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

[Kennedy Parker]

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

2

Hayden Mclean

Age

25

Ht

197cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.1

2star

K

5.1

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.0

5star

G

0.4

3star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.3

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

10.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

4.4

5star

G

0.2

3star

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

Hayden McLean | AFL

Follow Hayden McLean's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

le good result

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Btw, I just wanted to mention I've been pumping this guy's tyres all year, and I'm bloody stoked that he's committed to the swans. One of my favourite up and coming players.

 

[the hypnotoad]

le good result

i like how you said that in french

 

[GoTheSwannies]

i like how you said that in french

Oui

 

[CheapCharlie]

Excellent news!

 

[mtooler]

Him and Armerty and Mcdonald and Buddy going to be interesting, I'm wanting to see Mcdonald extended asap.

 

[Bonz]

Him and Armerty and Mcdonald and Buddy going to be interesting, I'm wanting to see Mcdonald extended asap.

Actually confident on McDonald, country boy and was pumping his tyres about an interstate move before draft.

 

[mtooler]

Actually confident on McDonald, country boy and was pumping his tyres about an interstate move before draft.

I'm thinking opportunities, all 4 cant play, either Mcdonald or Mclean miss weekly I suspect.

 

[Bonz]

I'm thinking opportunities, all 4 cant play, either Mcdonald or Mclean miss weekly I suspect.

Very different players, McLean will likely be a second ruck type.

McDonald could play third forward next year and development to eventually take over from Franklin.

 

[SGBeach]

Him and Armerty and Mcdonald and Buddy going to be interesting, I'm wanting to see Mcdonald extended asap.

At any one time, one or two of Buddy, Amartey, McDonald, McLean will be injured or in need of a rest.
Buddy won't play every game (hope Im wrong), Swans will likely manage McDonald to 10-15 games (don't think they'll stuff around with his development), and both McLean and Amartey are in similar boats, so like this year will likely need management in 2022

Reckon (especially if Reid goes) we need another KPF. Paddy?

 

[mtooler]

Very different players, McLean will likely be a second ruck type.

McDonald could play third forward next year and development to eventually take over from Franklin.

So Armerty doesnt play.

 

[mtooler]

At any one time, one or two of Buddy, Amartey, McDonald, McLean will be injured or in need of a rest.
Buddy won't play every game (hope Im wrong), Swans will likely manage McDonald to 10-15 games (don't think they'll stuff around with his development), and both McLean and Amartey are in similar boats, so like this year will likely need management in 2022

Reckon (especially if Reid goes) we need another KPF. Paddy?

Paddy will be FB

 

[Bonz]

So Armerty doesnt play.

I think it's Amartey or McLean for that role rather than McDonald when his developed.

Great to have competition!

 

[TheMase]

So Armerty doesnt play.

Don’t know about that. We shall see.
Amartey has a higher ceiling for sure, whether he is able to get there we will see.

 

[caesar88]

Who knows how the game will trend in the years after Buddy's retirement. Melbourne have essentially made the grand final on the back of a four talls set up: their main ruck (Gawn), their two forwards (Brown & McDonald) and their second ruck/third forward (Jackson.) Port have also been kinda successful in recent years (excluding consecutive prelim disasters) with the same set-up.

This after Richmond's strategy of minimal talls and a ground ball game plan. The game always changes with ebbs and flows in what works and what doesn't, so there could very easily be a scenario in the near future where all of McLean, Logan and Amartey are in the same team.

 

[Bonz]

Who knows how the game will trend in the years after Buddy's retirement. Melbourne have essentially made the grand final on the back of a four talls set up: their main ruck (Gawn), their two forwards (Brown & McDonald) and their second ruck/third forward (Jackson.) Port have also been kinda successful in recent years (excluding consecutive prelim disasters) with the same set-up.

This after Richmond's strategy of minimal talls and a ground ball game plan. The game always changes with ebbs and flows in what works and what doesn't, so there could very easily be a scenario in the near future where all of McLean, Logan and Amartey are in the same team.

