A host of Sydney Swans are set to vie for the revered Bob Skilton Medal at the 2019 Club Champion Dinner.
The cameras will be flashing next Tuesday as the Swans suit up for the club’s night of nights at the Star Events Centre.
Will Luke Parker ice a shining season with victory in the medal count?
Does Dane Rampe’s near-faultless campaign demand he wins the Bob Skilton Medal, or does the top gong belong to Tom Papley?
And George Hewett and Callum Mills are sure to be in hot pursuit.
Luke Parker
Parker is a huge chance of collecting his third Bob Skilton Medal. The 26-year-old ranked among the top three Swans in average disposals, contested possessions, clearances and tackles per match. The co-captain would be disappointed with a season total of just 13 goals after booting 25 majors last year, but his contest work against gun midfielders like Patrick Dangerfield, Patrick Cripps and Dustin Martin cannot be questioned. Parker was also one of eight Swans who featured in all 22 games.
Dane Rampe
Rampe was the only Swan named in the 40-man All Australian squad and is now every chance of again standing above the rest at the Club Champion Dinner. In a season that saw the injury troubles of Jarrad McVeigh, Heath Grundy and Nick Smith strip more than 750 AFL games of experience from Sydney’s defence, Rampe emerged as the heart-and-soul leader of the back six. Not only was he rarely beaten in his one-on-one battles with the likes of gun forwards Jack Darling, Tom Lynch and Michael Walters, the direction he provided the new-look defence was inspired. The co-captain also finished in Sydney’s top three in average marks, rebound 50s and one-percenters per game, while he played 21 of the 22 matches.
Callum Mills
Speculation swirled over whether Mills would make a long-awaited switch to the midfield in season 2019, but he remained in defence and was nothing short of exceptional. The QBE Sydney Swans Academy product was used as a lockdown defender on the competition’s most potent small forwards, while his ball use out of his side’s defensive 50 was brilliant. The 22-year-old also topped the Swans in average marks per match and ran out for all 22 games.
Rising Sydney Swans defender Callum Mills lays a tackle on gun North Melbourne midfielder Shaun Higgins.
George Hewett
He draws very little praise from outside the club but that could begin to change if a Bob Skilton Medal awaits. Hewett was a midfield warrior in season 2019, showcasing his extraordinary shutdown and ball-winning abilities. The 23-year-old South Australian placed in Sydney’s top three in average contested possessions and clearances per match, and the numbers he generated in some of his games challenged those of the league’s elite. The gutsy Swan posted 24 contested possessions against Brisbane in Round 7, before racking up another 20 against North Melbourne in Round 9. Hewett was also among the eight Swans who featured in all 22 games.
Tom Papley
A spectator’s view of Papley this year throws up an eclectic mix of words: gung-ho, multi-pronged, inventive and exhilarating. The former apprentice plumber was at his workmanlike best as a forward and a midfielder, hunting the footy relentlessly and pulling off astounding acts of skill. The result was topping Sydney’s goal-kicking leaderboard with a career-high 37 majors, as well as producing a host of magnificent games. Papley was sublime in the Swans’ emphatic victory over the West Coast Eagles in Round 12, gathering 27 touches (11 contested) and five goals to earn 10 AFL Coaches Association votes. He also featured in all 22 matches.
