Did Sydney know what they were losing when Jordan Dawson requested his trade to Adelaide?
While the Swans didn’t want to lose Dawson, who wished to head home to South Australia, they were compensated for a future first-round pick (that was tied to Melbourne) from Adelaide.
Clearly the Swans rated Dawson, as at the time Sydney general manager of football Charlie Gardiner described him as the best player dealt in the 2021 trade period, but the heights he’s reached at the Crows so far have been dizzying.
Since joining Adelaide, Dawson has risen to become club captain as well as an inside midfielder with silky skills, having played off half back for Sydney.
Now an All-Australian fancy and potential Brownlow contender, SEN The Picks duo Sam Edmund and David King discussed if the Swans knew what they’d be missing out on when Dawson asked out less than two years ago.
Edmund: “Just on Dawson, I know Sydney knew what they were losing to some degree, but did they know they were losing this?
“Did they know they were losing an inside midfielder, with the drive, the tenacity and the leadership I might add that Jordan Dawson has shown?”
King: “You don’t think they did?”
Edmund: “What I’m saying here is they knew what they were losing in that they didn’t want to lose him, but I think they thought they were losing a half back that was a going to be a very good player.
“Maybe a 200-250 game player, but I don’t think they were losing a captain, a ball-winning inside midfielder and the player we’re seeing at Adelaide that could feature prominently in the Brownlow at this stage.
“Is that fair?”
King: “I think they tried really hard to keep him, but it was the go-home factor.”
Edmund: “He hasn’t surprised you with what he’s done?”
King: “He’s surprised everyone with what he’s done … but I think (Sydney) had an understanding of what he could be, but they hadn’t arrived at that point yet.
“They had been playing some serious football at that stage, let’s not disregard that.”
Dawson gets his next chance to impress when Adelaide heads to Launceston to face Hawthorn on Sunday afternoon.