Past Will Hayward

[Kennedy Parker]

Will Hayward
Spritely Sydney Swans forward Will Hayward

19

Will Hayward

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

9.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.4

5star

enjoyed a rocketing start to his career as he became the 11th-youngest player in the AFL era to reach 50 career goals in 2018. The 2016 draftee’s nippy pace and cunning goal awareness have made him a dangerous option in coach John Longmire’s forward line. A broken jaw and a persistent hip injury limited Hayward to just 12 goals in 13 senior games in 2019, but the South Australian is attacking the 2020 campaign on the back of his first full pre-season. Don’t be surprised if the exciting Swan finds himself on a wing this year.

Will Hayward

19

Will Hayward

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

9.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.4

5star

DOB: 26 October 1998
DEBUT: 2017
DRAFT: #21, 2016 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Walkerville (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

Will Hayward | AFL

Follow Will Hayward's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[zyzzbruh]

What did you want them to do? Send him a Christmas Cake and a rum?

It's business. We have made a decision that is best for business aka the team. As nice a piece Hayward is, he's never going to be elite okay, lets not pretend he's Toby Greene on the field okay.

Florent should have been traded last year if we are half honest, but whatever this trade suits all parties

Not that hard to have a heartfelt one on one convo to say thank you for their commitment to the club and that you appreciated the opportunity to coach them. They wouldn't be coming out saying what they've said if that was the case

 

[bedford]

Correct. Ollie said "They pretty much just said we want you out. We want you gone." which means he is not quoting them, but is instead giving an emotional response. This is a storm in a teacup.

It's all clickbait

 

[bedford]

What loyalty? The same loyalty that says another club has come with a better offer so you need to increase yours if you want me to stay?

I can message you with info i had at the time

 

[Callipygian]

For me, the sad thing is that footy has become a business and so corporate. It's all about $$ and flags. In that context the decisions to jettison Ollie and Wilba make sense and are what the club's senior leadership are employed to do. But it makes me pine for an era that I never knew. It's why I like AFLW so much. It's not an amateur competition but it has a much more community feel. It feels like there is a greater care for the people involved (including the opposition during a match). Even in the AFLW we delisted a huge number of players at the end of last season, but that was a bit different because the players respect that it's a career based on performance and they were out of contract and not retained because their performance wasn't good enough. But in the case of Will and Ollie they had contracts and nor were they performing poorly (some people will debate this in Ollie's case but the point stands either way), we just wanted something else more.

In this era and with this ethos I don't see why we shouldn't feel free to change our allegiances too. If a different team is offering better entertainment, better value for money, more success, why not just jump ship and start supporting a different team next year? But that's not why I follow the Swans. Any fan who stuck with the Swans through the hard years (I can't claim to be one of them - I haven't been following long enough) isn't following the team for that reason either. It's sentimental but I think barracking for a particular club year on year is sentimental. You probably can't justify it otherwise.

 

[Dan87]

Whatever Cox and co were prepared to pay the price and delivered the news as it suited them

Bit of campaigner but honestly it's club first

Will it usher in the demise of the Swans? No. We were staring down the barrel of making up the numbers and the management and fans needed a shake up

Cox is alright imo

 

[Jewelsbon]

I love how people are crapping on about the club being ruthless.

The same club that was bent over backwards in the deal with Carlton, capitulating so that Carlton got exactly what they wanted?
Geelong walked away not prepared to meet Carlton's demands, Ess & Haw held the line in the Merrett talks, but hey we made it clear the magnificent 4 were untouchable. Bravo us.

The same list mgmt team that gave Riak Andrew a one extension on his original 2 year deal before he had even played a reserves game?

My job in days gone by involved the restructuring of companies and in the majority of cases it would result in people being being sacked.
I had no prior relationship with those people but I understood it's a difficult moment and would try to handle it with compassion and ensure appropriate support.

Considering the long relationship between the players and Cox a couple of phone calls telling the players to **** off is hardly the way to engender trust from the remaining playing group going fwd.
Florent; "They pretty much just said we want you out. We want you gone."
Hayward; "Over the whole period, I had two phone calls with 'Coxy'," "That's pretty much it. Those phone calls made it pretty easy to want to join Carlton."

Instead of having two players closing in on 200 games with the club, a number of 1st rd picks that would hopefully bring exciting young talent into the club (if we actually employed a competent recruiting/list mgmt team) we have put all our eggs in the 29yo Curnow basket on a multi-million dollar contact until the end of 2030.

And of course that same ruthless list mgmt team that felt the need to extend Hamling's contract and bring in Serong on a 3yr deal, even though we have 3 tall defenders yet to debut, yet all 3 have had their contacts extended to the end of 2027.
Our depth is poor and giving away 1st rd draft picks is hardly likely to improve it.

