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

 

[Nuggetz]

Problem is, does Horse even consider this to be something we should be focusing on?

I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact he named a team with one small forward and no elite pressure players in his forward line for the finals.

Tbh it doesn't seem like Horse or the coaches will get enough pressure for their strategy & selections. They'll look at the season as a whole & say they did well. That's a bit of the tone I got from club statement & players statement. One game won't define us, great year etc.

I don't think our fwd set up was a reason for our 'good' attack. I thought our attack would've been better with a more mobile fwd line.

 

[TheMase]

He won't get it

Has been my concern. I think he was tried off halfback to use his kicking with other players help to get him into the game, but it didn’t work.

Previously, I didn’t like him up forward (however fleeting it was) as I felt like he got a bit lost.

His sub performance was promising however and he needs to watch those tapes back and play at that intensity as a rule not an aberration.

I think him being “thrown around” is making excuses for him too personally.

Big year for him in 2025. Needs to come of age.

 

[mcs095]

The King! and I said this throughout the season. I don't think Campbell got more than a month in any set role or position at either level.

This was his year:

Mar 7 - Defence in AFL side
Mar 15 - Wing in AFL side
Mar 23 - Wing in AFL side
Mar 31 - Wing in AFL side
Apr 6 - Wing in AFL side
Apr 13 - Bye
Apr 21 - Senior sub
Apr 28 - Senior sub
May 4 - Inside mid in VFL
May 11 - Inside mid in VFL
May 17 - Senior sub
May 23 - Wing in AFL side
May 30 - Bye
June 9 - Senior sub
June 15 - Wing in AFL side
June 22 - Wing in AFL side
June 29 - Defence in AFL side
July 7 - Wing in AFL side
July 13 - Defence in AFL side
July 21 - Defence in AFL side
July 28 - Wing in AFL side
Aug 3 - Bye
Aug 9 - Defence in AFL side
Aug 16 - Half forward in AFL side
Aug 24 - Half forward in AFL side
Aug 31 - Bye
Sep 7 - Senior sub
Sep 14 - Bye
Sep 20 - Wing in AFL side
Sep 28 - Senior sub

An absolute mess.

That says a lot.

He certainly hasn't come on as anyone hoped to this point. But how can that possibly be good for his development as well. Pick a spot, wherever - and if he isn't good enough to be in the Seniors, play him there in the VFL.

2025 is a really important season for him, but its time for them to pick a spot and leave him there.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Named in the 2024 NSW Origin Side - which doesn’t come with positions.

Poor bloke, no matter which side he’s named in, it’s without a position.

 

[Punts]

Still think he will struggle to cement best 22 next season much like his career to date

 

[kickthething]

Still think he will struggle to cement best 22 next season much like his career to date

Needs to put on a few kegs.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Needs to put on a few kegs.

More that he needs to attack the game instead of holding out. Ball, opponent, 4 quarters. He has what it takes if he applies it. The goal he scored off JJ's pass showed it.

 

[kickthething]

More that he needs to attack the game instead of holding out. Ball, opponent, 4 quarters. He has what it takes if he applies it. The goal he scored off JJ's pass showed it.

A few more Kegs and the confidence that brings will go a long way to deliver what you speak of eventuate.

 

[Kiama Chris]

A few more Kegs and the confidence that brings will go a long way to deliver what you speak of eventuate.

75kg at draft. 79kg currently. Warner is 82kg. It's more about power than weight. That's what took Warner from ordinary to star. Work to develop the power through hips and thighs. Braeden has the build. You might be right but I wouldn't want him to lose his speed.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Named in the 2024 NSW Origin Side - which doesn’t come with positions.

Poor bloke, no matter which side he’s named in, it’s without a position.

Horse must love coaching the Origin side. Players without positions, players in wrong positions and wrong players in wrong positions.

 

[BloodySwan]

Braeden was attacking the ball and the player over his last few matches. If he continues to bring that pressure he'll cement his place in no time. However if he goes back to his previous mode he'll struggle again.

When he gets the ball he is a good user, but he just doesn't get the ball enough. We have good users in our team, so rarely will they be looking out for him. In a midfield containing Gulden and Heeney Campbell will struggle. He needs to get his own ball

 

[Punts]

Needs to put on a few kegs.

Doesn’t get enough of the footy imo

Thibk he will continue to struggle at senior level

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Campbell like Logan both top 5 picks havent really come on like we hoped for after 4 years in our system.

But that draft isnt looking to good

 

[bedford]

Campbell like Logan both top 5 picks havent really come on like we hoped for after 4 years in our system.

