Past #3 Dylan Stephens

[Kennedy Parker]

Dylan Stephens
The Sydney Swans used their first pick five since Jarrad McVeigh

Jarrad Mcveigh

Age

39

Ht

184cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.3

5star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.2

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.1

5star

MG

327.8

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.4

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

in 2002 to lock in a talented midfielder from South Australian club Norwood at the 2019 AFL Draft. Dylan Stephens

15

Dylan Stephens

Age

24

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

is a prolific ball-winner and creative user of the footy by hand and foot. He played predominantly on a wing in the early matches of the 2019 AFL Under-18 Championships before starring on the inside in the final match, gathering 33 disposals in a best-on-ground performance. A penetrating left-footer, he averaged 23.8 disposals and 4.8 tackles across the 2019 AFL Under-18 Championships and was rewarded with All Australian honours. He also played some excellent football at senior level with Norwood, averaging 18.2 disposals and 4.6 tackles in 12 matches. Stephens enjoyed a breakout season for the Bloods in 2020 with a memorable AFL debut in Round 6 against Richmond alongside fellow debutant, Chad Warner

1

Chad Warner

Age

23

Ht

185cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

3star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

2star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

4star

CL

0.0

1star

. Stephens finished the campaign with eight appearances, averaging 12.5 disposals and 3.4 marks per game, while also kicking two goals.

Dylan Stephens

15

Dylan Stephens

Age

24

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

DOB: 08 January 2001
DEBUT: 2020
DRAFT: #5, 2019 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Red Cliffs (Vic)/Walkerville (SA)/St Peter's College (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)

Dylan Stephens | AFL

Follow Dylan Stephens's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[bedford]

88 this is what a mean

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Somebody please give Dylan a pen.

That contract extension won’t sign itself.

 

[Slingshot Footy]

Somebody please give Dylan a pen.

That contract extension won’t sign itself.

Dyl's manager would be fielding quite a few calls at the moment and I imagine the Swans are the only calls he'd be screening at the moment.

 

[bedford]

Dyl's manager would be fielding quite a few calls at the moment and I imagine the Swans are the only calls he'd be screening at the moment.

He's already said he's not going anywhere

 

[Slingshot Footy]

He's already said he's not going anywhere

Are you telling me Swans fans shouldn't be worried?

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Either SA club would be sniffing around for a steal as Stephens currency is not at its highest yet.

 

[bedford]

Are you telling me Swans fans shouldn't be worried?

NO

 

[Bloods86]

Either SA club would be sniffing around for a steal as Stephens currency is not at its highest yet.

For all the talk about SA clubs, he's Victorian, he considers himself Victorian, he said he was approached by both Vic and SA clubs when he wasn't getting games (he resisted and re-signed). He's from Mildura, probably easier to see family etc if he was in Vic, since he wouldn't be travelling every 2nd week.

In any case he seems completely happy at the Swans.

"But there have been no thoughts of a return to the state where he was drafted from in South Australia after being granted a high school scholarship to move there as a teenager.

"It never crossed my mind and that's a good thing, because it can definitely happen to a lot of people."

"I can't really call Adelaide home as I'm from Mildura. I do have a lot of close friends in Adelaide but I really enjoy Sydney, we have a close-knit group here at the Swans and we're all loving it here at the moment, so that hasn't crept in."

"There are a lot of boys who are from interstate. We don't have our school friends to go back to like you would in Victoria, we just have each other and we've had each other from the start and that allows us to form that close connection. I was drafted with Chad and we've become great mates, spend a lot of time together and play a lot of golf together."

Late-blooming Swan 'still far from satisfied'

Top-five draft pick Dylan Stephens has found his feet but has plenty of room to grow

www.afl.com.au

 

[TheMase]

Either SA club would be sniffing around for a steal as Stephens currency is not at its highest yet.

He isn’t really from SA though so I don’t see why the location would be enticing.

 

[Kiama Chris]

His work in the off season was on full display last night. Well done to him. Maybe it's Stephens revenge season.

He's shown plenty of character along the way and you could see in his interview how his confidence has grown in a healthy way. Very happy for him.

 

[bedford]

For all the talk about SA clubs, he's Victorian, he considers himself Victorian, he said he was approached by both Vic and SA clubs when he wasn't getting games (he resisted and re-signed). He's from Mildura, probably easier to see family etc if he was in Vic, since he wouldn't be travelling every 2nd week.

In any case he seems completely happy at the Swans.

