Player Watch #16 Braeden Campbell

[Kennedy Parker]

Braeden Campbell
Braeden Campbell was drafted with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 AFL Draft and has enjoyed an exciting start to life as a Swan. Recruited from Pennant Hills Demons, Campbell is revered for his brilliant versatility and exceptional left-foot kick. He made his AFL debut in Round 1 of the 2021 season and was voted as the Round 2 NAB Rising Star nominee after recording 25 disposals and six marks against the Adelaide Crows. The 21-year-old has improved year on year missing just one match in 2023 and set several career-best performances in the process.
Pick 5

Braeden Campbell | AFL

Follow Braeden Campbell's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[SGBeach]

I've pretty much done a backflip on Braeden after re-watching the GWS final from last year. Just saw a hard manliness in that cameo that has me thinking he is much more than just capable, versatile depth.

Thought he was really good in the early part of last season across that middle band of the park... defensively strong, able to create time and space transitioning the ball forward, and terrier-like in a scrap.

Can't have been easy for him to have gone at Pick 5 and then be over-shadowed by "that other Pick 32 guy".

Really hopeful he'll kick on this year and lock in a place, not just in the 22, but also in the hearts of all the faithful.

yep agree.. that quarter of footy v GWS was brilliant
regarding his hardness.. I remember in his first year watching him attack the lose ball, beat the other 4 guys to it with pure pace, win the ball without any hesitation of being smashed by a bigger body,, but then get the ball out often to the opposition. These days that hand ball goes to a team mate.. that was the 'maturity' (game maturity, emotional maturity - not sure how to describe it) Ive been watching with interest.
Hes never given me reason to question his hardness

 

[bedford]

I've pretty much done a backflip on Braeden after re-watching the GWS final from last year. Just saw a hard manliness in that cameo that has me thinking he is much more than just capable, versatile depth.

Thought he was really good in the early part of last season across that middle band of the park... defensively strong, able to create time and space transitioning the ball forward, and terrier-like in a scrap.

Can't have been easy for him to have gone at Pick 5 and then be over-shadowed by "that other Pick 32 guy".

Really hopeful he'll kick on this year and lock in a place, not just in the 22, but also in the hearts of all the faithful.

Never heard the term band of the park

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

Early contract renewal and extended for 3 years, after starting pre-season training in the forwards. Something tells me Cox has Campbell firmly in his plans as a half forward.

That booming left foot is going to stretch defences. You’d love to be a tall forward leading into the left pocket after Campbell darts out to 55 as a decoy marking option. Or a tall on the fat side if Campbell takes the mark at 55 and, instead of roosting the ball home, plants a flat pass across the zone to the tall forward’s advantage.

 

[The King!]

Poorly used so far by the coaches

 

[Adnico26Parker]

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Anyone can play a good 10mins mate he was ordinary again in the prelim

 

[Kolah]

Is Campbell’s best position high half forward? Covering a wing when the wingman is supporting our defenders and using his beautiful kick in attack to deliver to a leading forward or putting it through himself from outside [emoji6][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]. I don’t think he’s a get ball guy. The team needs to use him, not dissimilarly to how Gulden is often used.


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[Heeney2Franklin]

8 disposals in the Prelim from a team that won by 7 goals what do you disagree with?

 

[wolftone57]

He's kicking 40 goals this year

If they leave him there he might just do that

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[rustycrate]

Early contract renewal and extended for 3 years, after starting pre-season training in the forwards. Something tells me Cox has Campbell firmly in his plans as a half forward.

That booming left foot is going to stretch defences. You’d love to be a tall forward leading into the left pocket after Campbell darts out to 55 as a decoy marking option. Or a tall on the fat side if Campbell takes the mark at 55 and, instead of roosting the ball home, plants a flat pass across the zone to the tall forward’s advantage.

I want to see him kicking them from 55. Routinely.

 

[RubbaDuck]

8 disposals in the Prelim from a team that won by 7 goals what do you disagree with?

Campbell's PF wasn't on par with his QF, but you can't simply judge him on his number of disposals. Lots of inside mids win a shit-load more ball than others but are not better ball users. (Turnover Tom) Mitchell got lots but lacked the quality of other mids who got fewer disposals. If Campbell is left to play his best position, where he can become a key part of our set plays, he'll get more disposals as other players know where to look for him.

How hard a player works when they don't have the ball is often a better indicator of quality than how many times a teammate passes the ball to them. So it's telling that in the PF Campbell laid the equal high inside 50 tackles and the equal second total tackles, despite only playing 2/3 of a game (a lack of fitness for lack of playing full games). Strong pressure, especially forward half pressure, often tallies with our best scores.

Campbell's not quite there yet, still I predict a big breakout year for Braeden. It seems Cox is looking to tap into the confidence Braeden needs to realise his potential, which in turn grows more confidence etc. His sublime kicking skills shine above even a team of excellent ball users. His speed is more than a match for most. He's toughened up. His downside is good to very good depth but his upside is in the top 5 of our team.

 

[Callipygian]

I think we are all-in on Campbell. Not only have we extended him until he reaches free agency at the end of 2028 but today, at training, they split the players up into two groups for match sim. One group was full of all the players who are locks for seniors, and that's the group Campbell was in. I think we're going to see less of him down back than in the past and more of him in the front half. His apprenticeship is over.

 

[bedford]

I think we are all-in on Campbell. Not only have we extended him until he reaches free agency at the end of 2028 but today, at training, they split the players up into two groups for match sim. One group was full of all the players who are locks for seniors, and that's the group Campbell was in. I think we're going to see less of him down back than in the past and more of him in the front half. His apprenticeship is over.

We can only hope

 

[Bloods86]

I think we are all-in on Campbell. Not only have we extended him until he reaches free agency at the end of 2028 but today, at training, they split the players up into two groups for match sim. One group was full of all the players who are locks for seniors, and that's the group Campbell was in. I think we're going to see less of him down back than in the past and more of him in the front half. His apprenticeship is over.

Can I get a hallelujah

 

[RubbaDuck]

Can I get a hallelujah

 

[rustycrate]

Poorly used so far by the coaches

Part of his edumacation.

 

[giantsully]

Step forth young fella, it's your turn to shine!

 

[bedford]

Step forth young fella, it's your turn to shine!

Really no improvement on Friday with only 11 disposals

 

[giantsully]

Really no improvement on Friday with only 11 disposals

I think like plenty of guys that had played a full game in the match sim his instructions were to not get injured.