The main off-season change for 2024 runners-up Sydney is in the coaches’ box with John Longmire replaced by assistant Dean Cox, so is it more of the same?
Fixture
Not good. As a northern club, Sydney play Opening Round meaning they’ve got an early bye in Round 3 alongside Brisbane, Collingwood and Geelong. Their mid-season bye is Round 14, alongside 3 other clubs in the middle of the 5-round byes.
Squad Changes
Ins
Riak Andrew (No.55 draft pick), Riley Bice (No.41 draft pick), Ned Bowman (No.26 draft pick), Jesse Dattoli (No.22 draft pick), Blake Leidler (Rookie Draft), Ben Paton (Rookie Draft)
Outs
Harry Arnold (delisted), Jacob Konstanty (trade, North Melbourne), Jaiden Magor (delisted), Lachlan McAndrew (delisted), Luke Parker (trade, North Melbourne), Sam Reid (retired), Cooper Vickery (delisted)
Snapshot
There’s nothing major within Sydney’s ins/outs after the minor premiers reached the grand final last year. Luke Parker is the big departure, but he struggled to break into the side last season, only managing 10 games, and battled for midfield time.
Injury returns
The main one is Callum Mills who missed the first half of the season with a pre-season shoulder injury, before sustaining a hamstring injury during the finals. He only played 7 games for the entire season and when he played he was used in a variety of roles, rather than as a rusted-on mid. There’s big upside if he can get back to his best, particularly given he’s listed as a defender.
Angus Sheldrick is an interesting one, failing to play at AFL level in 2024 meaning he’s heavily discounted. He arguably isn’t in their best 22, but sustained an ankle ligament injury in the VFL in May, ruling him out for 3 months. Back in 2023, he played 7 games and averaged 15.3 disposals per game.
Mainstays
Errol Gulden is a genuine premium these days, playing both on the outside as a winger and on the inside as an onballer. Isaac Heeney finally delivered as a midfielder in 2024 but doesn’t have forward status this year, while Brodie Grundy is one of the better rucks on offer.
Room for improvement
Mills is the obvious one as discussed above, but consider Matt Roberts who was a revelation in his third AFL season in 2024. He still offers some value as he finished the season exceptionally with 3 Fantasy tons and 4 SuperCoach tons in the final 6 rounds in his half-back link-up role.
Rookies
Riley Bice is highly owned already, probably because he’s a mature-age pick-up at 24-years-old from VFL club Werribee. Bice went pick 41 in the 2024 AFL Draft and is a 185cm defender.
Ex-Saints defender Ben Paton is rookie priced in SuperCoach and will contend for their best 22, so ponder that.
