Is Sydney getting enough out of star forward Isaac Heeney?
That is the question being asked after the 26-year-old’s lacklustre start to the 2023 season.
Coming off an All-Australian campaign in 2022, Heeney has failed to have a big impact in the first three games of this season as he averages just 11.7 disposals and one goal a game.
Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson highlighted Heeney as one player in the competition that’s playing well below his capabilities as he believes the Swan has the potential to be the AFL’s best player.
“This guy should be on the half-forward flank or forward pocket of the All-Australian team,” Johnson told SEN Sportsday.
“His level is that good, he should be back to that position, I’m clearly talking about that man (Isaac Heeney).
“I absolutely love Isaac Heeney, I mentioned a few years ago he could be the best player in the competition because of his attributes.
“It comes to him, I suppose, performing in the position he’s being asked to play.
“His numbers aren’t great when we look at his start to the season.
“Round 1, he had 1.2, 12 disposals and three tackles.
“Second round he had two goals, 13 disposals and four tackles, then last round he had 10 disposals, that was it in their loss.
“You can see from that he should be having 20+ (disposals), the goals don’t sort of matter, if he’s having 20 (touches) he’s kicking two (goals) anyway – then he might get the bonus of three, four or five (goals).”
As Heeney struggles to impact up forward, Johnson pondered whether the Swans should move him into the midfield as he currently averages just 1.3 clearances a game.
“That’s the question I’m posing,” Johnson said.
“Maybe that’s not going to happen, maybe ideally you’d want to play Isaac Heeney in the middle to support Parker and Mills at times to give them a spell.
“But part of me thinks, ‘Maybe that’s not going to happen for Isaac Heeney’, because John Longmire is going to others before him, he’s going to (James) Rowbottom and (Chad) Warner before Heeney.
“Is he going to change that? I don’t think so. It’s how Isaac Heeney can be more consistent in the role he’s playing as a forward.”
Sydney great Gerard Healy is certain that Heeney should play midfield and he believes a move on-ball would help both the player and team.
“I really look at him and think for the Swans to be their best and for him to be his best, he has to be in the middle,” Healy said.
“For me, he has all of the attributes to be as good as Dusty (Martin), he’s probably a better mark than Dusty.
“He’s a great tackling machine, I can’t see why the Swans don’t put him in the middle to bolster their contested ball numbers against the top contenders.”
Given the Swans have had the option of moving Heeney into that role across his nine AFL seasons, Kane Cornes pondered why the Swan couldn’t play the same role and have the same impact as Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey – a player with a similar profile.
“Well, why isn’t he doing what De Goey is doing? That would be my question,” Cornes said.
Heeney will hope to find some form when Sydney hopes to bounce back at home against Port Adelaide on Saturday night.