Player Watch #15: Dylan Stephens

[Caracas]

We've been in the bottom two for intercepts and pressure for the last two years. Abysmal without the footy due to abysmal fitness and effort - witches hats. Not physically squibbing it though - just unfit and lazy. And that mainly due to our senior players, (not young players like Sheezel and McKercher who run all game). Thankfully these senior players are finally starting to look somewhat match fit and provide effort on game day.

Interesting, Rick18 has never mentioned any of this in his assessments. I’ll have to stop reading him. He’s, obviously, been misleading us all the time.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

If he was tracking the footy with any intent and aggression he would have taken possession of the footy well before Graham got there and neutralised the contest.

And they got a goal out of it.

He knows he stuffed up. He walked back to the wing shrugging his shoulders and the whole members wing was awkwardly silent.
Except for one member on level 2 who yelled out “you don’t deserve a drink Dylan”. Funny and kudos to whoever yelled that out.

That was my brother.

Quality call.

 

[William Caresser]

Interesting, Rick18 has never mentioned any of this in his assessments. I’ll have to stop reading him. He’s, obviously, been misleading us all the time.

It's been blindingly obvious how inept we've been without the ball for several years but it sounds like you knew that. Who wouldn't? The point was that it's all very well to scrutinise players who don't put their head over the ball but what about the players who don't pressure, don't chase and stand around gassed in red time every week?

 

[Hopper10]

Apart from that 1 effort when he didn’t go, I thought he was pretty good.

 

[Shack18]

It's been blindingly obvious how inept we've been without the ball for several years but it sounds like you knew that. Who wouldn't? The point was that it's all very well to scrutinise players who don't put their head over the ball but what about the players who don't pressure, don't chase and stand around gassed in red time every week?

Yes good point WC, our fitness standards have been horrific for years! Pleasingly they are on the way up, another two big pre seasons and look out

 

[Caracas]

It's been blindingly obvious how inept we've been without the ball for several years but it sounds like you knew that. Who wouldn't? The point was that it's all very well to scrutinise players who don't put their head over the ball but what about the players who don't pressure, don't chase and stand around gassed in red time every week?

Fair enough. I just tend to be of the opinion that there’s more to it than that. I know, during games earlier in the season, I’d have thought the same thing. However, after I calm down, I’m more inclined to think it’s about the team starting to gel better together. This results in increased trust and confidence in one another. The upside when that occurs can be startling. I don’t think the players suddenly got fitter. Although, on the face of it, it seems that way. I just think trust and confidence in one another plays the largest role in improved performance.

 

[nelroo]

At the Hawks Clarko had a couple of cats in Hill and Ellis. Remains to be seen whether he can extract enough out of disco to be as damaging as those two. I have my doubts but if anyone can it’s Clarko

 

[William Caresser]

Fair enough. I just tend to be of the opinion that there’s more to it than that. I know, during games earlier in the season, I’d have thought the same thing. However, after I calm down, I’m more inclined to think it’s about the team starting to gel better together. This results in increased trust and confidence in one another. The upside when that occurs can be startling. I don’t think the players suddenly got fitter. Although, on the face of it, it seems that way. I just think trust and confidence in one another plays the largest role in improved performance.

It's not about knee-jerk reactions to losses in 2024, the club has been trying to address the athletic profile issues, conditioning standards and match day workrate of the list for several years now. Those problems aren't fixed easily - they're complex and multifaceted.

Obviously it's inconceivable that the players got significantly fitter two weeks after the loss to Port Adelaide. But as a collective, the 23 has worked much harder without the ball since the bye. Pressure, intercepting and contested ball are evidence of it. Call that gelling, being accountable or responding to Clarko laying down the law, players who previously wouldn't or couldn't, are, or they've been dropped. Clarko's shrewdness in understanding our aerobic limitations and slowing down and adjusting our ball movement is helping. Not allowing games to turn into an athletics carnivals.

 

[ferball]

Apart from that 1 effort when he didn’t go, I thought he was pretty good.

That effort was poor but I also noticed a few times players just ran thru his tackles like they were nothing.

 

[tazaa]

So Archer Grant tackled him today at the father son training session.

All the coaching staff were watching on.

Pound for pound Shannon’s boy had him covered, wrapped him up nicely.
It was funny but also incredibly embarrassing for a footballer 5 years into the system.

