2020 Recap
The Swans had a decent year, nothing special but they got games into some very promising youth and showed glimpses that the light at the end of the tunnel may not be so far away.
They did all this without Lance Franklin, an irreplaceable loss for the inexperienced Swans who will be desperate to get their star man back on the park in 2021. They crucially won the Battle of the Bridge which was a clear season highlight.
Off-season
Ins: Logan McDonald (Draft), Braeden Campbell (Draft), Errol Gulden (Draft), Malachy Carruthers (Rookie Draft).
Outs: Aliir Aliir (Port Adelaide), Michael Knoll (Delisted), Harry Reynolds (Delisted), Brady Rowles (Delisted), Ryley Stoddard (Delisted), Jack Maibaum (Delisted).
Off-season Grade: C+
They lost a good one in Aliir Aliir but sometimes that's what you have to do to rise quicker, they headed to the draft as warranted and did pretty well there. Logan McDonald looms as the replacement to Franklin and their academy has produced another good one in Braeden Campbell.
Defining Period
As for most sides towards the lower end of the ladder the Swans defining period comes late in the season, their season may well be judged off what draft pick they receive at seasons end.
Their final two games are against the Gold Coast and Kangaroos, two teams who may well be very close to them on the ladder at seasons end. So these games one-way-or-another will have a defining impact on how the Swans' season is seen.
Best 22
B: Lewis Melican, Dane Rampe, Robbie Fox
HB: Callum Mills, Tom McCartin, Jake Lloyd
C: Nick Blakey, Luke Parker, Jordan Dawson
HF: Isaac Heeney, Lance Franklin, Ollie Florent
F: Tom Papley, Callum Sinclair, Will Hayward
FOLL: Tom Hickey, Josh Kennedy, James Rowbottom
I/C: Braeden Campbell, George Hewett, Logan McDonald, Harry Cunningham
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Swans are still a very tough contested footy side, it's in their DNA and it is how their best footy is measured. They are hard to beat around the contest and more than happy to turn the game into a slogfest in order to keep themselves in the game.
They do however struggle to move the ball, their skill level is low and they far too often let teams back in by giving them the football under no real pressure. It kills momentum and it stops them from hurting teams when they win the ball back.
Prediction: 13th
The Swans aren't going to be fairly measured on wins and losses in 2021, even if they get Buddy back, what kind of Buddy do they get? It's doubtful he can have a big enough impact to see the rise up the ladder.
Get games into the kids and watch them blossom, then Swans fans may see the turn around they are longing for.
