Player Watch #5 Isaac Heeney: 2024 All Australian

[Kennedy Parker]

Isaac Heeney

Isaac Heeney

5

Isaac Heeney

Age

28

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

7.7

5star

M

4.9

5star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.2

4star

D

14.3

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

5.5

3star

M

4.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

0.8

3star

D

10.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.8

3star

is a crowd favourite and one of the best young players in the competition. The QBE Sydney Swans Academy graduate won the 2018 AFL Mark of the Year award, was selected in the AFL Players’ Association’s 22Under22 team in two of his eligible four years and played his 100th senior game in 2019. Heeney can be used in the midfield, forward line – where he booted four goals in star teammate Lance Franklin’s absence in Round 20 last year – or as a loose man in defence.

Isaac Heeney

5

Isaac Heeney

Age

28

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

7.7

5star

M

4.9

5star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.2

4star

D

14.3

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

5.5

3star

M

4.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

0.8

3star

D

10.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.8

3star

DOB: 05 May 1996
DEBUT: 2015
DRAFT: #18, 2014 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Cardiff (NSW)

Isaac Heeney | AFL

Follow Isaac Heeney's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[Superstar swan]

It's not us giving him the prize Tick.

And there lies the problem, it’s very hard for the afl to police who is giving money to who.

That’s how I suspect certain Victorian teams get around the salary cap .

“Hey we honestly just gave Jeremy Cameron 600k a year, how were we to know that he was able to scour the market and purchase a 1 million dollar farm for $100”

 

[Ballarat Bob]

Heeney needs to be set a target of 18 regular season games next year. Any niggles we don't play him , keep him as fresh as possible for a finals tilt. When he's fit he's top three in the comp but he's one of those players that needs saving from himself.

 

[mcs095]

We need to actively manage him going forward, to have him right for the games that matter. No frigging use if he is busted like he was again on the day that matters.

 

[bedford]

We need to actively manage him going forward, to have him right for the games that matter. No frigging use if he is busted like he was again on the day that matters.

It happens in footy with all teams , you don't reat blokes like him , the injury was in the finals ! ask him what he wants

 

[mcs095]

Of course injuries like that happen with all teams. But I'm far from convinced the Russian roulette game we keep playing with Heeney is either effective or sustainable.

I know this years injury happened during the final series, but equally we know he is vulnerable to injuries in that part of the body - its not a new place for him to sustain injury.

And it is not like he plays poorly off the back of a break and needs weeks to get back to form - look at what he did against the Giants in the QF after a couple of weeks off.

But like most things at this club, I expect little will change - we will keep playing russian roulette, hoping finally our number comes up.

 

[SM]

We need to actively manage him going forward, to have him right for the games that matter. No frigging use if he is busted like he was again on the day that matters.

I said this all through the year and people rubbished me for it. We needed to better manage his body because it always breaks down, without fail, every year. It's why those saying he'll be a 300 gamer are wide of the mark, he just doesn't have the body to last more than another 2-3 years.

 

[caesar88]

What an amazing year he had. He's going to have one of the most dominant B&F wins ever seen, because it rewards consistency above anything, and Heeney was very consistent. I just looked back ans Heeney received POTY votes in 21 of his 24 games this year. That's just freakin' awesome. Horse & co go to great lengths to remind us how hard Heeney works, and it's always been obvious how much what he does is rooted in a team-first, incredible work rate. But the flashy stuff and freakish talent things are a massive part of his game, and he could easily get by on just those things, take the plaudits and consider his job done. It's the games where he can't quite get those parts of his game flowing so he just knuckles down and works his arse off to impact positively anyway that I find myself most in awe of Heeney.

Congrats to him on an incredible season and as I've said before, if I could say anything to Heeney it would just be a simple thank you for everything he did for our club this year.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Think Robbie Fox

42

Robbie Fox

Age

31

Ht

185cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

5.7

2star

HB

5.6

4star

M

2.2

2star

T

3.6

5star

MG

151.3

2star

D

10.8

3star

K

6.5

3star

HB

4.3

3star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.8

4star

MG

151.3

3star

D

12.2

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

6.8

5star

M

0.4

1star

T

3.6

5star

said that Heeney was absolutely devastated after the GF. No surprise the competitive beast that he is.

Who else was devastated ? Given the one game doesn’t define them and all.

