The Sydney Swans enter the 2023 National Draft after completing a vast amount of exchanges and signings throughout this year's player movement period.
The Swans stormed into finals calculations late last season after it appeared as if the previous year's grand finalists wouldn't return to the business end in 2023.
However, after bowing out in a do-or-die September classic against Carlton, Sydney's list experts had player personnel questions to address this off-season as the club looks to regroup and go again in 2024 under veteran senior coach John Longmire.
The Swans acquired former Melbourne utility James Jordon, 2016 Western Bulldogs premiership player Joel Hamling, castaway Demons ruckman Brodie Grundy, and ex-Collingwood veteran midfielder Taylor Adams throughout October's free agency and trade period to bolster their stocks all around the ground.
Conversely, the Harbour City occupants delisted Ryan Clarke, Will Gould, Hugo Hall-Kahan, Cameron Owen, Lachlan Rankin, and Marc Sheather, and farewelled the legendary Lance Franklin, Paddy McCartin, and Tom Hickey to retirement.
Also exported was out-of-favour midfielder Dylan Stephens, whom the Swans traded to North Melbourne, and seasoned tall Sam Reid was cut; though the club plans to re-rookie the veteran before the start of next season.
After all of that, Sydney carries just four selections into the first night of this year's count, with their first choice coming at No. 12, though that pick is expected to be pushed back after multiple probable matched bids in the top ten.
The Swans will also swoop on another Sydney Academy talent, likely via a matched bid from a rival outfit.
Draft Hand
Picks: 12, 45, 55, and 91.
After picking early on in proceedings, the Swans aren't slated to have another choice until into the 40s, and then again in the 50s and very late on at No. 91; selection which may not even be utilised due to the near-certain matching of a bid for Cleary.
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Cleary, the latest in a lengthy line of salivating Swans Academy prospects, showcased his engine-room efforts throughout an impressive 2023 campaign that included featuring at the VFL level for Sydney six times.
The hard-running 18-year-old has turned heads with his two-way ability; impacting at either end of the field.
Appearing in four games for the Sydney Academy this year, Cleary notched resounding averages of 27 disposals, seven clearances, and six tackles, as well as earned selection to this year's All-Australian side after putting forth a formidable National Championships tournament with the Allies.
Cleary has drawn comparisons to now-Sydney midfielder Taylor Adams -- who, in all likelihood, he'll be playing alongside in 2024 -- and two-time Brisbane Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale.
List Needs
Ruckman:
A ruckman? After recruiting Brodie Grundy from Melbourne in October, tall timber in the middle of the ground may seem like one of the last positions of need for the Swans.
However, examining the Swans' ruck circumstances a little closer, it may seem more apparent why another big man in the middle is a necessity.
Taking into account Grundy's unceremonious Magpies and Demons exits in recent years, is it a certainty that the veteran's Harbour City experiment will come to fruition?
Grundy is still undoubtedly a thoroughly damaging asset when made the focal point of a midfield operation, but it shouldn't seem out of the realm of possibility that the South Australian's latest venture doesn't pan out as hoped.
Irrespective of the ponytailed ruckman's Sydney fortunes, there isn't a heap of quality depth behind the big-bodied tall.
Ex-Port Adelaide ruck-forward Peter Ladhams and little-used Lachlan McAndrew will wait in the wings in case of a Grundy-related emergency, though the pairing has proven little in terms of their ability to consistently feature in Longmire's best side.
What's Sydney's contingency plan if Grundy either gets injured or departs before the end of his contract? Taking a developmental ruck prospect in late November could assuage those concerns.
SEE ALSO: ANALYSING BRODIE GRUNDY'S FIT WITH THE SYDNEY SWANS
Defender:
Despite penning Hamling to a deal during free agency, the Swans lack longer-term answers in the defensive department following the loss of McCartin to retirement, and the continued ageing of numerous seasoned Sydney backmen.