Incredibly lucky to be keeping his spot after the squib and being subbed out last week.
I fully expect Sydney’s midfielders to bully him on Saturday.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

At the Hawks Clarko had a couple of cats in Hill and Ellis. Remains to be seen whether he can extract enough out of disco to be as damaging as those two. I have my doubts but if anyone can it’s Clarko

Hill despite being on the softer side was never anywhere near as soft as what Stephens has been so far in his career

 

[The Dingrel]

So Archer Grant tackled him today at the father son training session.

All the coaching staff were watching on.

Pound for pound Shannon’s boy had him covered, wrapped him up nicely.
It was funny but also incredibly embarrassing for a footballer 5 years into the system.

Incredibly lucky to be keeping his spot after the squib and being subbed out last week.
I fully expect Sydney’s midfielders to bully him on Saturday.

How old is Shagga Junior? Looking at those kids running around, what a masterful bit of trading, with Shagger and Schwattas kids qualifying as father sons with us, but neither at the Swans!

 

[CharlieMortdecai]

Hill despite being on the softer side was never anywhere near as soft as what Stephens has been so far in his career

Has there been a softer player than Dylan to reach 50 games?

 

[roos_fanatic08]

How old is Shagga Junior? Looking at those kids running around, what a masterful bit of trading, with Shagger and Schwattas kids qualifying as father sons with us, but neither at the Swans!

16. Draft eligible next year

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Has there been a softer player than Dylan to reach 50 games?

Polec, Cale Morton, Billy Hartung…there has been a few

 

[justroyal]

Maybe this will be the game to light a fire under his arse

 

[tazaa]

16. Draft eligible next year

He’s a good size.

 

[chubbspeterson]

So Archer Grant tackled him today at the father son training session.

All the coaching staff were watching on.

Pound for pound Shannon’s boy had him covered, wrapped him up nicely.
It was funny but also incredibly embarrassing for a footballer 5 years into the system.

Incredibly lucky to be keeping his spot after the squib and being subbed out last week.
I fully expect Sydney’s midfielders to bully him on Saturday.

Lol I'm pretty sure the boys were just letting the kids tackle them mate.
Last thing they'd want is injuring a kid. Even Jy is laughing and folding his arms accepting the tackle from a kid.

 

[king of the road]

Lol I'm pretty sure the boys were just letting the kids tackle them mate.
Last thing they'd want is injuring a kid. Even Jy is laughing and folding his arms accepting the tackle from a kid.

Actual footage of Archer Grant tackling Dyl.

Kid has a future.

 

[tazaa]

Lol I'm pretty sure the boys were just letting the kids tackle them mate.
Last thing they'd want is injuring a kid. Even Jy is laughing and folding his arms accepting the tackle from a kid.

Grant junior locked eyes and hunted him down. Everyone yelled ball. Then he rubbed Dylan’s face into the dirt to let him know about it!


Just pointing out the lack of size difference
Of course it’s a piss take

 

[Shermanator]

Actual footage of Archer Grant tackling Dyl.

Kid has a future.

 

[muttley45]

Wonder if he had any useful intel about Swans for Clarko to use

 

[justroyal]

So Archer Grant tackled him today at the father son training session.

All the coaching staff were watching on.

Pound for pound Shannon’s boy had him covered, wrapped him up nicely.
It was funny but also incredibly embarrassing for a footballer 5 years into the system.

Incredibly lucky to be keeping his spot after the squib and being subbed out last week.
I fully expect Sydney’s midfielders to bully him on Saturday.

Oh thank god.

I thought you were going to say Grant’s boy and Stephens were chasing a 50/50 loose ball, and Stephens stopped like he did on the weekend

 

[Fish Sticks]

Archer Grant is his real name??
Surely we draft him.
A Carey McKernan would be nice too…

Dylan Stephens

15

Dylan Stephens

Age

23

Ht

184cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

4star

CL

0.0

1star

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

3star

CL

0.0

1star

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

4star

CL

0.0

1star

very lucky to survive this week IMO. That total squib he had last week was inexcusable & he had a few other insipid tackling efforts.
Nobody is expecting him to be a hard but contested ball winner, but you gotta go when it’s your turn.

 

[koshari]

Wonder if he had any useful intel about Swans for Clarko to use

They dont like cats?