"But there have been no thoughts of a return to the state where he was drafted from in South Australia after being granted a high school scholarship to move there as a teenager.

"It never crossed my mind and that's a good thing, because it can definitely happen to a lot of people."

"I can't really call Adelaide home as I'm from Mildura. I do have a lot of close friends in Adelaide but I really enjoy Sydney, we have a close-knit group here at the Swans and we're all loving it here at the moment, so that hasn't crept in."

"There are a lot of boys who are from interstate. We don't have our school friends to go back to like you would in Victoria, we just have each other and we've had each other from the start and that allows us to form that close connection. I was drafted with Chad and we've become great mates, spend a lot of time together and play a lot of golf together."

Late-blooming Swan 'still far from satisfied'

Top-five draft pick Dylan Stephens has found his feet but has plenty of room to grow

www.afl.com.au

Thank you

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

He isn’t really from SA though so I don’t see why the location would be enticing.

Close friends? it plays a part.

Fantastic he looks committed to us

 

[Maximumlnsanity]

Zoom the lens out a little from those mids and in the open space there's Stephens, holding his width, trusting those mids to get it out to him. Not being a headless chook thinking he has to go in there and be involved all the time.

Footy. Smarts.

OMG YES! This is one of the reasons I loved Dawson so much. He knew exactly when to hold his width, and conversely when to move towards the congestion. Stephens in the past didn't get it right consistently, but during his run in the back half of last season he seemed to figure it out. The fact that his best application of this skill came in his first game of this season means he's worked on it in preseason, which is ya know very exciting.

Compare Stephens goal in this game to Dawson's' first couple goals against the Dogs in 2021. Both held the width and our unselfish forwards found them for an easy mark and goal.

Also not related but I ****ing love it whenever I see Stephens as the last line of defense in the goal square on a counter. Horse cannot have many criticisms about his defensive work rate anymore

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

That game right there is why we wanted Dylan Stephens at the draft, not an inside mid or anyone else.

We had inside mids crashing and bashing and getting the ball forward by any means (ie ugly) necessary. We needed someone to finish that work off nicely (ie pretty.)

Zoom the lens out a little from those mids and in the open space there's Stephens, holding his width, trusting those mids to get it out to him. Not being a headless chook thinking he has to go in there and be involved all the time.

Footy. Smarts.

I bang on about it all the time but this is why. How you read the game is how you will play the game.

All of the above is not to say he's a pea-heart who won't win his own ball. Whenever he had to tonight, he put his body on the line and put the ball above all else. Another attribute that bodes well in footy but is a non-negotiable at the Swans.

I want everyone who has made ignorant comments about Stevo to go and back and delete them.

cretinous hive minds on this Board have no idea… he always wanted to win his own ball but had to learn to play outside not inside…. His tackling stats in his first year alone showed his hunger for the contest but he was not following Coaches’ direction

 

[bedford]

I want everyone who has made ignorant comments about Stevo to go and back and delete them.

cretinous hive minds on this Board have no idea… he always wanted to win his own ball but had to learn to play outside not inside…. His tackling stats in his first year alone showed his hunger for the contest but he was not following Coaches’ direction

They won't

 

[Bloods86]

I want everyone who has made ignorant comments about Stevo to go and back and delete them.

cretinous hive minds on this Board have no idea… he always wanted to win his own ball but had to learn to play outside not inside…. His tackling stats in his first year alone showed his hunger for the contest but he was not following Coaches’ direction

There's certainly a type who think they're hardnuts and will steam in slinging "pea-hearted" and "soft" around, but I reckon they'd crumble in a contest on the footy field with Dyl.

 

[Crust]

I want everyone who has made ignorant comments about Stevo to go and back and delete them.

I first misread this and thought you said "Stevic" and nearly vomited.

 

[caesar88]

I want everyone who has made ignorant comments about Stevo to go and back and delete them.

cretinous hive minds on this Board have no idea… he always wanted to win his own ball but had to learn to play outside not inside…. His tackling stats in his first year alone showed his hunger for the contest but he was not following Coaches’ direction

To be fair, I don't think they should have to. It was/is their opinion and they're entitled to it. There's no law stating that you should have to declare every single time you've changed your mind or been proven wrong about something.

But I do hope the 'Stephens isn't hard enough' rhetoric will come to an end as Stephens keeps performing as he has been.

 

[Bloods86]

To be fair, I don't think they should have to. It was/is their opinion and they're entitled to it. There's no law stating that you should have to declare every single time you've changed your mind or been proven wrong about something.