 

[ashep]

There are many sad things about Saturday's result but high on the list is the fact that one of the greatest individual seasons from a Swans player - any player really - will be completely lost.

No Brownlow, no MVP, no Coaches award, no Ayers medal, Normie or premiership.

Conceivably he could have picked up 3 or 4 of the above. After 3 months it could have been a clean sweep!

The Skilton will be just reward for him, but it could have been an absolutely historic year.

 

[Tedeski]

I said this all through the year and people rubbished me for it. We needed to better manage his body because it always breaks down, without fail, every year. It's why those saying he'll be a 300 gamer are wide of the mark, he just doesn't have the body to last more than another 2-3 years.

True.
That's why he should just play as a forward when Mills is back & pinch hit occasionally in the mids.

He is a 60 goal a year forward, that's just how good he is.
Perhaps Horse playing him as a forward prior to this season was the right call.
Protecting him to make him last longer into his career.

Heens needs to be removed from a permanent midfield role & become that roaming forward.

 

[Punts]

No way would I be taking him out if the middle

 

[caesar88]

There are many sad things about Saturday's result but high on the list is the fact that one of the greatest individual seasons from a Swans player - any player really - will be completely lost.

No Brownlow, no MVP, no Coaches award, no Ayers medal, Normie or premiership.

Conceivably he could have picked up 3 or 4 of the above. After 3 months it could have been a clean sweep!

The Skilton will be just reward for him, but it could have been an absolutely historic year.

I guess this proves why those things don't really matter though.

For example when I think of Gary Ablett Jr I'd actually struggle to name a single year that he won his All Australians or Brownlows or coaches awards. I know he was great for a long period of time. Paul Kelly's a legend of the club but I think most Swans fans would be hard-pressed to name the years he won his B&Fs, or where he finished in the Brownlow in say 1997. Buddy kicked so many goals that the years he did or didn't win the Coleman feels irrelevant to even think about.

I think we think these awards and accolades matter, but as time goes on, the memory of them fades and all you're left with is the memory of the player. What they did and what they were capable of. Few have achieved more in that regard than Heeney over the journey.

 

[ashep]

I guess this proves why those things don't really matter though.

For example when I think of Gary Ablett Jr I'd actually struggle to name a single year that he won his All Australians or Brownlows or coaches awards. I know he was great for a long period of time. Paul Kelly's a legend of the club but I think most Swans fans would be hard-pressed to name the years he won his B&Fs, or where he finished in the Brownlow in say 1997. Buddy kicked so many goals that the years he did or didn't win the Coleman feels irrelevant to even think about.

I think we think these awards and accolades matter, but as time goes on, the memory of them fades and all you're left with is the memory of the player. What they did and what they were capable of. Few have achieved more in that regard than Heeney over the journey.

That's 100% right. I couldn't tell you how many Colemans Buddy won with us and he obviously never won a flag or a Brownlow but I look back on his time with us as some of the most magical moments I've had at the footy.

Ditto for Heeney, I've always been a fan but I'll never forget the way he did stuff in 2024 I just didn't think was possible.

It just doesn't sit quite right that in 20 years when gen alpha footy fans are looking back through the almanac, Heeney's name will be nowhere to be seen.

 

[caesar88]

That's 100% right. I couldn't tell you how many Colemans Buddy won with us and he obviously never won a flag or a Brownlow but I look back on his time with us as some of the most magical moments I've had at the footy.

Ditto for Heeney, I've always been a fan but I'll never forget the way he did stuff in 2023 I just didn't think was possible.

It just doesn't sit quite right that in 20 years when gen alpha footy fans are looking back through the almanac, Heeney's name will be nowhere to be seen.

Well hopefully by then, gen alpha footy fans will all realise these awards are kinda shit and will put no stock in them. I certainly don't, and I am from a generation that grew up being lied to told that the Brownlow went to the fairest and best player in the competition, and the All Australian team was the 22 best players in each position. They'll be told the stories about what Heeney did, they'll see the highlight reels played back that will show the incredible goals and marks, and that will carry more weight for them than simply seeing Heeney's name in a little Wikipedia box.