While all this was taking place we had our CEO reading the sports news on the evening bulletin in Perth.
Carlton's CEO, the vastly experienced Graham Wright, was with his team's list mgmt team at Marvel during the final day of the trade period.

We lost Harley, Gardiner, Beatson and Longmire and replaced them with Pavlich, Cameron, Keane and Cox.

I'm tipping in the future 2025 will be looked upon as a watershed moment for the club and it will not be viewed as one with fondness.

I understand you feeling like this Hairy, don't agree with you, but understand. We are all entitled to our own thoughts and opinions and time will tell which one of us was closer to reality.

Not that hard to have a heartfelt one on one convo to say thank you for their commitment to the club and that you appreciated the opportunity to coach them. They wouldn't be coming out saying what they've said if that was the case

Pretty hard to have a face to face, one on one convo when there is 12,000 klms between the two parties.


Ollie and Will were two of my favourites, and as I've said on here many times, Foxy's delisting along with the trading of Will and Ollie has nearly broken my heart and I'm not even a big Curnow fan! But I do believe that changes had to be made and really, those two were the most logical.
If you don't improve you fall behind, and we had to improve the list to compete with the likes of the Lions and Suns. Hopefully Curnow, Rosas JNR, and Serong are the improvements we needed.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Whatever Cox and co were prepared to pay the price and delivered the news as it suited them

Bit of campaigner but honestly it's club first

Will it usher in the demise of the Swans? No. We were staring down the barrel of making up the numbers and the management and fans needed a shake up

Cox is alright imo

I think we need to bear in mind that the clock was 5 minutes to midnight and both guys were on the other side of the world. There couldn't be any room for misunderstanding. No doubt the language was pretty plain. If both guys had been following things and their manager(s?) had been doing their jobs they would hardly have been surprised. Has Will mentioned the kick along he got? No? Hmmmm.
I'm not crying and you know I'm a softie.

 

[Mister B]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different result. Liked Hayward but we had to do something differently. My hope is that this decision will be a boot up the arse for a few declaring if you can’t get us over the line, you’re packing your bags. Think back to the GWS qualifying final. It wasn’t Will or Ollie stepping up from that second line. It was JJ and Campbell that put their heads down and arses up. Time will tell but I’m ok with the mates club becoming more of a sports team.

 

[Jewelsbon]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different result. Liked Hayward but we had to do something differently. My hope is that this decision will be a boot up the arse for a few declaring if you can’t get us over the line, you’re packing your bags. Think back to the GWS qualifying final. It wasn’t Will or Ollie stepping up from that second line. It was JJ and Campbell that put their heads down and arses up. Time will tell but I’m ok with the mates club becoming more of a sports team.

Yep, nailed it.

 

[hairy biker]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different result. Liked Hayward but we had to do something differently. My hope is that this decision will be a boot up the arse for a few declaring if you can’t get us over the line, you’re packing your bags.

WelI I guess GWS will be moving on Toby Greene, Sam Taylor, Freo, Serong & Brayshaw, Adelaide Dawson & Rankine etc etc etc.

This attitude of Swans supporters looking at everything though the prism of GF losses is IMO just ridiculous.
We've made 2 of the last 4 GFs.

2025 Bris bt Geel
2024 Bris bt Syd
2023 Coll bt Bris
2022 Geel bt Syd

So last 4 GFs only 4 teams are represented, incl us twice.
But instead of recognising we are doing a fair few things right, lets throw the toys out of the pram because we didn't perform on the last day.

It's as ridiculous as the notion we've lost nothing in giving away 1st rd draft picks because we are crap at selecting players early.

Here's an idea; fix the problems.
If it means bringing in an external consultant (eg Brian Cook) so be it.
Fixing the problem is not getting rid of two random players who were no worse than most of their compatriots on GF day or tossing away draft picks. That's pretty much running up the white flag to bring in the great white hope.

As for final records;
Curnow has led Carlton's goalkicking in the last 4 years (2 Colemans). In that time they've played 3 finals (all in 2023) winning 2.
In 2023 Curnow played 3 finals, he kicked one goal in each game.
Hayward 2024 3 finals, 3 goals total. 2023 1 final, 1 goal. 2022 3 finals, 3 goals.

Charlie is hardly the messiah.
As per a previous post on the Carlton BF board;


As a result of signing Franklin we lost some players, but no draft capital.
We also got more years out of Buddy that we ever will with Curnow.

Florent, Hayward out, plus 3 1st rounders for 29yo Curnow and some later draft picks.
That to me is the definition of insanity.

I'll leave it there as this is now pretty much a circular argument, which will only eventually be decided with the passage of time.