Following Franklin's departure, Dane Rampe became the Swans' standalone oldest player at 33 years of age. How much more football does the 230-gamer have in him? He's battled his share of injury issues in recent seasons.
Half-back-flankers Jake Lloyd and Robbie Fox are each 30 years old, while Harry Cunnigham turns 30 in early December, further prompting the idea of Sydney's list brains trust targeting a stopper -- tall or small -- at November's count.
Zero Hanger Chief Editor and resident draft expert Mitchell Keating tipped Sydney to target defender Riley Hardeman in his second edition Mock Draft.
"The Swans selected (Tasmanian defender) James Leake in our first edition Mock Draft, but with the Tassie teenager off the board when Kinnear Beatson steps up, the Swans look to Hardeman as their go-to guy," Keating detailed.
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"With Sydney's trend of often taking the best player available on the board, the dashing Western Australia skipper joins a rich list of black swans who call the Harbour City home.
"Hardeman offers plenty of run and chase from the backline and could be an immediate favourite for senior coach John Longmire given his work rate and leadership qualities."
Could Hardeman be a long-term replacement for one of Lloyd, Fox or Cunningham?
Best Player Available:
As Keating posits, the Sydney Swans are renowned for discarding the thought of 'list need' and instead opting for the most tantalising talent on the draft board.
There's every chance the Bloods travel down that avenue again in late November, particularly considering the host of talent likely to be available when they're on the clock with their first-round selection.
Potential Targets
The Swans are a near-certainty to match a bid for Cleary under Northern Academy regulations, so for the purposes of this exercise, we'll exclude him here as a 'potential' target.
Tasmanian defender James Leake made progressive work of his ascension, rocketing up draft boards on his way to shaping as a potential top-ten selection. However, he'll likely be swooped on into the teens in the first round.
Leake's rise was in large part due to a breakout National Championships campaign with the Allies and a promising year for the Devils in the Coates Talent League as a versatile medium-sized swingman.
The 18-year-old displayed his vertical leap and athleticism as a strong interceptor in defence, though the 187-centimetre prospect is also plenty capable of making an impact forward of the ball; potentially offering Longmire's Swans a point of difference.
Leake's positional versatility and athleticism are sure to have him in the conversation as a top-15 selection, with Sydney likely to battle with the likes of GWS, who holds Pick 7, for the Apple Isle native's services.
As mentioned, Western Australia captain Riley Hardeman is a potential Swans target after emerging as one of the upper-echelon medium-sized defenders of this class.
Throughout a trying National Championships carnival for WA, Hardeman showcased his constant run-and-carry and effective ball use from the back half.
Hardeman, who also featured for Swan Districts this year and flashed his potential against more senior opposition and physical bodies, is also capable of pushing up the ground and affecting the contest as an outside midfielder.
A member of the U18 All-Australian side and the AFL Academy team, Hardeman may remind of veteran Adelaide rebounder Brodie Smith or smooth-moving GWS backman Isaac Cumming, and could be a long-term half-back answer for Sydney's list bosses.
If the Swans do seek out a ruckman relatively early on in proceedings, they could opt for Western Australian talent Mitch Edwards.
Unlike the early-draft-range circumstances surrounding Leake and Hardeman, this Sydney-Edwards scenario is predicated on the Swans moving back in the first or second-round order, as the Peel Thunder product is likely to have his name called late in the opening stanza of selections, or even early in the second.
Despite being Fremantle-linked as a Next Generation Academy prospect, Edwards will have his name chosen far earlier than the requisite No. 40 slot.
Edwards, a high-marking, athletic, and nimble talent, has drawn comparison to All-Australian Western Bulldogs ruckman Tim English, who's also from Western Australia.
If a developmental ruckman is indeed desired by the Bloods in November, Edwards -- as well as the likes of Victorian Will Green and South Australian Taylor Goad -- is a definite option to place behind Grundy and Ladhams to learn the trade.
