Tom Papley copped some verbal abuse from Toby Greene in last week's derby-of-two-halves, attacking his skinfolds since coming back from injury. He is not the only small forward in the league who has looked a bit underdone on his return, but sometimes you can't do much about that with an interrupted preseason. Weirdly, Papley has been named at full forward this week alongside zero recognised tall forwards, all out through injury or just not picked. What is Dean Cox cooking? Perhaps he thinks Papley would be better suited emulating Plugger than his normal crumbing role.
Tom Papley copped some verbal abuse from Toby Greene in last week's derby-of-two-halves, attacking his skinfolds since coming back from injury. He is not the only small forward in the league who has looked a bit underdone on his return, but sometimes you can't do much about that with an interrupted preseason. Weirdly, Papley has been named at full forward this week alongside zero recognised tall forwards, all out through injury or just not picked. What is Dean Cox cooking? Perhaps he thinks Papley would be better suited emulating Plugger than his normal crumbing role.
Tom Papley comes back into the Sydney side for its first final this season after injury interrupted the second half of his campaign, during which time the Swans fell into a mid-season slump and dragged itself out again to finish as minor premiers. More than at any other time during the year, September is when small forwards like the Pop-Up Sprinkler have their best chance to stamp themselves with authority, as evidenced by Shaun Mannagh and Nick Watson already this weekend. Much will rest on the shoulders of Papley, who is a big-game player.
Tom Papley was highlighted in media during the week for being the current league leader in the average goal assist stat. This is the sort of metric that team coaches love and will earn a player the big dollars in their contracts, but it can not also translate into fantasy production. In Papley's case, his signature play in this area is roving a centre clearance kick near the hotspot and feeding someone else to snap the goal - great for the team, not many points for fantasy. Nevertheless he is on a tear over the past month or so, and could be a nice POD in fantasy finals.
Papley is the grey poupon
An unlikely winner of the Swans club goalkicking, Tom Papley added two touches and marks over 2018 while providing monumental scoreboard pressure with a return of 37.28, the only Swan to kick more than 30 for the season. That put him 15th in the Coleman, to go with his top 10 contribution to goal assists. After a failed off-season attempt to head to Carlton, Tom Papley enters his fifth season on the list and the prime of his career. A shoulder reconstruction delayed his training pre-Christmas but he's on track for round 1. With the ability to pinch hit in the guts and hit the scoreboard, Papley is a welcomed mid-round selection - just beware of inconsistency.
Tom Papley is one of a number of Swans who has spent time in both midfield and small forward positions in recent years, scoring better in the former role and more spottily in the latter. It's hard to get a bead on the likes of Papley, Kieren Jack, George Hewett and even Luke Parker because the mix of their time in the guts and at the pointy end can be so changeable from week to week depending on John Longmire's game plan. He spent most of round 1 in the middle, and some fantasy coaches will buy him in the hope that it's a permanent move.
Papley not quite as happy
It was a case of third year blues for Tom Papley, taking a dip in tackles, touches and goals with no fantasy tons, reverting to comparable stats to his debut season. Papley was added to the Sydney leadership group in the offseason, indicating his high status at the club. The small forward stood out as a midfielder in preseason match simulations and we know Papley boasts scoring potential, so some coaches will think it worth the gamble with a pick in the later middle rounds to fill out their fantasy forward line.
Cherry on top for Papley
Despite mostly starting in a forward pocket with 62% of his ball in the front half, Tom Papley's fantasy scores took a leap ahead in his second season, held goalless in two of 20 appearances including nine with multiple goals for a dollop of icing on the cake. He finished equal second for goals for the club behind Lance Franklin, tied on 30 with Sam Reid. Papley’s attacking ability and willingness to tackle is complemented by occasional time spent as an outside midfielder. Going into his third year, he should take another step forward and develop a more consistent game, hopefully eradicating the quiet ones notorious with small forwards. Take a punt with a middle- to late-round pick and you shouldn’t regret it.
