Player Watch #5 Isaac Heeney

[Kennedy Parker]

Isaac Heeney

Isaac Heeney

5

Isaac Heeney

Age

27

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

7.7

5star

M

4.9

5star

T

4.1

5star

G

1.0

4star

D

14.3

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

5.5

3star

M

4.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

G

1.2

5star

D

10.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.0

4star

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

5

Isaac Heeney

Age

27

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

7.7

5star

M

4.9

5star

T

4.1

5star

G

1.0

4star

D

14.3

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

5.5

3star

M

4.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

G

1.2

5star

D

10.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.0

4star

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

Isaac Heeney | AFL

Follow Isaac Heeney's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Would love to see this one knocked over in January. This next deal should ensure he’s a swan for life

Not keen on over paying.

 

[RUNVS]

Not keen on over paying.

Agreed. I think Heeney is a top 5 player in our team and should be paid accordingly but nothing over that as we have to remember for as good as he has been he has also never been good enough to be an AA.

 

[caesar88]

Give him whatever he wants

 

[Kirkswan]

Agreed. I think Heeney is a top 5 player in our team and should be paid accordingly but nothing over that as we have to remember for as good as he has been he has also never been good enough to be an AA.

I think that's a matter of perspective, and not an outright determination of talent, application and impact.

In the Swans, all players play for the team, and not for the accolades or they don't get picked.

I have no doubt that if Heeney stopped playing the role the team needs on any given day, and simply played his best position to the best of his ability and only when completely fit, he would be a permanent member of the AA team over the last couple of years. But that's not how it is at the Swans, everyone plays for the team...

Best example: Buddy giving away goals last year in the count down to 1,000

 

[Kirkswan]

Give him whatever he wants

I agree with this, because I have faith that he wants to play for us and be a one club player. I also think he wants to remain in Sydney.

At the end of the day, I'm confident the club will make him a very good offer (probably another 5 years), and he will accept!

 

[caesar88]

Everyone is so busy worrying about what Heeney's value is relative to the rest of the comp, and not about what his value is to us.

Fact is without Heeney we can forget about a flag. Most important and irreplaceable player on our list IMO.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Everyone is so busy worrying about what Heeney's value is relative to the rest of the comp, and not about what his value is to us.

Fact is without Heeney we can forget about a flag. Most important and irreplaceable player on our list IMO.

Nope.

 

[Punts]

Give him whatever he wants

* that

 

[Jewelsbon]

Clickbait title on AFL.com made me startle

Free agency and Heeney shudders

Yeah got me in too.

Everyone is so busy worrying about what Heeney's value is relative to the rest of the comp, and not about what his value is to us.

Fact is without Heeney we can forget about a flag. Most important and irreplaceable player on our list IMO.

Exactly.
AND he will be the face of the Swans after Buddy has gone and to have a Sydney born (close enough) player as the face of our team is worth his weight in gold.

 

[caesar88]

fu** that

A fair view, if you can provide an alternative who can offer everything Heeney does.

 

[RUNVS]

A fair view, if you can provide an alternative who can offer everything Heeney does.

We don't want to pay too much though. For instance if we overpay for Heeney and lost McDonald and McInerney because of that would you be happy?

 

[caesar88]

We don't want to pay too much though. For instance if we overpay for Heeney and lost McDonald and McInerney because of that would you be happy?

If we lost McDonald and McInerney then we would've gone wrong somewhere else.

Heeney is the one we can't win a flag without. The guy who was probably closest to him in ability we just traded to Adelaide. Which only makes Heeney that much more important.

 

[Punts]

Needs way more consistency, no Martin or bont etc

far from it

 

[bedford]

A fair bit of talk on the media thread about him . Who knows what's going to happen with him , if he stays this way he is still a star , if he can stay fit and improve it will be a massive bonus . I will just wait and see and not speculate .

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

A fair bit of talk on the media thread about him . Who knows what's going to happen with him , if he stays this way he is still a star , if he can stay fit and improve it will be a massive bonus . I will just wait and see and not speculate .

I just hope he gets a decent run without injury.

 

[Nuggetz]

He mentioned his 2 way running is something he and longmire want to exploit in this role. Also that he's finally had an injury free preseason. He said some positive things about Paddy Mac, rates him bigtime.

Imo he was buoyed by the mills move to the mids and now wants to give it a proper crack too. He sounds super excited by the challenge, could see Heeney put up some massive games.

 

[caesar88]

I can definitely see the upside to moving Heeney into the midfield. Maybe it will give him a new confidence to just get even better than he already is. I was wrong about how Mills would perform in the midfield last year, so who knows, I could be wrong about Heeney too.

However I have three giant reservations about the move. Or more, questions that I'd be asking if I were Horse:

- How will we replace him as a forward? (ie. Is it as simple as moving a McLean or a McDonald into a greater role, or do we need someone who can offer the unique medium-sized threats that Heeney and only Heeney can offer?)

