For the Swans to challenge for the flag in 2024, youngsters like Justin McInerney (pictured) will have to take the next step. Photo: AFL MEDIA

SYDNEY
2023 record: 12 wins, 11 losses, 1 draw (8th)

THE INS
Brodie Grundy (Melbourne), Taylor Adams (Collingwood), James Jordon (Melbourne), Joel Hamling (Fremantle), Will Green (Northern Knights), Caiden Cleary (Sydney University), Patrick Snell (Wilston Grange), Indhi Kirk (Sydney VFL)

THE OUTS
Lance Franklin (retired), Tom Hickey (retired), Patrick McCartin (retired), Dylan Stephens (North Melbourne), Ryan Clarke (delisted), Will Gould (delisted), Hugo Hall-Kahan (delisted), Cameron Owen (delisted), Lachlan Rankin (delisted), Marc Sheather (delisted)

THE STRENGTHS
The footy world was captivated by the spectacular in-season turnarounds that Carlton and GWS performed last year, but Sydney produced a similarly remarkable recovery. After dropping into the bottom four in Round 17, the Swans won their next six games to sneak into the top eight. But given they lost their elimination final, naturally their achievement was overshadowed by the Blues and Giants both making preliminary finals. Still, it was an impressive display of mental resolve from Sydney which it will hope it can transfer into this season. And one of the driving forces behind that surge up the ladder was their new superstar Errol Gulden. The 21-year-old is arguably already their best player following a remarkable breakout season that saw him average 27 disposals (10 contested), five tackles, five marks, four clearances and six inside 50s per game while also kicking 22 goals. For his efforts, Gulden achieved All-Australian honours and won Sydney’s best-and-fairest. But he’s not the only elite member of the Swans playing list. Tom Papley is one of the best small forwards in the AFL, Nick Blakey has transformed into a damaging rebound defender (earning himself a massive contract extension until 2031 in the process) and Chad Warner, Luke Parker and Callum Mills form a formidable midfield nucleus along with Gulden. The Swans haven’t sat still, either, when it comes to chasing that elusive flag after making finals the last three years, including the 2022 grand final. They went on a recruiting spree in the off-season that saw them acquire Grundy as their No.1 ruck, following Hickey’s retirement, Adams and Jordon to further bolster their midfield depth, and Hamling to cover for the retired Paddy McCartin down back. Expect Grundy to thrive again as the top dog after a tumultuous year at Melbourne and Adams for all intents and purposes should be a premiership player, but injury saw him cruelly miss Collingwood’s grand final last year. With Papley, Isaac Heeney, Logan McDonald and Will Hayward leading the charge in attack, the Swans have a pretty exciting forward line and were ranked No.1 in the AFL last year for scores per inside 50. Further underscoring their potency in attack (when the ball gets down there at least) is the fact that the Swans’ top five contested markers in 2023 were all forwards – Hayden McLean, Heeney, Hayward, Franklin and Joel Amartey. That quintet helped Sydney finish sixth in that category last year. The Swans’ pressure game was very impressive last season, too, and with James Rowbottom, Gulden and Parker leading the way, they ranked fourth for tackles.

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THE WEAKNESSES
Overall, the Swans were a middle-of-the-road team last season. They finished eighth, their attack was ranked seventh in the competition and their defence was No.8 – quite a drop-off from the previous year when they made it to the grand final. As previously stated, Sydney was the most efficient team in the league last year once the ball entered their forward 50. The problem was that it simply did not get down there enough. Despite boasting names such as Gulden, Mills, Warner, Parker and Rowbottom in the midfield, Sydney was only 12th for inside 50s and ninth for marks inside 50 last season. With all that tall timber up forward, the Swans should really have been challenging for the premiership again, but below-par delivery ensured they were malnourished rather than exploited for the team’s benefit. Overall, the Swans came in 11th for disposals, 14th for contested possessions and a staggering 17th for clearances in season 2023. Sydney has too much of a reliance on Gulden, Parker, Warner and Rowbottom, as well as Blakey and Jake Lloyd in defence, in those crucial categories. The Swans will be hoping the recruitments of Adams and Jordon will go a long way to remedying those issues, but they also need more from Mills who last year was well below his 2022 best, while the likes of Braeden Campbell and Justin McInerney will also need to take the next step this season. Sydney came good in the last quarter of the season last year, but a lot of the damage was done prior to that. The Swans were far too inconsistent for large portions of the year. They dropped five games at the SCG – their worst tally at their home ground since 2019 (six) – and they lost all four games at the MCG. Given their reputation as a perennial finalist, they don’t need to be told twice that in order to win flags, they have to be able to win games at the home of football. The Swans only get three games at the MCG this year, and they all come inside the first eight weeks of the season, so they’ll need to make every post a winner there before hopefully returning to the ground five months later.

ONE TO WATCH
After five seasons in the system, it’s time for McInerney to realise his full potential and show the footy world what he’s made of. There’s no doubting the wingman’s talents, and he has been a mainstay in the Sydney line-up for the past three years. But at 23, and with 72 games under his belt, this could be the year where he really announces himself as a star of the competition.

UNDER THE PUMP
Ruckman Peter Ladhams still has two years to run on his contract at the Swans, but form, injury and suspension restricted him to just 20 games in his first two seasons at Sydney. After playing second fiddle to Hickey, the former Power big man will remain in that spot with Grundy’s arrival. McLean has shown he is more than a capable pinch-hit ruck and with Sydney taking prodigious first-round pick Will Green in last year’s draft, the heat is on Ladhams.

BEST 22
B: Jake Lloyd, Tom McCartin, Dane Rampe
HB: Nick Blakey, Lewis Melican, Oliver Florent
C: Errol Gulden, Luke Parker, Justin McInerney
HF: Tom Papley, Logan McDonald, Isaac Heeney
F: Joel Amartey, Hayden McLean, Will Hayward
R: Brodie Grundy, Chad Warner, Callum Mills
Inter: James Rowbottom, Taylor Adams, Harry Cunningham, Braeden Campell
Emerg: Robbie Fox, Joel Hamling, Sam Wicks, James Jordon

Parker could miss the first month due to a broken arm, but will slot straight back into the side when he’s ready. With Franklin gone, it’s time for McDonald, Amartey and McLean to shine in the key forward posts. With Robbie Fox, Hamling, Sam Wicks and Jordon in the emergencies, and Sam Reid, Aaron Francis and Ladhams all out of the 26, the Swans have some pretty decent depth.

*all team stat rankings mentioned are based on differentials, not totals (apart from overall offence and defence).