Have to remember Brown hasn't played most of the season for Melbourne and Jackson is one of the more mobile talls out there.

(I would give up a lot to get Jackson)

 

[caesar88]

Have to remember Brown hasn't played most of the season for Melbourne and Jackson is one of the more mobile talls out there.

(I would give up a lot to get Jackson)

Brown's played every game since round 17, including the finals. In that time they've gone 7-1-1, including four wins over top four teams. Earlier in the season Weideman also got a run. So I think they have settled on their four-tall set-up as the one they've built a potential flag campaign on. TBD if it gets the job done.

 

[dosser]

Don’t know about that. We shall see.
Amartey has a higher ceiling for sure, whether he is able to get there we will see.

Are you questioning his leap?

 

[Bonz]

Brown's played every game since round 17, including the finals. In that time they've gone 7-1-1, including four wins over top four teams. Earlier in the season Weideman also got a run. So I think they have settled on their four-tall set-up as the one they've built a potential flag campaign on. TBD if it gets the job done.

I really hope it gets the job done.

I just don't believe Brown has been a key contributor to their GF run.

 

[TheMase]

Are you questioning his leap?

Haha well comparing their athleticism so technically yes

 

[TheMase]

Haha well comparing their athleticism so technically yes

There is definitely room for all three of McLean, Amartey and McDonald post Buddy. They all offer something different.

Not sure that we’ll see all of them and Buddy but as caesar88 points out it’s not without possibility.

 

[caesar88]

I really hope it gets the job done.

I just don't believe Brown has been a key contributor to their GF run.

Brown individually? No.

Brown as part of that four-man set up? I think so.

I don't believe McDonald and (for now) Jackson are that good that they've been key contributors either. Gawn is the only one I think they'd be indisputably effed without. But I reckon it's a "whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" situation with their forward structure.

 

[Millky95]

Brown individually? No.

Brown as part of that four-man set up? I think so.

I don't believe McDonald and (for now) Jackson are that good that they've been key contributors either. Gawn is the only one I think they'd be indisputably effed without. But I reckon it's a "whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" situation with their forward structure.

Helps when they have pretty dominant mids

 

[S120]

Who knows how the game will trend in the years after Buddy's retirement. Melbourne have essentially made the grand final on the back of a four talls set up: their main ruck (Gawn), their two forwards (Brown & McDonald) and their second ruck/third forward (Jackson.) Port have also been kinda successful in recent years (excluding consecutive prelim disasters) with the same set-up.

This after Richmond's strategy of minimal talls and a ground ball game plan. The game always changes with ebbs and flows in what works and what doesn't, so there could very easily be a scenario in the near future where all of McLean, Logan and Amartey are in the same team.

There is definitely room for all three of McLean, Amartey and McDonald post Buddy. They all offer something different.

Not sure that we’ll see all of them and Buddy but as caesar88 points out it’s not without possibility.

I agree in principle with the above being exciting but I do see an issue in terms of their experience if they were playing together as the three talls a year from now. Two of them haven't played more than 10 games and the other hasn't cracked 25 yet.

Say in a year from now they've each added 15 games to their tallies during the 2022 season (and let's take for granted that 2022 is Bud's last year), we'd be looking at a trio of talls with roughly 90 games of experience between them. I wouldn't be wanting to bank on that as a finals contender. I'd want an experienced tall in the mix there to take some of the load off them - particularly Logan as the most exciting/talented of them and with the greatest expectations. That experienced tall might be Bud for another year or someone else from another club, but I think that would be almost essential.

 

[caesar88]

There is definitely room for all three of McLean, Amartey and McDonald post Buddy. They all offer something different.

Not sure that we’ll see all of them and Buddy but as caesar88 points out it’s not without possibility.

I reckon we'll never see all three of them + Buddy. I'm thinking more all three of them + ruckman (either Hickey if he's still kicking on or a younger successor)