- Will he actually be better as a mid than he was as a forward? (eg. As tempting as it is to want your most talented players where the action is, do we want a player as dynamic and as classy as Heeney becoming a scrappy, contested player?)

- What will this move mean for others? (ie. Is Heeney moving into the midfield going to further our midfield regeneration, or will it achieve nothing for the future except taking opportunities away from Rowbottom, Warner etc.?)

I'm sure Horse knows best, has probably given it a lot more thought than I have, and is better equipped and informed to make a decision on where to play Heeney. But I do think the above questions are worth asking because IMO I'm not sure how anyone could answer any of them with a great deal of confidence.

 

[scaryness]

I've always hated the trend of switching dominant forwards into midfielders. It usually does nothing except get their disposal numbers up and their goals down. I know which stat I would prefer was higher between the two. I'm sure there's self-interest involved in the forwards campaigning to be midfielders in regards to disposals equaling more recognition for individual awards and money.

More teams need to follow Toby Greene

4

Toby Greene

Age

30

Ht

182cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.7

5star

K

12.5

5star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.2

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.8

4star

T

1.0

2star

G

2.3

5star

D

26.6

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

14.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.0

1star

. We know he is Mitchell-like as a midfielder but they know how much more dominant he is as a forward so they keep him there. Heeney is the same for me. I have doubts he will make anywhere near as much impact in the middle to justify the massive hole he leaves up forward.

Annoyingly, this is all happening after he almost single-handedly won us a final as a dominant forward when no one else would have been able to do what he did.

 

[Nuggetz]

Heeney had multiple games of 20+ disposals and 3+ goals. I would take this over him being primarily a forward getting 12-15 disposals and kicking the same amount of goals. If he averaged more goals with fewer disposals then I get the argument of him staying in the forward line but he didn't. Greene only had 2 games with less than 15 disposals (v melb and us in the finals), Heeney had a lot more. Heeney and Horse mentioning his 2 way running might indicate the younger mids still don't have a big enough tank for the defensive side of midfield play. I'm backing him to flourish in this new role and make our side more lethal. He'll still float forward but it will be sporadic, which could be used to our advantage by making our attacking threats more unpredictable.

 

[Nuggetz]

I've always hated the trend of switching dominant forwards into midfielders. It usually does nothing except get their disposal numbers up and their goals down. I know which stat I would prefer was higher between the two. I'm sure there's self-interest involved in the forwards campaigning to be midfielders in regards to disposals equaling more recognition for individual awards and money.

More teams need to follow Toby Greene. We know he is Mitchell-like as a midfielder but they know how much more dominant he is as a forward so they keep him there. Heeney is the same for me. I have doubts he will make anywhere near as much impact in the middle to justify the massive hole he leaves up forward.

Annoyingly, this is all happening after he almost single-handedly won us a final as a dominant forward when no one else would have been able to do what he did.

Heeney had high disposals numbers (relative) while kicking the same amount of goals last year. It's probably shown the coaches that his disposal numbers don't impact his goal scoring ability, another reason why he's moving to the mids this year.

 

[Superstar swan]

For me heeney is far more dangerous as a forward. He is the best mark in the comp , and has the best balance I have ever seen on a football field. 1 v1 he never loses a contest. I really don’t see any great advantage he gives us up the ground.

Sure his disposals goes up and it will make it easier for him to “win” a few all australian jumpers as 1 of 18 midfielders selected. But from an actual football point of view he is a nightmare matchup for most teams up forward. We have enough cattle up the ground. No need for heeney to go in there and rob ourselves of a genuine match winning threat up forward

 

[Mister B]

For me heeney is far more dangerous as a forward. He is the best mark in the comp , and has the best balance I have ever seen on a football field. 1 v1 he never loses a contest. I really don’t see any great advantage he gives us up the ground.

Sure his disposals goes up and it will make it easier for him to “win” a few all australian jumpers as 1 of 18 midfielders selected. But from an actual football point of view he is a nightmare matchup for most teams up forward. We have enough cattle up the ground. No need for heeney to go in there and rob ourselves of a genuine match winning threat up forward

I honestly believe he should start every game in the midfield. Once he has got to 5 or so touches move him forward. Seemed that every time he was moved to the midfield when not getting his hands on it forward last year, he worked his way into it well, before switching back as the O'Keefe style half forward flanker and kicked a couple of goals while troubling the opposition.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

For me heeney is far more dangerous as a forward. He is the best mark in the comp , and has the best balance I have ever seen on a football field. 1 v1 he never loses a contest. I really don’t see any great advantage he gives us up the ground.

Sure his disposals goes up and it will make it easier for him to “win” a few all australian jumpers as 1 of 18 midfielders selected. But from an actual football point of view he is a nightmare matchup for most teams up forward. We have enough cattle up the ground. No need for heeney to go in there and rob ourselves of a genuine match winning threat up forward

Agree. A couple of bursts on ball each game at the most.

 

[Nuggetz]

Omg * yessss

 

[Callipygian]

WOOHOOOO!!!!