Isaac Heeney started season 2022 brightly then has faded as the campaign has grinded on, pretty much exactly like the Swans as a team. He was getting centre bounce attendances and midfield time in early going but in recent weeks he has started at half forward and stayed there almost exclusively. Part of this is the rise of Chad Warner and the use of Errol Gulden in midfield, and part of it is that he is just too useful to Sydney as a dangerous marking target inside forward 50. Plenty of fantasy coaches got on board only to be burned... yet again.
Isaac Heeney started season 2022 brightly then has faded as the campaign has grinded on, pretty much exactly like the Swans as a team. He was getting centre bounce attendances and midfield time in early going but in recent weeks he has started at half forward and stayed there almost exclusively. Part of this is the rise of Chad Warner and the use of Errol Gulden in midfield, and part of it is that he is just too useful to Sydney as a dangerous marking target inside forward 50. Plenty of fantasy coaches got on board only to be burned... yet again.
Isaac Heeney has always been a tease for fantasy coaches, always threatening to graduate to a full-time midfield role with talent to burn but usually too valuable in the forward 50 to move him up the ground. So it proved in round 1 as, with the absence of Tom Papley and others in the usual front six he was required to start in his most usual half forward flank position. His excellent score in that role will not fool fantasy coaches who know that he will not always get as much supply, and the knock on him is always that his scoring floor is too low for a fantasy premium in his current role.
Isaac Heeney is obviously a high quality player who has already become an integral part of a successful Sydney team this year, but being good doesn't always mean you are valuable for fantasy usage. His frequent visits to the medical rooms are certainly a black mark against him as he so often misses chunks of the season. He does spend some time in midfield, though he hasn't been converted to a permanent mid like fellow tyro Callum Mills. No, the main reason to avoid him is that he scores like a forward, meaning his floor is too low to rely upon.
Don't let Heeney hurt you
Over the last three years, Isaac Heeney has churned out 92, 91 and 90 as one of the league's most reliable forwards. Able to play in the guts, Heeney has always teased coaches of taking the next step, although he seems to have an inability to pump out scores over 125. Along with his 20 touches and goal per game, durability has always been a strong point albeit he broke a thumb in January causing him to miss the Marsh series. Heeney is a low-risk selection and a top 10 forward any day of the week, though if you are looking for upside at this point then you should have enough burn scars to put that thought to the back of your mind. Permanent midfielder seems off the table because of his elite marking ability, so don't expect any wild changes in output. Take him with a pick in the early rounds due to the scarcity of premium forwards.
Heeney on big screen
Isaac Heeney has spent most of his early career rotating between midfield and attack, with the promise of a full-time move to the centre not materialising as yet. The goal-kicking midfielder was extremely consistent throughout 2018 bar a concussion-affected match against Richmond in round 15, proving that his strong 2017 was no fluke. If the likes of Sam Reid and Daniel Menzel can stay fit to provide forward structure, Heeney looks set to increase his midfield minutes and is a serious chance to improve his scoring as a result. Heeney is an immense chance to finish the year as one of the best performing fantasy forwards. Draft him in early rounds.
Isaac Heeney has settled into a role rotating between inside midfield and half forward in 2018, spending more time in either position depending on the needs of the Swans but managing to maintain healthy fantasy averages wherever he plays. This is a very valuable skill for fantasy coaches, and he has justified a lot of preseason hype for his thousands of owners in AFL Fantasy, AFL Dream Team and Supercoach. He should also be highly valued in keeper draft leagues, as he looks at least a 200-game player if not 300.
Clearly, Heeney is dreamy
Despite a late start due to glandular fever, Isaac Heeney did exactly what the footy community anticipated of him in 2017 and that was spend more time in the midfield, especially from last August. He added five kicks and handball to his previous averages, though six of his seven fantasy tons came before round 15 when he was starting at half forward. Don’t expect opposition taggers to worry about Heeney, with bigger names in that Swans midfield to attract most of the attention. Forward eligibility means he's an obvious choice in the early rounds if it looks from the JLT like the midfield move is permanent as he still has upside in year four. A third round selection or thereabouts is warranted, yet it wouldn’t surprise if he were taken earlier.
