Toby Nankervis [merged]

[one-eyed]

Why trading Toby Nankervis might be one of the Swans’ greatest trade errors

Ben Waterworth
Fox Sports
March 10th, 2021 4:15 pm

Brownlow Medallist and former Swan Gerard Healy believes agreeing to trade Toby Nankervis to Richmond was one of Sydney’s biggest list blues of the past two decades.

Nankervis was drafted by the Swans with Pick 35 in the 2013 draft but only managed seven games in three seasons after he struggled to cement a spot in the club‘s best 22 behind Kurt Tippett and Sam Naismith.

The ruckman in 2016 was traded to Richmond in exchange for a third-round draft pick. Just under 12 months later, he was a premiership Tiger – and four years later, he was a triple premiership ruckman.

Speaking on 3AW’s Sportsday, Healy said Nankervis “neutralised” Geelong during last year’s Grand Final at the Gabba and pointed out he was the No. 1 pressure player around the ground on the day.

Healy said letting Nankervis go was “in the ballpark” of the Swans’ worst recruiting decisions, alongside trading Tom Mitchell to Hawthorn – a deal that came a week before the Nankervis swap.

“Now, the Swans have picked up a lot of good players over the years, value players. (But) probably the biggest mistake they’ve made as a recruiting group in the last 20 years was letting Toby Nankervis out of that place,” Healy told Sportsday.

“Mitchell was nearly their best player in a Grand Final the year that they decided to trade him. Mitchell was a shocker, but Toby Nankervis has also been bad because the Swans have been desperately looking for a ruckman ever since.

“They’ve gone to the west and picked up two (Callum Sinclair and Tom Hickey), they’ve had kids coming out of rugby union clubs trying to get them to become a ruckman – Toby Nankervis was there waiting for you, fellas. And he’s gone on to become a multiple premiership player and a star.

“You don’t have to be a genius at the ruck craft to be a genius as a ruckman.”

The Swans have struggled for ruck stability in recent years due to a combination of injury and inconsistent form.

Recruit Tom Hickey is set to spearhead the Swans’ ruck stocks at the start of this year alongside Callum Sinclair. Sam Naismith has been progressing well after rupturing his ACL in June last year.



https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-news-2021-toby-nankervis-trade-to-richmond-one-of-sydney-swans-worst-moves-says-gerard-healy/news-story/6abc84079a4f8d75919f8889cea02c16

[Andyy]

I have doubted this man many times but fmd he was Goliath at the pointy end

Humble pie by the spade for me

[georgies31]

I have doubted this man many times but fmd he was Goliath at the pointy end

Humble pie by the spade for me

He went into beast mode in the finals.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

I have doubted this man many times but fmd he was Goliath at the pointy end

Humble pie by the spade for me

He went into beast mode in the finals.

He’s a beast period. Just been injured and which hampered his mobility during the year.

[one-eyed]

https://twitter.com/AFL/status/1377420949285449731

[Tiger Khosh]

Considering that’s nowhere near his best attribute as a ruckman, that is a mighty effort so far.

[one-eyed]

22 disposals, 40 hitouts, 14 contested possies and 6 clearances for the big fella last night  .

[Andyy]

Hammered the crap out of that Saints nobody. Still going to need a better backup against Gawn than Pickett, but a great game.

I really like his ability to drop back in the whole. I think missing Soldo and subsequently not doing that as often is hurting us.

[mightytiges]

One of the few who can hold his head up tonight. Gawn interviewed on the TV now is even praising Nank. If you told me pre-game that Nank would have the game he did against Gawn then I would've thought we would win. An indictment on the effort of  most of the rest of the team that we got flogged.

[WilliamPowell]

One of the few who can hold his head up tonight. Gawn interviewed on the TV now is even praising Nank. If you told me pre-game that Nank would have the game he did against Gawn then I would've thought we would win. An indictment on the effort of  most of the rest of the team that we got flogged.

^^^^ Yep

[The Machine]

One of the few who can hold his head up tonight. Gawn interviewed on the TV now is even praising Nank. If you told me pre-game that Nank would have the game he did against Gawn then I would've thought we would win. An indictment on the effort of  most of the rest of the team that we got flogged.

^^^^ Yep

[The Machine]

Nank was huge tonight

[Fluffy Tiger]

One of the few who can hold his head up tonight. Gawn interviewed on the TV now is even praising Nank. If you told me pre-game that Nank would have the game he did against Gawn then I would've thought we would win. An indictment on the effort of  most of the rest of the team that we got flogged.

^^^^ Yep

Yep Yep. Yawn probably just won but Nank was great.

[Tigeritis™©®]

He’s an absolute bull. Without his efforts we would’ve lost by 10 goals.

But like most in our team he was very sloppy which is a credit to Melbourne and the pressure they applied.

Our kicking was atrocious all night.

[one-eyed]

Nank is arguably in career best form. As a ruckman that's 20+ disposals four weeks in a row!