Player Watch #5 Isaac Heeney

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Isaac Heeney

Isaac Heeney is a crowd favourite and one of the best young players in the competition. The QBE Sydney Swans Academy graduate won the 2018 AFL Mark of the Year award, was selected in the AFL Players’ Association’s 22Under22 team in two of his eligible four years and played his 100th senior game in 2019. Heeney can be used in the midfield, forward line – where he booted four goals in star teammate Lance Franklin’s absence in Round 20 last year – or as a loose man in defence.

Isaac Heeney
DOB: 05 May 1996
DEBUT: 2015
DRAFT: #18, 2014 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Cardiff (NSW)


 

Skeparovic

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Jul 14, 2014
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So did those few premature callers about Heeney's tallent watch todays game? How did Isaac play today? I reckon not too damn bad for someone still recovering from an ankle injury.
 
So did those few premature callers about Heeney's tallent watch todays game? How did Isaac play today? I reckon not too damn bad for someone still recovering from an ankle injury.


who doubted him

he just needsto be like this more often to be a star

it was also Carlton
 

Skeparovic

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Plenty on here have been bagging him when he has 'underperformed', despite playing through with injury. Anyone has the right to support in the way they want but jeez there are a lot of glass half full individuals on BF.

Wait till he tears games apart in a few weeks time when Isaac has regained full fitness.
 
The discussion was about how Lloyd could improve his game to improve the team's game.
At least as far I was concerned.
It wasn't about whether Eski is better. IMO, that isn't even a competition, but that's a different discussion.
Eski was just an example.
Rhyce Shaw is another example, it didn't always work out for him, but at least he pulled the trigger every now and then...particularly when he could sense that we were going nowhere.

Lloyd should do bullet passes because the primary benefit will be to the team. A secondary benefit will be my viewing pleasure.
Okay, I wasn't discussing how Lloyd could improve his game to improve the team... so may I misunderstood from the beginning. I was saying Lloyd was doing fine, and didn't warrant comparisons to Eski or anyone else. I still don't think I built a strawman, but if I did, I apologise, cause it drives me nuts when others do it.

By the bye, neither Eski or Shawie could be relied upon to hit the side of a barn in their early years, and as recall, for Shaw it was still a 50/50 bet when he retired. I loved him, and his effort and commitment, but hitting players lace out was not his strong suit!
 
He had a fantastic game. But he's had plenty of fantastic games before. The real challenge is to have a fantastic year.

Ideally that turns out to be the case in 2019 and if so, I dare say we'll be in business come finals time.
 
Feb 28, 2007
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He had a fantastic game. But he's had plenty of fantastic games before. The real challenge is to have a fantastic year.

Ideally that turns out to be the case in 2019 and if so, I dare say we'll be in business come finals time.

Play him as a midfielder, a place where he can create his own luck and own consistency rather than having to rely on other players (like a forward does) and I think Heeney will find his consistency.
 
Jun 19, 2011
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Nobody who supports the Swans could be surprised by today's performance. He's shown he has that level of ability a lot. But to influence the game to that level for four full quarters, week after week is another level for him which he needs to go to if he is to become what we all hope he will.

And also let's be real, Carlton are terrible. If he pulls more games out like this against top notch teams, we'll know he's really jumped to the next level.
 
He had a fantastic game. But he's had plenty of fantastic games before. The real challenge is to have a fantastic year.

Ideally that turns out to be the case in 2019 and if so, I dare say we'll be in business come finals time.

Ummm, you're talking about the reigning POTY :triumph:
 
Play him as a midfielder, a place where he can create his own luck and own consistency rather than having to rely on other players (like a forward does) and I think Heeney will find his consistency.
I don't think it's as simple as always play Heeney in the midfield because I don't see him as the same contested bull type of player as Kennedy.
More similar to Luke Parker except with a better kick.
 
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I don't think it's as simple as always play Heeney in the midfield because I don't see him as the same contested bull type of player as Kennedy.
More similar to Luke Parker except with a better kick.

I think Heeney is better than Parker. I also think he is/will be much more capable of consistently finding the ball and impacting the game.
 
I think Heeney is better than Parker. I also think he is/will be much more capable of consistently finding the ball and impacting the game.
Same type of midfield-forward, don't think he will ever be a pure inside mid like Kennedy/Mitchell. vs Parker, he's more athletically talented and skilful, hence has a higher ceiling.

