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).
The Swans turned heads last season, finishing sixth on the ladder after a vastly impressive home-and-away season.
Unfortunately, however, they fell one point short against rivals Greater Western Sydney in a nail-biting elimination final in Tasmania.
The Swans started the season hot, winning their first four games, including gobsmacking victories over the Lions in Brisbane and then-reigning premier Richmond at the MCG.
Sydney went on to lose four out of their six games, including an incredibly disappointing outing against the Gold Coast Suns.
The 'Bloods' were able to come home with a wet sail heading into the finals, winning seven out of their final nine matches by an average margin of 42.1 points.
Forward stocks: Going into the new season, the Swans have a plethora of salivating forward options once again.
Lance 'Buddy' Franklin is slated to reach the 1000-goal milestone during the early stages of the season, Isaac Heeney recently re-signed in the Harbour City and is one of the league's best medium-sized forwards, and Tom Papley, despite an injury-interrupted start to his season, is a devastating small forward who has an innate ability to shark packs and find the big sticks.
2020 No. 4 pick Logan McDonald hasn't even begun to scrape the surface of his potential, and there's also Hayden McLean and recently-acquired ruck-forward Peter Ladhams, who will also add another dimension to their forward line.
Coaching foundation: Despite a largely young and inexperienced list, the Swans were able to thrive last season within a gameplan afforded to them by a proven, winning coaching staff.
Sydney is in a good enough position with premiership coach John Longmire at the helm, let alone some of his right-hand men, including the likes of midfield coaches (and former Swans) Tadhg Kennelly and Jarrad McVeigh, development coaches Brett Kirk and Jeremy Laidler, ruck coach Dean Cox and ex-Adelaide senior coach Don Pyke.
The younger players at the Swans are in a position where they can develop under an esteemed group of knowledgeable AFL minds.
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.
Starting his career as a defender, Mills has gradually made the transition to a midfield regular, showcasing his physicality and clean hands at the coalface.
The 24-year-old Mills, who is Sydney's new skipper, averaged a whopping 27.5 disposals per game in 2021 after never having averaged more than 18 per game in any of his first five seasons in the league.
The North Shore product also averaged a career-high 5.3 tackles, 4.2 inside-50s and 4.8 clearances across 18 games.
Mills will be looking to lead his Swans to a finals finish for the second consecutive year.
After finishing the 2021 season on a high note and a couple of confident pre-season outings, 2022 has all the makings of a Justin McInerney breakout year.
Last season, McInerney amassed an average of 18.1 disposals, 5.4 marks and three inside-50s per contest, including a highlight performance against the Suns where he notched 29 possessions and an astonishing 13 marks.
Defender
Disposals
Marks
Rebound50s
Playing off half-back or on a wing, the Northern Knights product will look to start 2022 how he ended 2021: providing a link-up running option and showcasing his crisp disposal.
The start and end of Sydney's 2022 season will define how the Swans fare this season.
To open the season, the Swans face-off against GWS, Geelong at the SCG and the Western Bulldogs in Melbourne. A strong start would serve Longmire's men well.
On the other hand, five of Sydney's final six games come against teams who failed to reach the finals last season: Fremantle, Adelaide, North Melbourne, Collingwood and St Kilda.
If the Swans are able to put together a solid beginning and finish to the season, there isn't any reason to believe they can't replicate their home-and-away success of yesteryear.
It'll undoubtedly be a challenging task for Sydney's young squad to have a similar level of success - or better - than they had last year, but we believe they're capable.
Assuming Franklin is able to play somewhat close to a full season of football and the younger Swans continue on their upward trajectories, it's hard not to see Sydney occupying a finals position at the end of 23 rounds.
Predicted Finish: 7th.