Player Watch #5 Isaac Heeney

[Kennedy Parker]

Isaac Heeney

Isaac Heeney

5

Isaac Heeney

Age

27

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

7.7

5star

M

4.9

5star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.2

4star

D

14.3

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

5.5

3star

M

4.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

0.8

3star

D

10.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.8

3star

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.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

7.7

5star

M

4.9

5star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.2

4star

D

14.3

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

5.5

3star

M

4.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

0.8

3star

D

10.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.8

3star

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

 

[Nuggetz]

He said he wants to stay in the mids, 70/30 split but he may need to play 50/50 once others return

 

[BarneyBent]

People ask why Heeney hasn't played mids until now. But he has. Every time it's been tried in the past, it hasn't quite worked. Which is why he's been played forward instead.

This year the stars have aligned - he seems injury free, had a great preseason, and injuries forced the move. Serendipity! While he's fit and mobile enough to play mids I hope he stays there regardless of other movements.

He'll always be dangerous up forward, so he should never be 100% midfield - being able to push forward from the mids and create the mismatch is one of his greatest strengths, and will scale better the more he dominates from the mids, as more focus will go to negating his midfield influence instead of his forwardcraft.

 

[Superstar swan]

The frustrating part is...where has this been. Genuinely looks like the best player in the comp atm

 

[RUNVS]

The frustrating part is...where has this been. Genuinely looks like the best player in the comp atm

He has been played out of position for the last 5 or 6 years. We could have seen this back in 2018 and onwards had Horse played him in the midfield.

 

[Superstar swan]

He has been played out of position for the last 5 or 6 years. We could have seen this back in 2018 and onwards had Horse played him in the midfield.

Agree to some extent, but it's not like he's never been given opportunity, he's just never grabbed it.

He has been an absolute phenom this year

 

[SM]

He has been played out of position for the last 5 or 6 years. We could have seen this back in 2018 and onwards had Horse played him in the midfield.

He's also had a variety of injuries to deal with.

 

[SSwans2011]

He has to stay in his current role. That would be my one non-negotiable rejigging the midfield to fit in Adams and Parker.

He's been our best player and probably the best player in the competition this season from the small sample size.

 

[Millky95]

The frustrating part is...where has this been. Genuinely looks like the best player in the comp atm

His best games are always when he is the main guy. When the main FF or now in the mids

 

[MF]

The frustrating part is...where has this been. Genuinely looks like the best player in the comp atm

Apparently it's because Longmire hates him being successful in the middle and therefore has never ever played him there until his hand was forced this year.

 

[MR0808]

Not to bring down the mood, because he has been absolutely amazing this year. But my biggest gripe about Heeney is that when he is needed most in big games (finals and GF) he goes missing. I hope he can keep this up all year and turn it up a notch in the Finals!

 

[RUNVS]

Agree to some extent, but it's not like he's never been given opportunity, he's just never grabbed it.

He has been an absolute phenom this year

He did spend some time in the midfield but he almost never got a full game there.

 

[Nuggetz]

He did spend some time in the midfield but he almost never got a full game there.

He's never had consecutive free reign in the mids, it was always a 1-2 week proposition as a temporary move. This season he knew from the outset he had a 1 month period in the mids once our injuries hit.

 

[Nuggetz]

Best aspect about his move to the midfield is it's directly impacting on winning & helping our team in an area where we're weak (contested ball & clearances).

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Can his body sustain a lengthy run in the middle?

 

[SM]

Not to bring down the mood, because he has been absolutely amazing this year. But my biggest gripe about Heeney is that when he is needed most in big games (finals and GF) he goes missing. I hope he can keep this up all year and turn it up a notch in the Finals!

He almost single handedly beat gws in 2021.

 

[MR0808]

He almost single handedly beat gws in 2021.

He did in that final, but in many others have gone missing

 

[SM]

He did in that final, but in many others have gone missing

Oh ok so apart from the one where he did it he didn't do it.

 

[MR0808]

Oh ok so apart from the one where he did it he didn't do it.

So we are allowed to ignore all his other bad finals because he did it once? Right...

 

[SM]

So we are allowed to ignore all his other bad finals because he did it once? Right...

No but I don't think we're allowed to say he always goes missing..

 

[MR0808]

No but I don't think we're allowed to say he always goes missing..

I'll reword, always go missing except in 2021. Better?

 

[the hypnotoad]

So we are allowed to ignore all his other bad finals because he did it once? Right...

yeah, but in how many of those games you say heeney went missing did half the team (or more) also go missing?

 

[MR0808]

yeah, but in how many of those games you say heeney went missing did half the team (or more) also go missing?

That's true, but he was meant to be the face of the club and the superstar. Hopefully, this is his year, I still want to believe

 

[the hypnotoad]

That's true, but he was meant to be the face of the club and the superstar. Hopefully, this is his year, I still want to believe

that was the expectation put on him, none of that was his doing ... and i'd argue franklin has been more the face of the club

but heeney's career highlights justify every bit of that expectation, we just haven't seen them consistently, particularly in big games ... but the criticism of him is often over the top because it's largely based ONLY on that expectation of highlights every game
critics overlook his great tackling, his non-stop running, the team stuff that doesn't get a statistic

 

[S120]

He may well already have accumulated more Brownlow votes out of his first three games of 2024 than he has in any previous season. His best so far was in 2021 with 8.

 

[RUNVS]

He may well already have accumulated more Brownlow votes out of his first three games of 2024 than he has in any previous season. His best so far was in 2021 with 8.

He would definitely be on a minimum of 7 right now, but there is a real chance he is on 9 right now.