Seven years ago, Perth-raised Chad Warner nervously waited to get drafted into the AFL. He knew it was down to two clubs: the Sydney Swans and the GWS Giants.
“It was pretty cool to be of interest to either team, but I’m very happy that the Swans jumped in and I think I’m at the right place,” he said.
“The day before the draft, my manager said that he thought the two frontrunners were both Sydney teams.
“I literally just wanted a contract wherever it was. It was probably a bit of a surprise hearing the two Sydney teams were interested.”
Two years ago, Warner signed a contract extension to keep him at the Swans until the end of 2027. The 25-year-old has been open about the pull of returning to Perth, but has built strong roots in the harbour city and is a key part of the Swans’ push towards a flag, which continues against GWS in Saturday’s 33rd Sydney derby.
The Swans are second on the ladder, but have lost three of their past four games. Warner has been a bright spot in Sydney’s recent lull, moving principally to the midfield after round 12, having spent time in the forward pocket earlier in the season. The move has helped him unlock some strong individual form for a Swans’ team desperate for a win.
“I feel like, probably over the last couple of months, I’ve been playing some pretty solid, consistent footy,” Warner said.
“I’ve been focusing more on trying to get first possession from clearances, centre bounces and stoppage clearances. I think I’ve been able to contribute a bit more there, which is great.
“Tackling and contested footy are things you can control a bit more than kicking goals, so it’s more of a focus point to come back to.
“I chatted with the coaches about me playing more stoppages and more midfield time to help Isaac [Heeney] out a bit, because he was probably doing the brunt of the clearance work – it’s about giving him a bit of a chop out [break] if he’s getting tired.”
Heeney will need all the help he can get after nursing a sore back against Adelaide, but is expected to play against the Giants. Warner is also aware of the dangers the inconsistent GWS pose on Saturday at Sydney Olympic Park, despite their recent shock loss to Essendon.
“For the top-of-the-table clashes and the big games, they [the Giants] really get themselves up for them,” Warner said. “They’ve beaten Brisbane, Hawthorn and Fremantle, so they’ve beaten all the top teams, which shows their calibre and capability.”
Off the field, Warner finally feels at home in Sydney after initially struggling to adjust to life outside Perth.
Succeeding in football has always come naturally, but a new home in Paddington and working in investment management one day a week have helped Warner feel more at home.
The midfielder doesn’t believe the pre-draft teenage Warner would believe what has happened to him.
“At the age of 18, I genuinely would have thought it was a totally different person [looking at himself now], I would have thought he was absolutely joking,” he said. “I couldn’t care less about investing then, I was much more of a hands-on, labourer-type worker.
“Living in Paddington is probably something I never thought I’d do either. I thought I’d be on a [rural] property somewhere …
“When you’re an 18-year-old over in Perth wanting to get drafted and play AFL, all you’re thinking about is kicking the ball and playing AFL.”
Cox and Swans ready for ‘spiteful’ Sydney derby
Sydney Swans coach Dean Cox believes that despite the gap between his side and the Giants on the AFL ladder, the teams will deliver a typically “spiteful” game of football in Saturday’s derby.
The Swans are second on the ladder despite two losses in three games, while the Giants are just outside a finals spot in 11th after losing to Essendon in Melbourne on Sunday.
Cox is aware of the Giants’ ability to spring surprises this season, including victories over premiership contenders Fremantle, Brisbane, Geelong and Hawthorn.
“I think they [Sydney derbies] are always quite intense; I think no matter where the sides are on the ladder, or the form that they do come in with, this is a very spiteful, intense game of football,” Cox said.
“It’s always great to take on the crosstown rivals. One thing we’re preparing our group for is what they’ve done against the best football teams, and that’s where our mind space needs to be.”
Cox has demanded a stronger four-quarter effort from his team, after falling away late in the game in losses to Adelaide and Fremantle.
“For periods, we’ve been really good in it [the fourth quarter],” he said. “The whole part about it is consistency and how often can we do it.
“When the times come, we’ve certainly had last quarters or periods in games against the best teams where we’ve actually stood out in that area. It’s just about trying to make sure that we can do it as well as we can for as long as we can.”
Cox also said he wants the team to be collectively responsible for reacting when momentum changes during games.
“Whether it’s the leadership group, the emerging leaders that we have, everyone that’s out on the field at that particular time has to take the moment when it’s there,” Cox said.
“We’ve let ourselves down at times in that period, but as I mentioned before, we’ve also had some players that have really risen to the occasion and got our team over the line.”
Billy Cootee gets a rare opportunity for the Swans, having played just four games this season, after consistently impressing in the VFL. Cox believes that Cootee’s work rate and ability to kick goals are needed against a Giants team whose season is hanging in the balance.
“With Billy, he’s been in form for over a month,” Cox said. “The thing I like about what Billy’s been able to do is that he’s gone back after experiencing AFL footy.
“He’s learnt from what the difference is between SANFL as well as VFL and now AFL. I think certainly on the weekend, it’s not only his ability to finish off in front of goal but his work rate and his 13 tackles, his pressure he puts on the opposition was enormous. We need to make sure that we give him every opportunity to play well.”
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