The AFL debut of Sydney Swans youngster James Bell headlines the latest edition of Hot Topics ahead of Saturday afternoon’s clash with Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

Bell eyes debut
A trove of fascinating storylines surrounds Bell as the young speedster zeroes in on his debut. The 20-year-old from Shellharbour will become just the 18th Indigenous player in VFL/AFL history to have donned a Swans guernsey, joining names like Adam Goodes, Michael O’Loughlin, Lance Franklin, Derek Kickett and Troy Cook. Bell is also set to rubber-stamp a stunning rise from SCG groundskeeper to the AFL stage, with the youngster having swapped his year 12 books for the maintenance tools in his draft year. The QBE Sydney Swans Academy graduate believes grinding his way through his first full-time job proved instrumental in shaping him into the young man he’s become. And lastly, Bell was a star soccer player in his youth but dropped the round ball and picked up a Sherrin. In an indication of just how talented a soccer player he was, he was added to the Western Sydney Wanderers’ under-20s train-on squad at just 15. Bell will become the Swans’ fifth AFL debutant of season 2019 after Nick Blakey, Justin McInerney, James Rowbottom and Hayden McLean. 

Heeney’s 100th
The clash with Port Adelaide will mark a special day for another Swans Academy product in young gun Isaac Heeney, who’s set to celebrate his 100th AFL game. The 23-year-old signed with Sydney via its first-round selection at the 2014 AFL Draft and has since blossomed into one of the brightest emerging stars in the league. Heeney claimed Sydney’s 2015 Rising Star honour, is a three-time member of the AFL Players’ Association’s 22under22 team and flew high for the 2018 AFL Mark of the Year. The midfielder-forward hybrid will become the second Swan to have joined the 100-game club this season after ruckman Callum Sinclair. 

Adelaide Oval record
The Swans lay claim to an impressive Adelaide Oval record, having won four of the five games they’ve played at the South Australian venue. They’ve met the Power at Adelaide Oval just twice, winning by 26 points in Round 20, 2014 and by 48 points in Round 2, 2015, while they have an average winning margin of 35 points per match at the venue. The Swans grabbed a three-point victory over the Adelaide Crows when they last visited Adelaide Oval in Round 22, 2017.

South Australian fans
Whether the Swans are running out at Adelaide Oval, the MCG, the Gabba or any other interstate venue, the full-blooded support of their away fans is felt right throughout the team. Port Adelaide’s supporter base is widely regarded one of the most hostile in the AFL, so Sydney’s South Australian fans are encouraged to turn out in force.