In terms of output he hasn't overtaken Parker yet. At the same age, Parker was already B&F in a team that was 1st on the ladder and made the GF and in the extended AA squad. When Heeney overtakes Parker he'll be well and truly among the elite.
 
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Same type of midfield-forward, don't think he will ever be a pure inside mid like Kennedy/Mitchell. vs Parker, he's more athletically talented and skilful, hence has a higher ceiling.

In terms of output he hasn't overtaken Parker yet. At the same age, Parker was already B&F in a team that was 1st on the ladder and made the GF and in the extended AA squad. When Heeney overtakes Parker he'll be well and truly among the elite.

That is the thing with Parker though, his best is truly elite but we do not see his best nearly enough. I mean in the last 3 games (so 12 quarters) I think we have seen Parker at his best in 1 of those 12 quarters.
 
Heeney has already overtaken Parker. Career-wise no but he's a better player. Post-2016 Parker is average IMO.

As for Heeney I stand by my statement earlier in the week. For all the marks and goals inside 50 today, he actually looked like contributing most when he was winning the footy between the arcs. He's got great balance on his feet and has assured hands and I still think we'd look better if he was part of the passage instead of the recipient of the passage.
 
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Heeney has already overtaken Parker. Career-wise no but he's a better player. Post-2016 Parker is average IMO.

As for Heeney I stand by my statement earlier in the week. For all the marks and goals inside 50 today, he actually looked like contributing most when he was winning the footy between the arcs. He's got great balance on his feet and has assured hands and I still think we'd look better if he was part of the passage instead of the recipient of the passage.

Parker's 2018 was really good imo. I think his Skilton-winning 2017 was overrated and his 2016 was too, but last year he was genuinely good splitting his time forward and in the middle. His pressure at the man with the ball can be excellent and when he's engaged he's a fantastic ball-winner. But his start to the year has been certainly underwhelming. I'll back him to work his way into it and give him the benefit of the doubt that he's working out how to be a captain, but we need more from him.
 
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Parker's 2018 was really good imo. I think his Skilton-winning 2017 was overrated and his 2016 was too, but last year he was genuinely good splitting his time forward and in the middle. His pressure at the man with the ball can be excellent and when he's engaged he's a fantastic ball-winner. But his start to the year has been certainly underwhelming. I'll back him to work his way into it and give him the benefit of the doubt that he's working out how to be a captain, but we need more from him.

To me Parker has an attitude of "That'll do" where he plays moderately hard, thinking that will be enough, but he just doesn't seem to be prepared to try more than that. He doesn't seem to want to really put in as much effort as he can possibly manage.
 
Parker's 2018 was really good imo. I think his Skilton-winning 2017 was overrated and his 2016 was too, but last year he was genuinely good splitting his time forward and in the middle. His pressure at the man with the ball can be excellent and when he's engaged he's a fantastic ball-winner. But his start to the year has been certainly underwhelming. I'll back him to work his way into it and give him the benefit of the doubt that he's working out how to be a captain, but we need more from him.

I don't rate him much in the middle anymore. Since 2016 clubs have figured out how to shut him down and he really can't do anything. Can't win clean clearances, can't get clean possessions. He's just scrappy and messy now because he has to be. He's always been like a rabid dog at the ball, but he used to be able to get 30+ touches which at least meant he had more of an impact. Now he's getting 20-25 disposals, and they're nearly all ugly, dumb, or both. He should play as a small forward because I think pressure wise he can still be really good and he has as good goal sense and marking ability as anyone, but he has no business being near the centre bounces anymore IMO.

I'd love to be proven wrong because he's one of my all time favourite Swans plus our captain as you say, but I don't think he's dynamic enough or skilful enough to even be able to work his way out of this slump. I think this is just the Parker we have now unless oppositions forget about him and let him off the chain, which realistically isn't going to happen much at all.
 

Skeparovic

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I for one smacked Heeney this week and addmitt it that’s fine

I just want consistent

Unbelievable game

I think we all share your desire for Heeney to be a consistent performer. He did have an unbelievable game today. Always a good thing to own our opinions whether they prove accurate or not and that's a credit to you Punts that you do. Let's hope Isaac (1) remains injury free, (2) his trajectory continues upwards, and (3) consistency arrives along the journey of his career.
 
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