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

 

[Punts]

he has played some good games at times though, so he can do it

Let’s be serious, about a handful across his career.

So did Ronke

 

[The King!]

Let’s be serious, about a handful across his career.

So did Ronke

True.

Right now he is on the list and there's a spot, is there anyway to improve his chances of success

 

[hairy biker]

Stephens only played 66% of game time.
Only Ladhams (inj) and Sheldrick (sub) played less.

Gulden and McInerney take up most time on the wing and last week Campbell was our third option.
And even yesterday Campbell spent time on the wing, particularly in the 1st half.

At present Stephens hasn't got a spot, if we are to use the other three significantly on the wing (which is a set up I prefer).

So much like a Blakey or Florent before him, he need to find somewhere else to slot in.
Up to him and the coaches to develop him in a different area if we choose others as our main wings.

 

[melbournehammer]

Actaually I think he does get ignored a bit. There’s a lot of kicks back to the centre corridor that this team makes and he is often the one in space - which is dead space and might be his fault but it’s non threatening space.

It’s interesting to compare him to gulden (true this is on the one game) who plays further forward and drives inside a bit more and also is more inclined to take the ball and go with it by rolling back to the centre.

Stephen’s is often getting it without a willingness to play on after receiving it and appears unwilling to push into super attacking spaces. So no one looks to him as a realistic option when we go forward and when we do get it he slows it down rather than speeds it up.

 

[The King!]

Stephens only played 66% of game time.
Only Ladhams (inj) and Sheldrick (sub) played less.

Gulden and McInerney take up most time on the wing and last week Campbell was our third option.
And even yesterday Campbell spent time on the wing, particularly in the 1st half.

At present Stephens hasn't got a spot, if we are to use the other three significantly on the wing (which is a set up I prefer).

So much like a Blakey or Florent before him, he need to find somewhere else to slot in.
Up to him and the coaches to develop him in a different area if we choose others as our main wings.

yeah that's all im saying find his best spot, do it in the VFL if you have too, maximise the asset

 

[Cadsky]

Will request a trade at seasons end

 

[tombomb]

coaches dont give him a chance at the moment

i know many say bust but we saw decent games at times,he is out there being ignored

He just doesn't play with anything close to the intensity required. Just jogs around on the wing having no impact.

Ball gets kicked over his head, jogs down to the next contest. If someone wins the ball, maybe he can get a handball receive and kick it 30m to someone. Maybe not.

Coaches probably aren't helping him much, but he needs to watch a player like Tom Mitchell and how he is like a cat around the ball. Or even Gulden or Warner from our own team.

 

[monopoly19]

Don’t think it’s fair to say he just jogs around when the tracker says he had the highest average speed on the ground! I agree that he wasn’t impactful yesterday but hard to know how much he is being told to hold space, stay wide etc. I don’t think he has an effort problem but maybe a confidence problem.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Don’t think it’s fair to say he just jogs around when the tracker says he had the highest average speed on the ground! I agree that he wasn’t impactful yesterday but hard to know how much he is being told to hold space, stay wide etc. I don’t think he has an effort problem but maybe a confidence problem.

I’d have a confidence problem too if I was always a couple of clangers away from being dropped.

He’s a good player. But when we’re being carved-up in the guts, I fail to see how he can impact heavily (or cop the whippings for yesterday).

There were some calling for him to be tried on the inside. That still hasn’t happened.

Horse has his structure & sticks to it - even when it isn’t working.

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Don’t think it’s fair to say he just jogs around when the tracker says he had the highest average speed on the ground! I agree that he wasn’t impactful yesterday but hard to know how much he is being told to hold space, stay wide etc. I don’t think he has an effort problem but maybe a confidence problem.

I feel he just lacks that hardness at AFL level. Still struggles to win one on one contests. Defensively, drops off alot of tackles or they are ineffective such that his opponent gets a hand pass away.

He has bulked up alot over the last couple of seasons so I don't think it's a strength issue.

