Player Watch #2 Hayden McLean - re-signed end 2027

[Kennedy Parker]

Hayden McLean

Player Profile
Pre-season supplementary list rules allowed the Sydney Swans to sign Hayden McLean

2

Hayden Mclean

Age

25

Ht

197cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.1

2star

K

5.1

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.0

5star

G

0.4

3star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.3

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

10.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

4.4

5star

G

0.2

3star

in March 2019, and while injury ruled out the key-position player for seven of the first 10 NEAFL games of the season, he’d respond in commanding fashion. The former Sandringham Dragons skipper made his AFL debut as Sydney met Fremantle in Round 18, 2019, which saw him battle imposing ruck trio Aaron Sandilands

Aaron Sandilands

Age

41

Ht

211cm

Wt

118kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

4.4

2star

HB

8.2

5star

CL

3.3

5star

HO

31.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

5.4

2star

K

3.4

2star

HB

2.0

2star

HO

13.6

5star

, Sean Darcy

4

Sean Darcy

Age

26

Ht

203cm

Wt

111kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.1

3star

K

3.4

1star

HB

6.6

4star

CL

2.4

4star

HO

28.8

5star

D

6.8

1star

K

2.0

1star

HB

4.8

3star

CL

1.8

4star

HO

20.3

5star

D

11.4

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

6.8

5star

CL

2.6

5star

HO

32.0

5star

and Rory Lobb

7

Rory Lobb

Age

31

Ht

207cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.9

4star

D

11.3

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.4

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.6

3star

, as well as a parochial Optus Stadium crowd. Coach John Longmire praised McLean’s debut performance and he finished the season with four AFL games beside his name. The 197-centimetre, 93-kilogram giant is chasing consistent AFL selection in 2020. Draft history: 2019 pre-season supplementary rookie selection

Hayden McLean

2

Hayden Mclean

Age

25

Ht

197cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.1

2star

K

5.1

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.0

5star

G

0.4

3star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.3

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

10.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

4.4

5star

G

0.2

3star

DOB:20 January 1999
DRAFT:2018
RECRUITED FROM: Beaumaris (Vic)/St Bede's Coll (Vic)/ Sand U18/Sand (VFL)

Hayden McLean | AFL

Follow Hayden McLean's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[S120]

Definitely having a tough time finding his rhythm atm. I like his presence as a second ruck - his follow up tackling and pressure is top notch imo - but his forward play is a struggle atm, not clunking marks and getting out marked a little too often for my liking the last few weeks since the Carlton game. I’ll back him to fix it but after a good five or six weeks he’s been a little off the last few.

 

[BloodySwan]

what’s Hayden supposed to do when he’s got Amartey kicking 9 and Grundy wielding it on a stick?

Find another way to get involved, just play your role

 

[Punts]

If Reid was to get fit they could potentially look at him back to 2nd ruck

Long shot with Reid

McLean is struggling in the front half

 

[BloodySwan]

If Reid was to get fit they could potentially look at him back to 2nd ruck

Long shot with Reid

McLean is struggling in the front half

I wouldn't be shocked in Ladhams comes in next week

 

[The King!]

If Reid was to get fit they could potentially look at him back to 2nd ruck

Long shot with Reid

McLean is struggling in the front half

Why are you so keen to bring the old guys back in? not taking the piss just wondering why.

Mclean was pretty awesome before the bye, had 2 average weeks and we want to look at a guy who hasn't played for 2 years?

 

[DeathlyAccurate]

Reid in and Ladhams? Do some of you actually want us to win a premiership?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The King!]

I think Hamling, Reid and maybe Buller can be our forwards .

Get Ladhams in the ruck, I am over Grundy dominating .

Can we get Sinclair back? maybe Jed Lamb

Jed Lamb

Age

31

Ht

181cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

6.8

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

1.8

2star

M

1.0

1star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.2

3star

in the guts

 

[MR0808]

I think Hamling, Reid and maybe Buller can be our forwards .

Get Ladhams in the ruck, I am over Grundy dominating .

Can we get Sinclair back? maybe Jed Lamb in the guts

Bring back Jesse White

 

[kelpie_X]

I think Hamling, Reid and maybe Buller can be our forwards .

Get Ladhams in the ruck, I am over Grundy dominating .

Can we get Sinclair back? maybe Jed Lamb in the guts

Jack Hiscocks was fast.

 

[caesar88]

Horse loves McLean. And for good reason. We want our talls to compete, anything else is a bonus. McLean competes as hard as anyone, certainly the most of our talls. It's not quite coming together for him at the moment, but the same was said about McDonald & Amartey at various stages this year, and I think we'd miss McLean more than we realise.

There was a great play against Geelong last week where we won the clearance out of the centre and the handball back to McLean just fell short. But he'd already surged forward to receive it and knew he wouldn't make it so he got a boot to it to soccer it forward about 20m instead. That's smarts and work rate, which not every tall has, but it's also chemistry with his mids to know where that handball would be going. What we're building is special and it's predicated on incredible connection and understanding between teammates. I wouldn't be messing with that by making any unnecessary changes.

 

[The King!]

