Sydney Swans young gun Dylan Stephens on his long-term future, bulking up and lessons from grand final

Most of all though, the Swans realised they needed to be better when the ball was in dispute, having lost the contested possession count by 41.

Sydney’s young brigade had cut a swath through all-comers over the final third of the season, but up against the likes of Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins, they were quite frankly – beaten up.

So the Swans made a concerted effort to ensure their next generation muscled up. It meant that when Dylan Stephens, Errol Gulden and Logan McDonald headed to Europe, they were finding obscure gyms all over the continent, and getting protein powder delivered by the club nutritionist.

The strangest fitness centre, Stephens says, was a disco-themed party gym in London, replete with flashing lights and techno music.

For wingman Stephens, the off-season diligence reaped benefits.

“I’ve put on about three or four kilos since the grand final. It’s been good. That was probably my main focus over the break, to maintain my running power but also put on some size, to be stronger at the contest,” Stephen says.

“Geelong were a lot more physical and mature-bodied than us, so that was a focus for a lot of our playing group over the break.”

And while the grand final may have shaped some of their off-season program, Stephens says the Swans have moved on from the drubbing.

“We [reviewed it] when we first got back from pre-season. It was good. It was what needed to be had,” Stephens says.

It’s early days, but Stephens says he is already better able to throw his weight around.

“I mainly play on the wing, but when I go inside for those little periods I definitely feel more comfortable with getting into more body contact and stuff.”

Stephens, 22, is about to embark on his fourth season in the league, having been drafted by the Swans at pick No. 5 in 2019 out of Adelaide, where he had been boarding after growing up in Mildura.

After just 18 senior matches across his first two-and-a-half seasons in the league, Stephens established himself in the back half of last year, becoming a regular on the wing as Sydney surged to the decider.

Being in and out of the side to that point had been challenging, and Stephens is still careful not to feel too comfortable, knowing the likes of Angus Sheldrick and Matt Roberts are pushing for spots.
 

“It was a frustrating period for me. It ended up coming down to just taking my opportunity. But no one’s safe in our side at the moment,” Stephens says.

“Gussy’s a really strong inside bull. He’s very tough, and he’s powerful. And he finds a lot of the ball.

“Robbo’s a bit different … Robbo’s got that mix of outside and inside as well. He uses it really well.”

In the long-run, Stephens hopes putting on size allows him to spend regular time in the guts. But for now he is content being more of a receiver.

“I think I eventually want to be an inside-outside midfielder. But at the moment I’m mainly outside, especially with our midfield,” he says.

More Coverage

Sydney sets sights on Blues young gun

Daniel Cherny

As an early draft pick from another state, there is inevitably going to be interest in Stephens’ long-term future. Especially given he waited until after the end of his second year to extend his initial deal at the club.

Stephens’ contract expires again at season’s end, and while he did not delve into specifics, he is adamant he sees a long-term future for himself at the club.

“Yeah. I think we all do. We’ve got a young core group that are a really close, tight-knit group of mates and it’s really awesome here.”