2026 Preseason

[Syd76]

Anyone read the Herald Sun? There is an article quoting Errol that there is a bolter for the Swans opening game. I refuse to pay so can't read

The so called bolter is said to be Harry Kyle.. the article that I read was from the Australian. and based off the training thus far .. and I quote "Kyle is set to be the standout of his class in the early stages"

[Auntie.Gerald]

Harry Kyle

https://archive.md/R0GwY

[KSAS]

Thanks AG . Interesting to note in that article that Papley missed Monday's hit out with soreness. Riak (calf) and Cootee (hip) also missed. Hope they are minor and we'll see them returning soon.

[dejavoodoo44]

I bumped into Errol and Logan at the Sydney FC game the other day and had a quick chat with them, got a few interesting insights:
- Logan has been training both forward and back over the preseason, reckons he will be playing a bit of both this season.
- Mills has been training with both the midfield and the backs
- When I asked who had impressed them so far in preseason they were quick to point to Rosas who they said is lightning quick and does things nobody else could dream of
- Errol had huge raps on Serong, called him an "absolute beast" and expects him to come in and make an impact straight away
- Errol also said Blakey has been brilliant in preseason and thinks Serong can really free him up to become even more of a rebounding weapon

That all seems pretty positive. Though personally, I'd prefer to see McDonald largely stick to playing forward. If he's fit and firing, he'd be an excellent alternative target to Curnow. Along with Amartey or McLean. I'd prefer it if it was more like the Sam Reid role, of sometimes dropping back for a few minutes here and there, to help out the defence.

Hopefully, as the season progresses, we'll see more of Mills as a big bodied mid. I'm still haunted by us being overpowered in grand finals, so he might be handy in guarding against that.

Also pleased to hear that Rosas is firing. As someone who's seen a lot of the Suns over the years, I was a bit surprised that he seemed to be on the outer last season. At his best, he's extremely skilful and can put points on the board in a hurry. Competition for the small and medium forward spots should be interesting this season. Dattoli is also someone I'll be looking at with interest. I was impressed with his ability to win one on one contests, even though he seemed nowhere near fully fit last season. So, with a decent preseason, he could be very useful, both as a small forward and an occasional midfielder.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Double post

[Auntie.Gerald]

Agree re Logan and Mills

ie being used in the backline when the game is not on our terms and we need to stack that backs but primarily Mills will play midfield and Logan forwards and or when there are tricky matchups up front of back

also re Logan it would be very helpful to defend on Curnow for small parts of training to learn from how Curnow engages / runs lines / holds etc and the little body work tricks

great news re the above a new players to the Swans

[imuninformedtwo]

That all seems pretty positive. Though personally, I'd prefer to see McDonald largely stick to playing forward. If he's fit and firing, he'd be an excellent alternative target to Curnow. Along with Amartey or McLean. I'd prefer it if it was more like the Sam Reid role, of sometimes dropping back for a few minutes here and there, to help out the defence.

Hopefully, as the season progresses, we'll see more of Mills as a big bodied mid. I'm still haunted by us being overpowered in grand finals, so he might be handy in guarding against that.

Also pleased to hear that Rosas is firing. As someone who's seen a lot of the Suns over the years, I was a bit surprised that he seemed to be on the outer last season. At his best, he's extremely skilful and can put points on the board in a hurry. Competition for the small and medium forward spots should be interesting this season. Dattoli is also someone I'll be looking at with interest. I was impressed with his ability to win one on one contests, even though he seemed nowhere near fully fit last season. So, with a decent preseason, he could be very useful, both as a small forward and an occasional midfielder.

Dattoli is an interesting one. In the near term, he'll play forward while he builds his tank and durability. But long-term, I reckon he's a midfielder. Some of his gathers and handball releases in chains of play last year were so clean and precise. Just an instinctive thing. At the very least, he may have tricks around the forward line and spend some time there, but he looks to me like someone who could and should spend the majority of his time as part of the on ball rotation once he's got the fitness base.

[Auntie.Gerald]

https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/1946057/goodwin-reveals

simon Goodwin interview

[KSAS]

Watched 6 min video highlights via Youtube of club's latest match sim hitout (doesn’t appear on club's webste as yet).

https://youtu.be/TUHQw45eXx0?si=oquDEQX_K_Xgnnm_

Looked intense. Logan playing key forward with Charlie in the opposing team. Didn't see Armatey. Papley appears still missing with soreness, along with Riak & Cootee.

Rosas involved in a few clips which looked promising.

[rickmat]

Asking anyone who has access to Herald and their lead AFL article about the Swans match sim and who stood out.. nothing on Swans social media or eebsite

[dejavoodoo44]

Got my copy of the AFL Record Season Guide today. While I'm sure that I could find most of the stats online, these days; I do feel that it's an important little milestone, that says that the season is almost here. The last milestone to cross off is the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks time. Then it's pretty well the preseason and the dark days are over.

And on the Super Bowl, there is a Swans Academy representative, in the Seattle Seahawks punter, Michael Dickson. He went through the academy, before playing a few NEAFL games for us. He's now one of the top punters in the NFL. I wonder what he gets paid per kick?