 

[ashep]

Well hopefully by then, gen alpha footy fans will all realise these awards are kinda shit and will put no stock in them. I certainly don't, and I am from a generation that grew up being lied to told that the Brownlow went to the fairest and best player in the competition, and the All Australian team was the 22 best players in each position. They'll be told the stories about what Heeney did, they'll see the highlight reels played back that will show the incredible goals and marks, and that will carry more weight for them than simply seeing Heeney's name in a little Wikipedia box.

I sort of agree, but there's also a reason we keep score of the games. Heeney's skills and performance this year elevated him above the competition but a Skilton, Brownlow and flag in the same year would have put him in rarified are historically.

I agree it's not the main thing, but it's a thing, especially when it was all so promising at one stage.

 

[bedford]

Think Robbie Fox said that Heeney was absolutely devastated after the GF. No surprise the competitive beast that he is.

Who else was devastated ? Given the one game doesn’t define them and all.

They are best friends

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Interestingly, we had Adams and Parker who could have relieved him of his duties within games and allowed him to take a break in the forward line if we didn't want to rest him altogether.

But we chose to keep him playing as a battering ram. Chose to keep Parker in the 2s and then shafted Adams at the end of the year. Heeney was battered come finals and could barely fire a shot in the decider.

If Horse played this right, he could have had a fresh Heeney and engaged both Adams and Parker by rotating all 3, allowing him to see which combinations worked and under what circumstances they worked best.

 

[mcs095]

Interestingly, we had Adams and Parker who could have relieved him of his duties within games and allowed him to take a break in the forward line if we didn't want to rest him altogether.

But we chose to keep him playing as a battering ram. Chose to keep Parker in the 2s and then shafted Adams at the end of the year. Heeney was battered come finals and could barely fire a shot in the decider.

If Horse played this right, he could have had a fresh Heeney and engaged both Adams and Parker by rotating all 3, allowing him to see which combinations worked and under what circumstances they worked best.

Lets not rewrite history too much. It was 3 games Parker played in reserves. 2 was plenty (arguably 1), but given the form the team was in at the time, it wasn't entirely unreasonable for him to play a 3rd. Wasn't like he played 15 weeks there, and it was his own silly fault for getting suspended after that (even if the punishment imho was very harsh).

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Lets not rewrite history too much. It was 3 games Parker played in reserves. 2 was plenty (arguably 1), but given the form the team was in at the time, it wasn't entirely unreasonable for him to play a 3rd. Wasn't like he played 15 weeks there, and it was his own silly fault for getting suspended after that (even if the punishment imho was very harsh).

People on these boards were calling for players to be rested when we were sitting on top of the ladder 3+ games clear. It never happened because we stuck with a midfield that ultimately failed, partly due to the fact that Heeney was battered.

Horse's insistance on playing Parker in the 2's led to him seeking a trade at the end of the year. And Adams, the guy we brought in for his hardness and finals experience was sitting on the sidelines when we needed hardness and experience in the grand final.

Horse left many stones unturned this season. The forward line being another obvious example.

We had this season on a platter at one stage. Horse stuck to his guns, which he has a history of doing. The team fell into a hole towards the end of the season with little time available to diagnose and correct.

The rest is history.

 

[mcs095]

Horse's insistance on playing Parker in the 2's led to him seeking a trade at the end of the year.

That is pure speculation - unless someone has provided something approaching reasonable evidence to support such supposition.... something I've never seen (but happy to be corrected).

To be honest, I'd be pretty disappointed if that is actually the truth behind it. Not like he hasn't been around the club long enough to know nothing is ever guaranteed in footy.

I still suspect the offer of 2 or possibly 3 years at significantly higher wages, plus the chance to work under Clarkson (if he has any endeavours to head into coaching - its not a bad place to start) is a much more compelling reason.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

That is pure speculation - unless someone has provided something approaching reasonable evidence to support such supposition.... something I've never seen (but happy to be corrected).

To be honest, I'd be pretty disappointed if that is actually the truth behind it. Not like he hasn't been around the club long enough to know nothing is ever guaranteed in footy.

I still suspect the offer of 2 or possibly 3 years at significantly higher wages, plus the chance to work under Clarkson (if he has any endeavours to head into coaching - its not a bad place to start) is a much more compelling reason.

There's a reason why Clarko put a call out to Parker. He saw value where Horse didn't. Obviously the lists are in different positions, but he saw a gun player undervalued by his club and pounced. If you think Parker playing in the 2s had nothing to do with that we're just going to have to agree to disagree.