CHAD’S COOL AS A CUCUMBER
ALL the Swans’ investigating told them the same thing.
Chad Warner wasn’t a polished product as an 18-year-old – hence him still being available at pick 39 in the 2019 AFL draft – but there was a reason he had Sydney’s attention.
Swans list boss Kinnear Beatson and national recruiting manager Simon Dalrymple saw Warner step up in big moments, whether that be for Western Australia or with East Fremantle.
They saw his insatiable appetite for the contest and some of the power and explosive speed he now displays regularly as one of the game’s rising stars.
But there was more: interviews with Warner’s coaches, teachers and other peripheral people aligned with what the club’s psych evaluation revealed about the then-teenager.
“He wasn’t a stresser or overthinker,” Dalrymple said.
“He’s one of those kids who just puts it all out there and doesn’t hold back, which is what you’re looking for.
“Some kids get anxiety and it means they don’t display the traits they showed in the under-18s – the big stage gets to them a bit. It’s something that’s hard to measure, but our information on Chad was pretty consistent.”
Beatson has long been regarded as one of the AFL’S best recruiting minds, having also helped orchestrate Brisbane’s flag threepeat from 2001-2003 before joining the Swans.
More recently, the 65-year-old ascended to the role of Sydney’s list boss, with Dalrymple crossing from the Western Bulldogs at the start of 2018 to head up recruiting.
Together, they have been critical in fast-tracking the Swans’ rebuild with some draft bargains and savvy recruiting, from Warner, James Rowbottom and Justin Mcinerney to Tom Hickey and Paddy Mccartin.
Sydney has benefited from recent Academy graduates Nick Blakey, Braeden Campbell and Errol Gulden, while top-five picks Dylan Stephens and Logan Mcdonald are also set to be part of Sydney’s grand final team on Saturday.
The Swans were basically the only club willing to take a punt on Mccartin, the No. 1 draft pick in 2014 who found himself out of the league after a series of concussions.