[imuninformedtwo]

Just saw Cox's presser today. Main news was Mills will be settled in at half back for a bit. Not clear whether it was structural, or fitness decision that drove it. But that's where's he starting the year at least.

I'd personally rather him as a big bodied mid but it suggests our back starting seven will look something like:

Melican McCartin probably Cunningham

Blakey Serong Wicks

Mills as seventh defender.

You'd then think Ramps comes in for either Mills or Serong if there's an issue, and then Bice, Roberts or even Kyle chasing a spot on the bench or if one opens up among the smaller players. Edwards looks next in line if either McCartin or Melican goes down (touch wood that ain't happening to them, no offence to Edwards).

[dejavoodoo44]

Decided to answer my own question. It seems that Dickson is the highest paid punter in the NFL, at roughly $US 4 million a season. So far in this year's games, he's made 60 punts. If you give him 4 more in the Super Bowl, he'll make 64. So, doing the maths, that's $US 62,500 per kick. I suppose he makes the occasional tackle, as well?

[KSAS]

Callum Mills retains his Captaincy with Isaac Heeney elevated to VC. Good appointments imo. Reward for Heeney's brilliant and inspirational seasons of late. Hoping Mills finally gets to lead full time proper with no more missing in action injuries.

Symbolic they both had graduated closely together from our Academy.

[ISIBIDBI]

Asking anyone who has access to Herald and their lead AFL article about the Swans match sim and who stood out.. nothing on Swans social media or eebsite

" Here were the 10 players who stood out in Monday’s session. Edwards continues to showcase his potential during a strong pre-season.

Will Edwards
The young key defender is hoping to put injury troubles behind him and has had a flying start to pre-season. He earned plenty of praise from coaches and teammates alike with some of his one-on-one contest work on Monday, in particular when he duked it out with Charlie Curnow. His strength and speed off the mark are important assets as he looks to establish himself at AFL level.

Jai Serong
The one thing standing in Edwards’ way could be Jai Serong, who continues to look a class above. The former Hawk is comfortable embracing contact and reads the flight of the ball superbly. He has plenty of skill above his head, and whether it’s taking intercept marks or creating pressure for his opponent up the field, he’s set to become a key part of Sydney’s defence.

Charlie Curnow
The former Blue continues to make a strong impression at the Swans and is looking more comfortable each week. He won his fair share of one-on-one contests, beating out the likes of Tom McCartin, Lewis Melican and Dane Rampe. He also had several strong moments at ground level, showing clean hands below his knees and snapping truly whenever he had the chance. Curnow is hitting his stride in pre-season, while Rampe is turning back the clock.

Dane Rampe
Rampe’s place in the side might be under pressure from the likes of Serong, but there’s no doubt the veteran is still one of the most composed defenders at the Swans’ disposal. His clear communication at the back is second to none, while he can find a teammate by foot in almost any scenario. The 35-year-old has come back as a rookie with a point to prove, and will hope it’s enough for Opening Round selection.

Errol Gulden
Gulden’s endurance has already been a key highlight of the Swans’ pre-season, but it was his leadership potential on full display on Monday. He’s been tapped as a future captain of the club, but in one key moment, he pulled the entire team together to discuss a drill that hadn’t quite worked and to help find some improvement. It’s clear Gulden is going to go to another level in 2025, but if he can help it, so will all of his teammates.

Jesse Dattoli
Dattoli’s pre-season continues to garner attention as he looks at home playing as a high half-forward who can roll through the midfield. His endurance has improved, while his field kicking, particularly finding targets inside 50, is elite. There might not be many spots in the Swans’ forward line-up for grabs, but if his stamina is up to scratch, he could make the position his own.

Noah Chamberlain
The Academy product has been trialled in a variety of roles across the pre-season, and it’s a testament to his versatility that he continues to earn praise. His determination and ability to put pressure on without the ball are handy attributes.

Harry Kyle
While his long-term prospects have him pencilled in as a midfielder, Kyle will play across the half-back and wing for at least his first season. He showed good signs of composure when he had space, finding targets nicely by foot. He also has a good turn of pace that could get him out of trouble in sticky situations.

Patrick Snell
With a few more key defending stocks, Snell’s chances of an AFL debut may have become a bit more difficult this year. But the Swans’ coaches are also trying to get more versatility into Snell’s game, encouraging him to run and overlap his teammates to push further up the field. He earned plenty of praise for his one percenters on Monday, with Sydney’s defensive depth in good shape. .

Malcolm Rosas Jnr.
Malcolm Rosas Jnr. is electric when he has the ball, but is still building his chemistry and decision-making with his new teammates. The former Gold Coast Sun certainly has speed to burn and will be an X-Factor for the Swans’ attack. He doesn’t lack confidence in taking the game on, and while sometimes he tries to do a bit too much with the ball, his ability to read the ball and put himself in the right position inside 50 gives him a unique set of skills in Sydney’s forward set-up.