 

[SeanM]

Early in the game was he playing more half forward?

It might not be too bad trying him there. He can chase around the forward line rather than tracking his winger. He can come up to provide an extra number at the contest. And then when we win the ball, he has freedom to just run into space.

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

Whats he worth at the trade table? A 3rd round pick?

 

[The King!]

Whats he worth at the trade table? A 3rd round pick?

Nothing , may as well try to develop him

 

[caesar88]

Whats he worth at the trade table? A 3rd round pick?

I pondered the same thing over in the reserves thread and reached the same guess as you.

I'm thinking that would be being optimistic. Aside from a small run of solid if unremarkable games, and the odd one here and there, Stephens is basically an unproven player at the highest level who I'm not even sure the club will be that desperate to keep.

He's basically on par with Nic Newman at the time we traded him. Both four years in the system, both around the 30-50 game mark (Newman at 31 by the time he left; Stephens currently on 38), both were prolific at the lower level but couldn't always convert it to the highest level. Newman was traded for a fourth round pick. Stephens being a former first-round pick as opposed to a rookie like Newman maybe bumps him up to a third round pick.

I still hope he works out as I'm more sold on him than you are, but even I am starting to get concerned. If you're good enough it just shouldn't be as difficult to show it as it has been for Stephens thus far.

 

[Bloods86]

Whats he worth at the trade table? A 3rd round pick?

I don't necessarily see him going. I reckon a mid to late 2nd, as there'll be a few Vic and SA suitors. Unless he nominates a club.

 

[BloodySwan]

Unless another club is guaranteeing him game time (and I highly doubt anyone is) he'll get another contract with us

 

[Cadsky]

Unless another club is guaranteeing him game time (and I highly doubt anyone is) he'll get another contract with us

Or he'll do a Xavier Richards

 

[caesar88]

Probably stating the obvious here, but I don't think Horse is as fond of Stephens as many of the fans are.

I think back to Horse's speech at this year's guernsey presentation, where he spoke about JPK and how his "thing" was that he wanted to be the best contested player in the game, and he challenged all the new players to find their own trademark that will leave their mark on this team and this club.

If I'm Horse, I'm looking at Stephens play each week and I have no idea what his "thing" is as a player.

 

[SSwans2011]

Probably stating the obvious here, but I don't think Horse is as fond of Stephens as many of the fans are.

Many might be an overstatement here.

I'm seemingly in the minority thinking we should be playing Stephens. There's a few players I'd bring him in via some magnet shuffling.

 

[Dan87]

I hope it comes together for him but what's left besides him demanding selection now

He seems to be playing the exact same footy to four years ago still, doesn't have the trust to be fed the footy, stops and goes over the mark, doesn't use his speed.

Decent chance we're his best option at the end of the year

 

[SeanM]

We are half way through the season, so I guess we will see what happens. The coaches might have wanted Stephens to have a solid block of games in the reserves working on his game as an inside mid.

Longer term maybe he can offer something different to our inside mids with his workrate and running ability. But he would need to work on getting to contests and making an impact. And how to hurt the other side with his disposal and running.

If he stays long term, ideally fans would re-adjust their expectations. Because he was pick 5 he is expected to be a high performer and best 22 lock. But if he was a pick in the 30s like Corey Warner or Roberts, it is no big deal to be on the fringes of the first team midfield.

 

[melbournehammer]

Probably stating the obvious here, but I don't think Horse is as fond of Stephens as many of the fans are.

I think back to Horse's speech at this year's guernsey presentation, where he spoke about JPK and how his "thing" was that he wanted to be the best contested player in the game, and he challenged all the new players to find their own trademark that will leave their mark on this team and this club.

If I'm Horse, I'm looking at Stephens play each week and I have no idea what his "thing" is as a player.

