Player Watch #5 Isaac Heeney

[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

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Is our lawyer on $30hr

Probably one of the saddest things ive seen

Went with legal aid. According to the media we spent all our money re-signing Gulden, Hayward & then McDonald on huuuuge contracts.

I heard we're even dipping into the soft cap now and asked Eagles to sack their coach so we can get Cox off our books.

/s

 

[BloodySwan]

Surely we still appeal? Seems insane he didn't get off. No one can explain, only thing I hear are people personally happy he has been suspended

 

[liz]

I'm not sure that anyone could watch this incident and think it was intentional by Heeney. But...based on what is in the published transcript, that was an unimpressive case argued by the Swans' counsel.

I reckon in these borderline cases (ie where there is no serious injury, or likelihood or serious injury), the tribunal actually wants to clear players. It's up to counsel to give them an easy way to make that decision.

The challenge to be overcome was the AFL's decision to change the rule over the off-season to say that these kinds of action will "usually" be deemed deliberate. So I would have thought a dive into what incidents caused the AFL to make that change (as research, not necessarily evidence presented at the tribunal) would have been the starting point. And then the focus should have been building an argument about why this was not "usual" - the position of Webster's head compared to where Heeney might reasonable have expected it to be and the motion (a downwards swipe). Those things were brought up in the tribunal testimony but not built into a compelling argument.

Unfortunately an appeal is unlikely to be successful. An appeal isn't a chance to have a second go if the first defence wasn't very good. A club can only appeal based on a) an error of law; or b) a manifestly unreasonable conclusion based on the evidence presented. I don't see either of those avenues as open. The way the AFL wrote the law does make the Heeney action, prima facie, intentional. And I think the appeals board would conclude it wasn't unreasonable for the tribunal to reach the conclusion they did (irrespective of whether a different group of tribunal individuals could have reached a different decision).

The Charlie Cameron

23

Charlie Cameron

Age

30

Ht

180cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.6

2star

K

7.9

3star

HB

1.7

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.2

4star

ruling from earlier this year has added a whole lot of fog into the system. My guess is that the AFL told the tribunal never to apply such a downgrading again, but what they should have done is appeal the decision at the time. It's hard to see why Cameron's rap sheet (lots of incidents for which he'd previously been fined) was deemed cleaner than other players' rap sheets who have tried - and failed - to since use the "good bloke" card.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

Just watched the vision now - wow…

Also, anyone who values the Brownlow clearly hasn’t been watching the quality of the umpiring in our game. It is insane that (a) the game should care what umpires think about how good players are and (b) we pay people who are supposed to be facilitating fair play to also try to evaluate who is playing well.

Some traditions stand the test of time because there is a nugget of value in them. Those traditions that don’t should be cast aside. It is time to move on from the Brownlow - or just switch it to coaches votes and keep the same name and format (trust me, barely anyone will give a crap that folk voting have changed, and most people probably wouldn’t even notice).

 

[Dangas]

Don't get me started on this ban. Game is soft. Comparison across other football acts, this shouldn't be a reason Isaac, or any other player; should be ineligible for Brownlow.

 

[ashep]

Surely we still appeal? Seems insane he didn't get off. No one can explain, only thing I hear are people personally happy he has been suspended

A couple of them here...

 

[Bramax]

When that was raised, the AFL responded that that case was more complicated. I don't normally like to read too much into things, but the most obvious "complicating" factor would be

You just said the quiet part out loud.
I’m certain if the “of good character” situation was reversed, we may have heard from Eddie Betts about it.
FWIW I’m very sorry for Heeney. Incredible player and always very fair.

 

[the hypnotoad]

Adams was made sub this week on the same basis.

It's late in the season, bye or no bye the players are all carrying things.

i think it's more the mental break that might do heeney some good, particularly after going through this whole thing ...
and just generally, it is a jolt to his teammates' and the club's mindset ... a form of circuit-breaker
mills comes in, maybe parker, and the likes of warner and gulden are forced to reset

 

[Superstar swan]

How long have we got to launch an appeal?

Show some fight through adversity for once

 

[alexfenton]

Should appeal, but then if successful, rest Heeney this week anyway as a big **** you to the tribunal and league. Unfortunately that would not go down well at all and would be seen as arrogant and purely to keep his Brownlow eligibility (not that he’s the sole favourite and a certainty).

Not a good look in that regard, would be kinda funny though. Needs a rest imo

 

[Bloods86]

Should appeal, but then if successful, rest Heeney this week anyway as a big **** you to the tribunal and league. Unfortunately that would not go down well at all and would be seen as arrogant and purely to keep his Brownlow eligibility (not that he’s the sole favourite and a certainty).

Not a good look in that regard, would be kinda funny though. Needs a rest imo

Play him from the goalsquare.

 

[Swansujelly]

absolute bollocks, what a farce.

 

[Tedeski]

can f..k off too

Rude letter to follow!

 

[Tedeski]

Fitzpatrick

Not Mike Thatfatprick?

 

[Tedeski]

But...based on what is in the published transcript, that was an unimpressive case argued by the Swans' counsel.

This form is running through the entire club it seems Liz.

I feel we just thought that we could easily have this thrown out without much effort & in the end were left scrambling & lost.
Not unlike our second half against the Saints.

Time to find form from top to bottom, starting with a top notch appeal because this should easily be overturned.
Perhaps we can get representation by the Players president, Dangerfield, who seemed to plea his case & have the system bow down to him & let him off. For that dangerous tackle others have been suspended for, whats more.
A joke!

 

[RampeRobe]

i think it's more the mental break that might do heeney some good, particularly after going through this whole thing ...
and just generally, it is a jolt to his teammates' and the club's mindset ... a form of circuit-breaker
mills comes in, maybe parker, and the likes of warner and gulden are forced to reset

I feel like having the week off, suspension or not, would tend to frustrate rather than have any relief mentally for any player.

The best way to get through would be to play this week (if he was able) and play well and stick it up the AFL.. would be an enormous confidence boost.. sitting out, especially for a pissy suspension would just cause frustration I reckon.. he would want to be out there with his mates

 

[Adnico26Parker]

We are appealing

 

[kickthething]

Chad better be careful, does a fend off qualify for making space on an opponent and swinging an arm, a high fend off now is a week if so.

 

[KingV23]

We are appealing

YES! Come on Swans! It's Round 17.5 - The Sydney Swans take on the Tribunal Twats.

 

[Bloods86]

We are appealing

I'd go with classification and sanction excessive, just play the Hewett clip and ask how that was careless and a fine, but Heeney, in play with the player behind is intentional and suspended.

 

[kickthething]

We are appealing

Excellent…needs the appeal. Now get better counsel

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Tbh, the AFL would looooooove for Isaac's suspension to be upheld. Firstly, we're an 'interstate' club, so the Vic supporters would revel in the schadenfreude. Secondly, it will create media buzz, particularly leading up to brownlow night where they will continue to run stories questioning whether Heeney should have been made intelligible based on that action.

It's seriously a dream scenario for the AFL. Free media hype and debate amongst fans.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Now we appeal!

Please tell me we have better legal councel today and not the second coming of Danny DeVito

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Chad better be careful, does a fend off qualify for making space on an opponent and swinging an arm, a high fend off now is a week if so.

Wouldn't surprise me if the AFL do target Chad over the next few weeks to set a precedence and then ping him for it during finals.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Now we appeal!

Please tell me we have better legal councel today and not the second coming of Danny DeVito

I heard we've got a new hotshot lawyer in to save the case...