A significant number of highlights this season have come from the Swans midfield. Not only did they dominate possession with fearless running, but Errol Gulden, Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner were also major contributors on the scoreboard.

In the first fifteen rounds of football, Heeney and Warner averaged 1.7 and 1.5 goals respectively. Since round 16 against Fremantle, both players have dropped dramatically (allowing for the fact that Heeney was suspended against North Melbourne in round 18).

Heeney has registered an average of 0.7 goals and Warner 1.0 goal a game. Teams are working actively to shut down the influence of the two players exactly where it matters most – on the scoreboard.

Not leading from the front

At the start of the season, Sydney’s ability to score from anywhere on the field created havoc for opponents. The midfield dynamos Heeney and Warner were also shouldering an unreasonably heavy load that couldn’t last all season.

Key forward Joel Amartey managed an average of 2.2 goals in the first 15 rounds, bolstered by his impressive nine-goal haul in round 14 against Adelaide. Since round 16, he has been sitting on an average of 0.8 goals per game. The tall forwards – Amartey, Hayden McLean and Logan McDonald – are talented footballers, but, in the absence of the unexpected bounty of goals from the midfield, they will need to find a way to collectively create more impact on the scoreboard.

A long injury list

The Swans dealt with significant injuries at the start of the season but adjusted seamlessly without veteran forward Luke Parker and captain Callum Mills. Their ability to adapt brought benefits, namely starting Heeney in the midfield instead of his normal spot in the forward line, which gave him more opportunity on the ball and had him in early Brownlow Medal contention.

At the business end of the season, injuries have finally started to take their toll. Small forward Tom Papley, who has been one of Sydney’s bright spots in the last five games in scoring an average of 1.8 goals, is out for up to five weeks with an ankle injury. Papley can turn games by himself and his absence will place even more pressure on other forwards to take on more responsibility on the scoreboard.

Defensive locks Lewis Melican and Dane Rampe will also miss the game against Port Adelaide, creating significant gaps in the backline for the opposition to exploit.

The Swans are near the end of a physically and mentally gruelling season. They have set the pace at for much of it but are stuttering. The good news is there are still four games of football to play before finals in September. Saturday night at Adelaide Oval is the perfect place for the Swans to start afresh.

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