Sydney coach John Longmire’s challenge in 2019 is to get his side all pulling in the same direction. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

SYDNEY
2018 record: 14 wins, 9 losses (7th)

THE INS
Daniel Menzel (Geelong), Jackson Thurlow (Geelong), Ryan Clarke (North Melbourne), Nick Blakey (UNSW-ES), James Rowbottom (Oakleigh Chargers), Justin McInerney (Northern Knights), Zac Foot (Dandenong Stingrays), Durak Tucker (Peel Thunder), Harry Reynolds (Sandringham Dragons), Samuel Wicks (Sydney NEAFL)

THE OUTS
Dan Hannebery (St Kilda), Gary Rohan (Geelong), Nic Newman (Carlton), Alex Johnson (delisted), Dean Towers (delisted), Jordan Foote (delisted), Angus Styles (delisted), Jake Brown (delisted), Dan Robinson (delisted), Harrison Marsh (delisted)

THE STRENGTHS
It can never hurt having arguably the game’s best player in your team. Lance Franklin might have been hampered by a heel injury, among other ailments, in 2018, but he still averaged three goals a game and is still very much a game breaker, as his timely match-winning performances against Collingwood and GWS late in the season proved, helping the Swans qualify for their ninth finals series in a row after things were looking dicey. Franklin is now surrounded by a dynamic fleet of small forwards with Will Hayward, Tom Papley, Luke Parker and Ben Ronke all kicking at least 20 goals last season. If Sam Reid and Menzel both get back to full fitness, that attacking part of the ground will be very dangerous again in 2019. Sydney has the fourth-youngest list in the competition and always seems to unearth promising young players. In Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills, Hayward, Oliver Florent, Ronke, George Hewett and Lewis Melican, the long-term future continues to look bright. Josh Kennedy and Parker are still A-grade players and it’s fair to say Dane Rampe and Jake Lloyd are now, too. In 2018, on differentials, the Swans were ranked fifth for disposals.

THE WEAKNESSES
Speed is a huge issue for the Swans. Their midfield is very workmanlike, and still helped them make the finals, but they are one-paced, and that was no more evident than late in the season against Essendon at Marvel Stadium and against GWS in the second elimination final at the SCG. The Swans were absolutely torched on the outside in those games, and were humiliated by the Giants as they were restricted to their lowest ever score in 385 games at the SCG (4.6.30). Amazingly, they ended up losing seven games at their home ground – their worst return at the SCG since 2000. It could definitely be argued that making the finals papered over the cracks for the Swans, because they began trailing off badly in the second half of the year, as evidenced by losses to Richmond, Geelong, Essendon, Hawthorn and, most bizarrely of all, Gold Coast at the SCG! If it wasn’t for wins against Collingwood and GWS, which were aided greatly by Franklin running amok after key defenders from both opposing teams went off the ground injured, it could’ve been a very different story. There’s no question Sydney has a lot to work on over the summer. In 2018, on differentials, the Swans ranked seventh for clearances, ninth for marks inside 50, ninth for contested possessions and 11th for tackles. They had only the 12th-best attack, registered the fourth-fewest inside 50s and conceded the fourth-most inside 50s. There’s plenty of talent on the list, but coach John Longmire’s challenge is to get it all working together coherently and pulling in the same direction.

ONE TO WATCH
It’s hard not to get excited about Ronke. Yet another product of Sydney’s incredible rookie-list program, he burst onto the scene in round eight, becoming the first ever player to boot seven goals and lay 10 tackles in the same game – in just his third AFL match. He didn’t look back from that moment and played every game after debuting in round six, including another five-goal masterclass against North Melbourne. He has all the attributes of a 200-gamer, and it will be exciting to see what heights he can reach in his second season.

UNDER THE PUMP
It might be a little bit harsh to nominate Reid, because it’s his body that is getting in the way of him playing regular footy, but the Swans badly need him fully fit and playing at his best. He has shown he has the potential to be a very dangerous foil for Franklin up forward, but after managing just one game in 2018, and failing to play a game in 2016, Reid and the club’s medical team have to do everything in their power to make sure he is out on the park more often than not. His fitness could be the difference between a 10th finals series in a row and a bottom-10 finish next year.

BEST 22
B: Jarrad McVeigh, Heath Grundy, Dane Rampe
HB: Jake Lloyd, Aliir Aliir, Callum Mills
C: Isaac Heeney, Josh Kennedy, Harry Cunningham
HF: Will Hayward, Sam Reid, Tom Papley
F: Ben Ronke, Lance Franklin, Daniel Menzel
R: Callum Sinclair, Luke Parker, George Hewett
Inter: Nick Smith, Zak Jones, Oliver Florent, Kieren Jack
Emerg: Lewis Melican, Sam Naismith, Ryan Clarke, Tom McCartin

The return of Mills and Reid after lengthy injury layoffs will be a sight for sore eyes for the red-and-white faithful. Naismith and Melican have proven they have the potential to be best 22 players, but after spending most of 2018 on the sidelines, their spots have been taken by Sinclair and Aliir. Of course, Naismith and Sinclair can play in the same team, and probably will again in 2019, but for now Naismith is an emergency after overcoming an ACL injury. Clarke had an impressive year with the Kangaroos and he will also be pushing for senior action. Menzel’s immense talent sees him snare a forward pocket.