Going into the 2021 season, very little was expected from the Sydney Swans in terms of challenging for a finals spot. And yet, that's exactly what they did.
Despite falling short in their single finals appearance last year, Sydney was lauded league-wide for coming out of seemingly nowhere to finish among the top eight.
Over the course of the off-season, the Swans added Peter Ladhams from Port Adelaide via trade and offered an AFL lifeline to 2014 No. 1 pick Patrick McCartin, brother of Swans defender, Tom. But it came as a cost, as they lost Jordan Dawson to Adelaide and George Hewett to Carlton.
In any case, senior coach John Longmire will be pushing his men to duplicate the success they had in 2021.
Off-Season Moves
Ins: Peter Ladhams (Port Adelaide), Patrick McCartin (Supplemental Selection Period), Angus Sheldrick (National Draft), Matthew Roberts (National Draft), Corey Warner (National Draft), Lachlan Rankin (National Draft).
Outs: Jordan Dawson (Adelaide Crows), George Hewett (Carlton), Kaiden Brand (delisted), Malachy Carruthers (delisted), Sam Gray (delisted), Matthew Ling (delisted).
Weaknesses
Midfield depth: Outside of co-captains Callum Mills and Luke Parker and ex-captain Josh Kennedy, the Swans don't have a whole lot of ready-made midfield depth.
Youngsters Dylan Stephens and Chad Warner have shown a ton of promise, and Heeney can push through the middle when needed, but there aren't many other big names after the aforementioned big three - and it may cost them if injuries rear their ugly head in 2022.
Outgoing veterans: Sydney has a promising contingent of young talent that will hold the club in good stead for the years to come. However, with a number of elder clubmen edging closer to retirement, a lack of experience may become a concern.
Franklin (35 years old), Kennedy (33) and Sam Reid (30) are progressively nearing the conclusion of their careers, while Dane Rampe (31) and Parker (29) are perhaps past their prime.
At some point in the near future, these older Swans will have to hand over the reins to the young Bloods.
