Sam Swadling Draft Profile

West PerthMidfielder-Forward

#17

Sam Swadling

height: 189cm

weight:

D.O.B: 16-01-2007

Leagues: AFL U18 Championships

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT: “The draft’s best accumulator, boasting elite endurance which allows for tireless work to be a threat at every contest.” – Hayden Narducci

The title of this year’s most consistent accumulator arguably belongs to Sam Swadling. The West Perth midfielder put his name in lights when he went on a three-game run of consecutive 40-disposal performances – before the stats keepers took one off after game three.

Peaking in the WAFL Colts with 47 disposals, Swadling never dipped below 23 touches and averaged 35.4 by the end of the Colts season for West Perth. He was so prevalent at the level each week, that he took out the Falcons’ best and fairest off just seven games.

While capable of providing a marking option when resting forward, Swadling was let down by his goalkicking this season. He finished with five goals and 15 behinds from scoring shots across all grades in 2025, a step down from his 15.9 as a bottom-ager in 2024.

Swadling took a little time to come into his own when pushing up the grades, but looked comfortable at both state and League level when given the opportunity to present himself in the midfield. While a far-cry from his 40 disposal output at Colts, Swadling’s eight games at higher levels saw him reach 20 disposals on five occasions to go with his four majors.

A bit on the rawer side for midfield talent in this year’s draft, Swadling has shown his ability to adjust to higher levels, and with time and growth could develop into one of the league’s most potent hybrid midfielder/forwards. He’s an All-Australian, after all.

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STRENGTHS:

+ Accumulation
+ Consistency
+ Endurance
+ Scoreboard threat
+ Size
+ Two-way running

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Ball use
- Impact-per-possession

Arguably the best in the draft when it comes to finding the ball, Swadling’s early work in the WAFL Colts had him racing up draft boards. Endurance and two-way running are the keys to Swadling’s game, and account for how he racks up so many possessions each week. At the contest, Swadling is adept at both winning first possession and providing an option to recieve on the outside. Around the ground, Swadling has faced very few match-ups that can cover as much ground as him, and is regularly able to find space as an outlet to link up surging from end-to-end.

Swadling is also adept at providing a target when resting forward. His size and strength make him a hard matchup for defenders, allowing him regular goal scoring opportunities. Although he did not make the most of them this season. Still, given Swadling is hardly the crash-and-bash type - despite his size, there is a school of thought that he may well end up a better forward than midfielder. That dual-position potential is always welcome, especially when it comes to those highly sought after hybrid midfielder-forwards.

For all his consistent output, there is a touch of rawness to Swadling’s game. He has no trouble finding the ball, but his execution and decision making can waver at times. Especially under pressure, he can tend to blaze away or dump the ball out, but showed great signs of improvement as the season went on. Along with that development, he never lost his unwavering effort to follow up his poor disposals and impact the next play without letting it impact him. With a touch of composure and polish, he has the potential to be an incredibly potent player going forward.

DRAFT RANGE: 30-50

SUMMARY:

Swadling’s ball-winning acumen is clear and his weight of numbers this year has made him difficult to ignore. The West Australian earned recognition via his All-Australian selection and club best and fairest, but will hope for higher honours come draft time. Despite a lack of presence at the top end, WA’s talent pool runs relatively deep and Swadling is among the prospects likely to feature later after night one. He still has a ways to go when it comes to extracting maximum value out of his very many disposals, but finding the ball is one difficult part of the equation he comfortably has covered.