the chance to develop his outside game whilst his body got to the point he could complete to become a genuine hybrid.

As an outside player he seems to lack the nous for it and lacks class with his ball use. On the inside he doesn’t seem hard enough to me, and certainly hasn’t performed to a level to get game time over his team mates, even newer ones like Sheldrick.

 

[Nuggetz]

To be fair, if he didn’t have those attributes he probably wouldn’t have been drafted on an AFL list.

I think they gave him the chance to develop his outside game whilst his body got to the point he could complete to become a genuine hybrid.

As an outside player he seems to lack the nous for it and lacks class with his ball use. On the inside he doesn’t seem hard enough to me, and certainly hasn’t performed to a level to get game time over his team mates, even newer ones like Sheldrick.

Fair enough but if you put sheldrick in another role would he have had good games? It's not like all stephens games on the outside have been bad but they've been inconsistent. We haven't seen what his output would be on the inside at AFL level. TBF Rowbottom is probably a similar size to Stephens but has pre-dominantly played on the inside from the start. It's how to best utilise those attributes for the player & team, don't think either has been achieved in Stephens case.

If Sheldrick & Rowbottom had Stephens speed/endurance they would've also probably played on the outside like Stephens imo. Maybe Warner is a better comparison, if he doesn't get midfield opportunities & plays pre-dominantly on the wing then would he have been as effective?

It's not the lack of opportunity but the type of opportunity which is concerning for me. At the end of the day we did use pick 5 on him, so more scrutiny should be applied on his performances & the roles he's been asked to play compared that to a latter picked player.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Fair enough but if you put sheldrick in another role would he have had good games? It's not like all stephens games on the outside have been bad but they've been inconsistent. We haven't seen what his output would be on the inside at AFL level. TBF Rowbottom is probably a similar size to Stephens but has pre-dominantly played on the inside from the start. It's how to best utilise those attributes for the player & team, don't think either has been achieved in Stephens case.

If Sheldrick & Rowbottom had Stephens speed/endurance they would've also probably played on the outside like Stephens imo. Maybe Warner is a better comparison, if he doesn't get midfield opportunities & plays pre-dominantly on the wing then would he have been as effective?

It's not the lack of opportunity but the type of opportunity which is concerning for me. At the end of the day we did use pick 5 on him, so more scrutiny should be applied on his performances & the roles he's been asked to play compared that to a latter picked player.

I remember one of Dyl's early games against GC where GAblett placed his hand on Dyl's chest and he just fell over. He had no stability, no real purchase on the ground. Just waved his arms.
That was when I thought "uh oh!".
Combined with skill shortages I've mentioned in other posts I struggle to see Dyl holding down a senior spot in any role. If he can do that in another team then good luck to him.

 

[bedford]

Rephrase. His leadership is not evident to YOU during games. Clearly his teammates disagree.

He had the yips for a period of time, as did much of the team. Last 7 games he kicked 10.4 (71%). Kicked 25.19 for the year. Only year he has had more behinds than goals was his second season.

Running in to open goals , how many set shots !

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Running in to open goals , how many set shots !

Aye. Plus how many shanked out on the full? Even Healy now calls him Hill Wayward. This gives me a terrible dose of the guilts.

 

[DobmusEdge]

I disagree with your “plenty of opportunity” statement.

Plenty of times Dylan has been dropped when others in the same form would have been retained.

I can’t help but wonder how things would have played out if Dylan was given the same opportunity as say Hayward, who was retained (at the same stage of his development) despite appalling form.

It feels inevitable that he’ll leave, which I regard as a real shame, as he has a lot of positive attributes.

Hayward was dropped from the 22 for the first four games of his fifth season

 

[Callipygian]

Heading south? Swans midfielder requests trade

Midfielder Dylan Stephens is set to leave the Swans during the trade period

www.afl.com.au

A disappointing end to our pick 5 we had high hopes for. I understand it for him and wish him well. It's only regrettable we weren't able to turn him into (or he wasn't able to become) the footy player we needed. Now I hope we get a decent return for him at the trade table. Do North still hold their second rounder? That would be good, but perhaps more than we can hope for? Given they can walk him to the PSD we won't have a lot of bargaining power.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Has requested a trade to North on a four year deal

 

[Olian]

Can’t knock back a 4 year deal. North will never learn.

Assume we offered a couple of years.

 

[Millky95]

Probably came down to the amount of years offered. Wish he would have stayed. Reckon we'll have to take whatever North offer given the PSD

 

[Punts]

Catch ya

 

[WillHayward]

22yo and probably didnt want his career ended at 24. Cant knock a bloke for wanting security with a deal twice as long.

 

[Millky95]

Catch ya

Nicest thing you've said about Stephens since we drafted him

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

We got that awfully wrong

Oh well

 

[BarneyBent]

Not sure I want a mediocre pick for him. Hoping he can play a part in getting Grundy to us, or maybe another player if there's one who meets our needs.

 

[Ticky009]

 

[caesar88]

The story remained the same for most of his tenure at the Swans. Never really bad, but never really good enough, either.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

4 years is absolutely insane Clarko must see something in him.

Goodluck to him

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

Not sure I want a mediocre pick for him. Hoping he can play a part in getting Grundy to us, or maybe another player if there's one who meets our needs.

Yeah hopefully Sydney get some steak knives that the Swans can convert for points for Grundy. Can’t fault taking up a 4 year offer.