Horse loves McLean. And for good reason. We want our talls to compete, anything else is a bonus. McLean competes as hard as anyone, certainly the most of our talls. It's not quite coming together for him at the moment, but the same was said about McDonald & Amartey at various stages this year, and I think we'd miss McLean more than we realise.

There was a great play against Geelong last week where we won the clearance out of the centre and the handball back to McLean just fell short. But he'd already surged forward to receive it and knew he wouldn't make it so he got a boot to it to soccer it forward about 20m instead. That's smarts and work rate, which not every tall has, but it's also chemistry with his mids to know where that handball would be going. What we're building is special and it's predicated on incredible connection and understanding between teammates. I wouldn't be messing with that by making any unnecessary changes.

He is getting more attention lately as well, will learn to work through it.

 

[Dan87]

He is what he is. A structural piece. Held us a bit to ransom with his contract but he tries

We just move the ball right past him these days. Might need him a bit when we get slowed down.

If we ever get anyone better he's in reserves but he's doing his job.

 

[Dan87]

Horse loves McLean. And for good reason. We want our talls to compete, anything else is a bonus. McLean competes as hard as anyone, certainly the most of our talls. It's not quite coming together for him at the moment, but the same was said about McDonald & Amartey at various stages this year, and I think we'd miss McLean more than we realise.

There was a great play against Geelong last week where we won the clearance out of the centre and the handball back to McLean just fell short. But he'd already surged forward to receive it and knew he wouldn't make it so he got a boot to it to soccer it forward about 20m instead. That's smarts and work rate, which not every tall has, but it's also chemistry with his mids to know where that handball would be going. What we're building is special and it's predicated on incredible connection and understanding between teammates. I wouldn't be messing with that by making any unnecessary changes.

You don't know what Horse thinks

 

[caesar88]

You don't know what Horse thinks

Ok

 

[Kiama Chris]

You don't know what Horse thinks

I don't know what Horse thinks either but McLean gets selected so it's a good guess that he's considered good enough in his role.
Personally, I'm a fan of players with lesser talent who work incredibly hard and get the best out of themselves. Can't run fast so developed himself to run far. One of the hardest trainers in the club. Developed his ruck work year on year to the extent that he can hold his own with a few #1 rucks. McLean is a soldier, not a star, but I like what he brings, whatever Horse thinks.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

Hads is one of my favourite swans, purely because he works so hard and keeps getting better, but by bit. He has that Kirk / LRT / Heath Grundy

Heath Grundy

Age

38

Ht

192cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.2

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

231.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.2

2star

K

6.4

3star

HB

1.8

2star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.8

3star

to him. And he plays smart.

This has made me surprised with him slipping back the last few weeks. Has there been a change in role, is he injured, or just a little out of form?

Either way, we would be crazy to mess with the current complexion of the team unless we were 110% confident the replacement would do better - which I highly doubt. While McLean hasn’t been setting the world on fire, he also hasn’t been letting us down with dumb mistakes, poor efforts, clangers, etc. I don’t think any second ruck in the reserves is near him in the “trust” stakes.

 

[The King!]

Hads is one of my favourite swans, purely because he works so hard and keeps getting better, but by bit. He has that Kirk / LRT / Heath Grundy to him. And he plays smart.

This has made me surprised with him slipping back the last few weeks. Has there been a change in role, is he injured, or just a little out of form?

Either way, we would be crazy to mess with the current complexion of the team unless we were 110% confident the replacement would do better - which I highly doubt. While McLean hasn’t been setting the world on fire, he also hasn’t been letting us down with dumb mistakes, poor efforts, clangers, etc. I don’t think any second ruck in the reserves is near him in the “trust” stakes.

He's had 2 average games in a good year, no chance of being dropped .

Against the dogs a few weeks ago he was excellent imo

 

[Arrr]

I find it a bit baffling that people are questioning his place in the side at the moment, the forward balance seems to be improving game on game. How many times at the start of this season did we see the three talls spoiling each other in pack marks? I know I noticed it way more than I do now. These three talls are all building up great continuity and learning how they all fit in together.
On top of that you've got the form ruck of the competition playing great footy and this guy in there performing as one of the best back up rucks in the competition. There doesn't seem to be a massive drop off in midfield production when he's there instead of Grundy. If him being there to give Grundy a rest and we aren't losing much then that's huge! Imagine how much less load is on Grundy than Gawn atm because he's got a decent ruck cover.
The team seems like it's a case of everyone getting their lick of the ice cream at some stage by just trusting the process and playing their role. If you put in the work and play your part eventually you get to fill your boots or get that real play of the round type moment.

 

[legend166]

Bring back Jesse White

If we're not actively trying to get Luke Vogels back in to the team do we even care about winning the flag?

 

[Olian]

One aspect of his game this year that has dropped off is his contested marking. That may be because of the game style and Grundy having more time on the ground in the ruck.

Hopefully he can take a few more marks as it’s probably the one part of the Swans game that seems down at times.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

One aspect of his game this year that has dropped off is his contested marking. That may be because of the game style and Grundy having more time on the ground in the ruck.

Hopefully he can take a few more marks as it’s probably the one part of the Swans game that seems down at times.

I think that mainly is due to our game plan. We haven't been as reliant on our talls needing to take a bailout mark along the wing to gain territory, we've primarily been carving the opposition up with handballs and quick ball movement.