Sydney Swans' list for 2019 after AFL trade and draft periods

Mick Stirling

Sydney Swans' list for 2019 after AFL trade and draft periods image

The dust has finally settled on AFL post-season activity and all 18 clubs have completed their lists for 2019.

Who’s come in via trades, free agency and the national and rookie drafts? Who’s gone out the other way?

And, most importantly, how does the list look after all the changes?

MORE: AFL draft: every pick, every player, every club

This week, Sporting News is going through each club’s changes to analyse whether steps have been taken forwards, backwards or if they’re just treading water.

Sydney Swans

In

Trade:

Ryan Clarke (North Melbourne), Jackson Thurlow (Geelong)

Free agency:

Daniel Menzel (DFA Geelong)


 

Draft:

Nick Blakey (10 – Sydney Academy), James Rowbottom (25 – Oakleigh Chargers), Justin McInerney (44 – Northern Knights), Zac Foot (51 – Dandenong Stingrays)

Rookie:

Durak Tucker (Peel Thunder), Harry Reynolds (Sandringham Dragons), Kurt Tippett (Sydney)

Out

Traded:

Dan Hannebery (St Kilda), Nic Newman (Carlton), Gary Rohan (Geelong)

Delisted:

Jake Brown, Jordan Foote, Alex Johnson, Harry Marsh, Daniel Robinson, Angus Styles, Dean Towers

Retired:

Kurt Tippett (redrafted as a rookie)

#kurt tippett

Sydney’s 2019 list

Having a talented and mobile second-forward option to take some attention away from Lance Franklin was Sydney’s most pressing need and they ticked that box comprehensively with Academy draftee Blakey. 

That they got him cheap and had a second-round draft selection just underlines the smarts that keep this club in contention year after year.

Nick Blakey

Neither of Clarke or Thurlow come anywhere near Hannebery at his best, but the salary cap relief means the Swans didn’t need to take any other big hits. 

Daniel Menzel was a trade-up on Gary Rohan, although the former Cat comes with his issues, both mental and physical.

Verdict

The list is not quite as strong going into 2019 as it was in 2018, despite the long-term gains being good. However, it’s hard to see Sydney being a genuine premiership threat next year.

Mick Stirling