 

[dosser]

WelI I guess GWS will be moving on Toby Greene, Sam Taylor, Freo, Serong & Brayshaw, Adelaide Dawson & Rankine etc etc etc.

If we had just got rid of Heeney and Gulden then you'd have a point, but throwing up a straw man argument didn't do you any favours.

 

[The King!]

If Will read back through this thread he would be more hurt than he was by anything the club ever said

 

[Mister B]

WelI I guess GWS will be moving on Toby Greene, Sam Taylor, Freo, Serong & Brayshaw, Adelaide Dawson & Rankine etc etc etc.

This attitude of Swans supporters looking at everything though the prism of GF losses is IMO just ridiculous.
We've made 2 of the last 4 GFs.

2025 Bris bt Geel
2024 Bris bt Syd
2023 Coll bt Bris
2022 Geel bt Syd

So last 4 GFs only 4 teams are represented, incl us twice.
But instead of recognising we are doing a fair few things right, lets throw the toys out of the pram because we didn't perform on the last day.

It's as ridiculous as the notion we've lost nothing in giving away 1st rd draft picks because we are crap at selecting players early.

Here's an idea; fix the problems.
If it means bringing in an external consultant (eg Brian Cook) so be it.
Fixing the problem is not getting rid of two random players who were no worse than most of their compatriots on GF day or tossing away draft picks. That's pretty much running up the white flag to bring in the great white hope.

As for final records;
Curnow has led Carlton's goalkicking in the last 4 years (2 Colemans). In that time they've played 3 finals (all in 2023) winning 2.
In 2023 Curnow played 3 finals, he kicked one goal in each game.
Hayward 2024 3 finals, 3 goals total. 2023 1 final, 1 goal. 2022 3 finals, 3 goals.

Charlie is hardly the messiah.
As per a previous post on the Carlton BF board;
View attachment 2468125

As a result of signing Franklin we lost some players, but no draft capital.
We also got more years out of Buddy that we ever will with Curnow.

Florent, Hayward out, plus 3 1st rounders for 29yo Curnow and some later draft picks.
That to me is the definition of insanity.

I'll leave it there as this is now pretty much a circular argument, which will only eventually be decided with the passage of time.

Did you seriously just put Hayward and Florent in the same category of importance as Greene, Serong and Dawson? All due respect mate, I stopped reading after that because there is no way any thought after that could reflect anything rational.

 

[frankee]

I'll get my boos ready for when we play Carlton

 

[Nool Carpenna]

I'll get my boos ready for when we play Carlton

Welcome frankee!

 

[bedford]

Welcome frankee!

Very kind of you

 

[The King!]

I'll get my boos ready for when we play Carlton

Don’t drink too much

 

[robbieando]

If we had just got rid of Heeney and Gulden then you'd have a point, but throwing up a straw man argument didn't do you any favours.

This is the only correct answer. Sorry but a rocket needs to be fired into the playing group and this while not popular is the only way to both improve the team and send a message to the players.

If fans want to hold onto the idea that players of the likes of Hayward and Florent should be untouchable then we are never going to see this group win a premiership and it’s no wonder Horse walked away when he did.

 

[zyzzbruh]

This is the only correct answer. Sorry but a rocket needs to be fired into the playing group and this while not popular is the only way to both improve the team and send a message to the players.

If fans want to hold onto the idea that players of the likes of Hayward and Florent should be untouchable then we are never going to see this group win a premiership and it’s no wonder Horse walked away when he did.

Whats with this notion that the players need some sort of enlightenment? They made two GF's and one of them prematurely.

Sometimes the oppo plays through their skin and it's not your day, it just happened to happen to us at the cruelest moments and your lots coping mechanism is to throw the toys out and declare we're not good enough to win it. We are more than capable, and on another day we could've one both those games. For me 2022 and 2024 were a resounding success even tho I'm burning that I can't hang up the premiership posters on my wall.

We had a profile that can go all the way. Shaking things up only risks us shitting the bed, and we're already halfway there after seeing our method this year. There's not much more improvement you can find after reaching a gf, it's a minute difference in overall ability and room for improvement between winning and losing that game, whereas the drop off to the teams behind us begging for the day theyre half decent to even get there is stark.

The whole this team needs a shake up us a load of shit

 

[rustycrate]

Whats with this notion that the players need some sort of enlightenment? They made two GF's and one of them prematurely.

Sometimes the oppo plays through their skin and it's not your day, it just happened to happen to us at the cruelest moments and your lots coping mechanism is to throw the toys out and declare we're not good enough to win it. We are more than capable, and on another day we could've one both those games. For me 2022 and 2024 were a resounding success even tho I'm burning that I can't hang up the premiership posters on my wall.

