SYDNEY played puppet master at key stages of the 2022 AFL Draft, enacting shrewd bids and trades to end up with six fresh faces, all of conventional draft age. We recap the Swans’ intake and analyse what each player may offer to their new club.

NATIONAL DRAFT

#20 Jacob Konstanty (Small Forward, Gippsland Power/Vic Country)
#27 Cooper Vickery (Defender/Wing, Gippsland Power/Vic Country)
#40 Caleb Mitchell (Wing, Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country)

ROOKIE DRAFT

Northern Academy: Will Edwards (Key Defender, Swans Academy/NSW-ACT)
#17 Cameron Owen (Ruck/Key Forward, Tasmania Devils/Tasmania)
#31 Jaiden Magor (Forward/Midfielder, South Adelaide/South Australia)

All was going according to the script on night one, until Sydney entered the fray. The Swans laid claim to two first round picks and they went to work as soon as they were put on the clock. After laying consecutive bids on Adelaide’s Max Michalanney and GWS’ Harry Rowston, they ceremoniously traded pick 18 to Hawthorn.

The Rowston bid was a two-pronged jab at the Giants, wiping out the pick they had ahead of the Swans, and also allowing their rivals to nab Jacob Konstanty. A livewire small forward out of the Gippsland Power, he was courted by many clubs in the first round but became a Swan after the club’s shrewd strategy. He’ll brings great energy, speed and smarts to the forward 50.

Sydney’s meddling moves were not done there, with the selection of Cooper Vickery another clever decision. A product of Hawthorn’s Next Generation Academy, Vickery would only have been available to the Hawks after pick 40. The dagger? Sydney snapped Vickery up with the pick it received from Hawthorn in the night one trade.

Another Gippsland graduate, Vickery is a consistent performer whose competitiveness suits the Swans’ style. Even more so, he moves the ball on quickly and executes neat skills on the rebound. Caleb Mitchell was called out at pick 40, adding even more running power to the Swans’ list. As a tall wingman, his size and aerial ability are big bonuses on the outside.

After three interesting National Draft selections, Sydney targeted another trio of youngsters through the Rookie Draft. Having pre-listed athletic key defender Will Edwards out of their academy, the Swans went even taller with Tasmanian ruck-forward Cameron Owen, before rounding out their haul with Jaiden Magor. A talent to good to overlook, the latter is a powerful forward/midfielder who makes things happen.