But that draft isnt looking to good

Macca is completely different

 

[Olian]

Campbell like Logan both top 5 picks havent really come on like we hoped for after 4 years in our system.

But that draft isnt looking to good

Oddly we drafted Gulden in the same year at pick 32. Has he come along too well for a pick in the 30’s?

I think where a player is drafted adds an unnecessary expectation. It’s meaningless by the end of a players career.

 

[SeanM]

Campbell like Logan both top 5 picks havent really come on like we hoped for after 4 years in our system.

But that draft isnt looking to good

Yeah looking back at the 2020 draft. There were a lot of players that have taken a while to develop.

Campbell probably still ends up a top 10 player from that draft. After Ginnivan, Gulden, Thilthorpe, Ugle-Hagan, Holmes, Treacy, Bowey, Henry, McCreery.

 

[Jewelsbon]

Oddly we drafted Gulden in the same year at pick 32. Has he come along too well for a pick in the 30’s?

I think where a player is drafted adds an unnecessary expectation. It’s meaningless by the end of a players career.

I wonder what the consensus would be if they were selected the other way around.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Oddly we drafted Gulden in the same year at pick 32. Has he come along too well for a pick in the 30’s?

I think where a player is drafted adds an unnecessary expectation. It’s meaningless by the end of a players career.

It cant be viewed as meaningless clubs spend resources to draft up and put themselves in that position top 5 picks are considered a extremely valuable commodity.

It will never be spoken but the club would be disappointed in Campbell progress so far.

 

[caesar88]

I think we need to keep it simple with Campbell.

Train him forward all summer. Reduce his game to a few simple fundamentals - tackle hard, chase hard. Then hope he carries those into the forward line when the season starts.

I concur with others that he seems to find it difficult to win the ball and impact the game, so a small forward role is almost ideal for him. He wouldn't need to be getting any more than 10-15 touches a game, but they'd likely be high quality ones, and he would be able to win them through pressure acts, which I think he can actually be very good at. He's very quick and one of our most effective tacklers.

Would give Campbell a role he's shown he can perform well in, and would also add more pressure at ground level inside 50. Win/win.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I think we need to keep it simple with Campbell.

Train him forward all summer. Reduce his game to a few simple fundamentals - tackle hard, chase hard. Then hope he carries those into the forward line when the season starts.

I concur with others that he seems to find it difficult to win the ball and impact the game, so a small forward role is almost ideal for him. He wouldn't need to be getting any more than 10-15 touches a game, but they'd likely be high quality ones, and he would be able to win them through pressure acts, which I think he can actually be very good at. He's very quick and one of our most effective tacklers.

Would give Campbell a role he's shown he can perform well in, and would also add more pressure at ground level inside 50. Win/win.

To keep it simple terms a top 4 pick that is unsettled after 4 seasons is a massive red alarm.

 

[caesar88]

To keep it simple terms a top 4 pick that is unsettled after 4 seasons is a massive red alarm.

Simple doesn't have to mean bad. Some of the best players in the competition only have a couple of things they focus on and they stick to it and it works for them and they end up quite effective in those roles.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Simple doesn't have to mean bad. Some of the best players in the competition only have a couple of things they focus on and they stick to it and it works for them and they end up quite effective in those roles.

Yer i know just going with the trend they normally show glimpses of brilliance in the first season or two just cant sustain it thats what you try and work with.

Coming on as the sub in the QF was the most impact Campbell has done in 4 seasons at the club.

 

[Olian]

It cant be viewed as meaningless clubs spend resources to draft up and put themselves in that position top 5 picks are considered a extremely valuable commodity.

It will never be spoken but the club would be disappointed in Campbell progress so far.

Campbell was bid on early at 5. So we matched a bid with meaningless picks which we wouldn’t have used.

 

[caesar88]

Yer i know just going with the trend they normally show glimpses of brilliance in the first season or two just cant sustain it thats what you try and work with.

Coming on as the sub in the QF was the most impact Campbell has done in 4 seasons at the club.

I don't disagree that his sub performance in the QF was just about his best ever, but it also wasn't totally out of the blue. He'd had good games in the two weeks prior as well playing forward. Despite his kicking skills, playing that scrappy sort of game where he wins ground balls and applies pressure in tight seems to work better for him than playing out in space where he can put those kicking skills to use. He just gets lost and doesn't impact there.

So I think if we can let go of this idea of Campbell that we had when we took him with a top 5 draft pick - this line-breaking superboot - and just focus on the Campbell he's turned out to be - still quick but surprisingly hard and dogged - then we can still get quality performances out of him. And if he is doing that, then who really cares where he was taken in the draft?