We had a profile that can go all the way. Shaking things up only risks us shitting the bed, and we're already halfway there after seeing our method this year. There's not much more improvement you can find after reaching a gf, it's a minute difference in overall ability and room for improvement between winning and losing that game, whereas the drop off to the teams behind us begging for the day theyre half decent to even get there is stark.

The whole this team needs a shake up us a load of shit

I think improving the list at this time of year is the most important thing.

How we do that is important to.

I think we were in a bit of a quanduary and needed to do things fast. Will and Ollie were the fall guys. But club comes first. Will and Ollie will be paid well. Probably more as a result. But nothing is perfect. You cannot have perfect harmony at your club and simultaneously have premierships. Changes are inevitable. Renew and regeneration of players and methods and ideas are needed to keep the club in the race to best of breed.

Yes there will be casualties. But that is life in elite sport.

 

[zyzzbruh]

I think improving the list at this time of year is the most important thing.

How we do that is important to.

I think we were in a bit of a quanduary and needed to do things fast. Will and Ollie were the fall guys. But club comes first. Will and Ollie will be paid well. Probably more as a result. But nothing is perfect. You cannot have perfect harmony at your club and simultaneously have premierships. Changes are inevitable. Renew and regeneration of players and methods and ideas are needed to keep the club in the race to best of breed.

Yes there will be casualties. But that is life in elite sport.

I get you have to try and keep moving forward, so I'm not against list changes, and I'm also not totally against what we did with Ollie these two. It's more so a comment at those who think we need some sort of gutting and a spank. We just need business as usual incremental changes, the players and the list don't need slapping around.

 

[rustycrate]

I get you have to try and keep moving forward, so I'm not against list changes, and I'm also not totally against what we did with Ollie these two. It's more so a comment at those who think we need some sort of gutting and a spank. We just need business as usual incremental changes, the players and the list don't need slapping around.

We don't need a gutting. We have a list that made two Gfs in the last few years.
We tweeked in the trade period. Bringing in KPF, KPD and small forward.

We are primed again to go again. And also bring on the draft.

 

[bedford]

This is the only correct answer. Sorry but a rocket needs to be fired into the playing group and this while not popular is the only way to both improve the team and send a message to the players.

If fans want to hold onto the idea that players of the likes of Hayward and Florent should be untouchable then we are never going to see this group win a premiership and it’s no wonder Horse walked away when he did.

Or given a nudge

 

[dosser]

Whats with this notion that the players need some sort of enlightenment? They made two GF's and one of them prematurely.

Sometimes the oppo plays through their skin and it's not your day, it just happened to happen to us at the cruelest moments and your lots coping mechanism is to throw the toys out and declare we're not good enough to win it. We are more than capable, and on another day we could've one both those games. For me 2022 and 2024 were a resounding success even tho I'm burning that I can't hang up the premiership posters on my wall.

We had a profile that can go all the way. Shaking things up only risks us shitting the bed, and we're already halfway there after seeing our method this year. There's not much more improvement you can find after reaching a gf, it's a minute difference in overall ability and room for improvement between winning and losing that game, whereas the drop off to the teams behind us begging for the day theyre half decent to even get there is stark.

The whole this team needs a shake up us a load of shit

You are correct in that we had a list that was good enough to get to a GF, however on the day it looked like men vs boys. The next year or two we tried the 'natural improvement' approach and many fans were highly critical of the club for doing so.

This time we had a 2 x Coleman medallist put up his hand to say he will play for us, which should improve us enormously. So we had to make room, both on the list and in our finances, and there had to be player movement.

I applaud the club for rolling the dice. It may come off or it may not, but at least we tried something.

And all of this 'destroying our culture' stuff is crap. Do we think the players didn't know this was the business they are in? It is their profession and they know it.

What would really destroy the club culture is failing at the last hurdle and then patting everyone on the back and saying "at least we tried, and don't worry about your performance because you are on a contract and we will never get rid of you".

 

[Tedeski]

I don't blame him. He clearly didn't want to go but also probably didn't want to stay if he didn't feel like the club 100% wanted him there either. He hasn't sulked about it or said anything over the top. Just a subtle message to Cox and co.

Having said that, I don't necessarily begrudge Cox for doing what he believed was right in order to improve the team either. I'd prefer a coach that has his own vision and direction for the team, rather than someone who's just happy to continue with the status quo.

I think Cox valued Will as a player, He's at Carlton because was one of the only players who wouldn't be reluctant to go (based on his interest in them last year) and who was also deemed expendable, despite being rusted on in the best 23.

Cox has done exactly what Paul Roos said we needed to do after the 2024 GF debacle.
Too many comfortable players.