Actually his thing is two way running. He really and genuinely is the guy who will run as the winger covering the last line of defence to be the spare player running into the forward line. Its funny because like McLean (but more extreme) his top speed isnt super quick but his endurance has him motoring around all game. I think he covers back better than anyone on the list but like some others (gulden in the grand final is an example of this as well) he can panic kick the ball out of there. But so does Lloyd from time time to time so it is what it is

The problem is that we have been playing him as a wide player but I dont think his kicking is up to the mark as a wide player. I think that is the reason he often resorts to bombing it down the line - because he doesnt hit targets very well over 30m. But hes not been the only one this year. It maybe just is that his errors are more glaring.

At any rate my sense is that horse would prefer the gulden set up three goals and hit one horrible turnover per game style to the just bomb it long safety first play that stephens brings. He might have been better suited to the roos game of kick it down the line and create a stoppage plan than the horse one.

 

[caesar88]

Actually his thing is two way running. He really and genuinely is the guy who will run as the winger covering the last line of defence to be the spare player running into the forward line. Its funny because like McLean (but more extreme) his top speed isnt super quick but his endurance has him motoring around all game. I think he covers back better than anyone on the list but like some others (gulden in the grand final is an example of this as well) he can panic kick the ball out of there. But so does Lloyd from time time to time so it is what it is

The problem is that we have been playing him as a wide player but I dont think his kicking is up to the mark as a wide player. I think that is the reason he often resorts to bombing it down the line - because he doesnt hit targets very well over 30m. But hes not been the only one this year. It maybe just is that his errors are more glaring.

At any rate my sense is that horse would prefer the gulden set up three goals and hit one horrible turnover per game style to the just bomb it long safety first play that stephens brings. He might have been better suited to the roos game of kick it down the line and create a stoppage plan than the horse one.

That's the thing though, if he's got this great tank but isn't doing any damage with it, it doesn't really count as a trademark. It's just something he can do that doesn't really pertain to his performances or Horse's game plan.

Putting kicking aside, why can't he run and carry by hand more? The way Florent, McInerney, Blakey etc take the game on and get their overlap game going is so damaging. If Stephens has this running power, why not put it to use in this way?

 

[SeanM]

Actually his thing is two way running. He really and genuinely is the guy who will run as the winger covering the last line of defence to be the spare player running into the forward line. Its funny because like McLean (but more extreme) his top speed isnt super quick but his endurance has him motoring around all game. I think he covers back better than anyone on the list but like some others (gulden in the grand final is an example of this as well) he can panic kick the ball out of there. But so does Lloyd from time time to time so it is what it is

The problem is that we have been playing him as a wide player but I dont think his kicking is up to the mark as a wide player. I think that is the reason he often resorts to bombing it down the line - because he doesnt hit targets very well over 30m. But hes not been the only one this year. It maybe just is that his errors are more glaring.

At any rate my sense is that horse would prefer the gulden set up three goals and hit one horrible turnover per game style to the just bomb it long safety first play that stephens brings. He might have been better suited to the roos game of kick it down the line and create a stoppage plan than the horse one.

I think he might have to learn a new role.

I feel at the end of the last year when the team was doing well. He could just play a simple role as a defensive winger focusing on structured running, shadowing his opponent and getting into position. But this year with the team struggling. We rely on more attacking wingers who need to create something for our forwards or win a one on one contest.

If Stephens transitions from a defensive winger to an inside mid. I guess it will be a gradual learning process. He has to get to contests and make the tackle, able to pick up loose balls and get handballs out. Try to win possession and run through the middle. Or look for handball receives on the inside so he can run.

=-=
Earlier in the season, I was thinking they could use Stephens similar to Geelong's high half forwards. Where they flood back and support the mids in the contest and then burst forward into space on turnover. But then I think he played a game at half forward mostly and was not that effective.

 

[Callipygian]

I'm not at all confident but I can definitely see a future where Dyl and the coaches figure out a role for him, and he settles into it and he turns into an elite role player. He's got the tools. He may have the tenacity and perseverance that it will require.