But I do hope the 'Stephens isn't hard enough' rhetoric will come to an end as Stephens keeps performing as he has been.

There's a difference between discussing the perceived flaws in a kids game, and personal attacks, writing them off in their first couple of seasons.

You can be wrong about players, and not abuse them. I've wanted Hayward dropped (a fair while ago) and then he came back into form, hasn't stopped, among other times I've gotten things "wrong", but I never wrote him off or made cracks about his character.

 

[Nuggetz]

Another season bulking up has definitely helped with his confidence imo. He knows he can handle the physicality a lot better which bodes well with his elite gut running and good acceleration. The wing role is perfect for him, i'll say it again him & juzzy can both be AA wingmen.

 

[bedford]

Another season bulking up has definitely helped with his confidence imo. He knows he can handle the physicality a lot better which bodes well with his elite gut running and good acceleration. The wing role is perfect for him, i'll say it again him & juzzy can both be AA wingmen.

And i agree

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

There's a difference between discussing the perceived flaws in a kids game, and personal attacks, writing them off in their first couple of seasons.

You can be wrong about players, and not abuse them. I've wanted Hayward dropped (a fair while ago) and then he came back into form, hasn't stopped, among other times I've gotten things "wrong", but I never wrote him off or made cracks about his character.

Stephens just needed confidence and a batch of opportunity like Bell and Clarke got.

Coaches let him down by dropping him after one game.

 

[Bloods86]

Stephens just needed confidence and a batch of opportunity like Bell and Clarke got.

Coaches let him down by dropping him after one game.

I'm still salty about the Cats game in 2021. Pretty good game for a kid, in a win, against a top side. Dropped. Meanwhile others can/could be poor for weeks and they're fine. To be fair on Clarke though, his initial run at the club was when we were injury ravaged. Last year he earned his place.

 

[caesar88]

Just want to say that I'm a bit perplexed by the commentary around Stephens supposedly not being tough or hard enough.

He has shown enough in contests so far to know that clearly he is not lacking courage or ticker. He has also shown enough week in, week out to know he is not lacking work rate.

I agree that he can look a little reluctant to attack a contest or win a hard ball, but I think it has more to do with his role than anything he's actually lacking. He is probably

1. Not naturally used to throwing his body around to win a ball, because he hasn't done much of it. Isaac Smith

7

Isaac Smith

Age

36

Ht

188cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

13.0

5star

HB

8.4

5star

M

5.5

5star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

19.4

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.3

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

1.3

4star

D

19.2

5star

K

10.6

4star

HB

8.6

5star

M

7.6

5star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.6

3star

has been the best outside mid in a premiership winning side 4 times in his career. He's only averaged more than 6 contested possessions one year in his entire career. Stephens is currently averaging 5, and he's played about 30 games.

2. Also not sure at times whether any given ball there for the taking is supposed to be his or not. Part of his role is holding his width (I know, it's the wingman's version of a tall's "bring the ball to ground") and not getting sucked into the contest. There are times though when he does need to do that, and figuring out when to go and when not to is something that he'll only get better at.

 

[melbournehammer]

I dont see this actually. I think he goes when he needs to and isnt at all afraid to get stuck in. If you go through this thread you will see im pretty supportive of him on the whole. However I am a little concerned that his weaknesses arent becoming smaller and hes not using his strengths well enough.

His weakenesses imho are different to lacking ticker - they are

1. hes an indifferent tackler. In the open field and when people are close to goal he usually misses. Not a disaster as most of the time they are going to kick it anyway

2. his short field kicking is iffy - he lacks confidence in the 20 m kick and so either bombs it 50 metres or misses the target.

3. He doesnt play on on instinct. His first reaction is to go back behind the mark which leads to the 50m bomb or the 20m dinky kick when teams are set up. This may be on instruction but I doubt it. I think hes just naturally reluctant to get and go and to take things on to move the ball on quickly. Its a problem though because he is always kicking to contests - but hes reasonably quick and has a long kick on him and playing on would lead to more kicks over the head of defenders for forwards to run onto.

But he is a runner - he and jmac are up and back all the time - taking the ball on 15 metres from the goal line and then working all the way into the attcking 50 - for example the handpass to papley or mcdonald in the last against richmond showed a winger pressing all the way into the dangerous space

I'm still in his corner as i think young players should be givne a good solid go, but I would like to see all of these issues less prevalent