As Collingwood players entered the Palladium Room for the 2009 Copeland Trophy count, CTV placed a microphone in front of individuals and asked each one who they thought would win the trophy. The straw poll revealed the players thought there was only one serious contender: Dane Swan.
They knew how good his season had been. The 25-year-old had accumulated 700 disposals and kicked 17 goals to cement his status as one of the game’s elite
midfielders. He had been named on a half-forward flank in the All-Australian team and won the AFL Media Association’s MVP award.
For the third season in succession he had played every game. Even the man himself admitted he’d followed up his 2008 Copeland-winning season with a year he rated as
his best or, more modestly, his most consistent. It’s no wonder he never looked like losing the award.
There was no secret among the playing group as to why Dane Swan deserved to become the 13th man to win back-to-back Copeland Trophies. He simply worked hardest when it got toughest.
Despite the laidback demeanour, the healthy sense of humour and irony and his apparent wonder at what all the fuss is about, Swan is a footballer who understands the modern game better than most - and has the mental steel to succeed within it.
He has adapted quickly to its increasing physical and mental demands, transforming his lifestyle to become a leader and an elite athlete. And he has done so while remaining loyal to his long-time friends. That is why he is so respected, both within and outside the football club.
Swan knows that playing in the midfield is now about combining speed with endurance, and sustaining the pace for four quarters. “I’ve never been an amazing long-distance runner. I’ve always been ‘go at speed, recover, then go again,’” he says.
He has become one of the best at surging, then planting his bottom on the bench, then surging again. This cycle, in short, breaks his opponents. And to do so he put his absolute faith in the Magpies’ head of conditioning, David Buttifant, to provide him with the attributes required to maintain the “repeat” efforts the game demands.
Swan’s trust in the Buttifant way saw him become an early adopter of Collingwood’s high rotation policy, coming on and off the ground more regularly than any other player in the team. He now has two club best and fairests to show for his willingness to change. “I just found it worked for me,” he says.
“Instead of coming off when I am knackered I know if I come off for a few minutes before that (happens) I am not as tired in the third or fourth quarter.”
To read the full article purchase a copy of the 2009 'In Black and White' Yearbook.
