Player Watch #36 Joel Amartey

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Joel Amartey
Joel Amartey has shown strong form in the ruck and as a key-position player at both ends of the ground since being drafted to the Sydney Swans as a rookie ahead of season 2018. The Ghanaian-Australian produced arguably his best performance of the 2019 season against Sydney University in Round 6, which saw him collect 42 hit-outs and a goal. In season 2020, he made his AFL debut against Brisbane Lions in Round 17 after producing some strong individual performances in scrimmage matches, and impressed with eight hit-outs and two inside 50.

Joel Amartey
DOB: 02 September 1999
DEBUT: 2020
DRAFT: #28, 2017 Rookie Elevation
RECRUITED FROM: Beaumaris (Vic)/Mentone Gram (Vic)/Sandringham U18

www.sydneyswans.com.au

Joel Amartey | AFL

Follow Joel Amartey's progress through AFL
www.sydneyswans.com.au www.sydneyswans.com.au
 
I think there's a bit of unnecessary panic with Amartey. His fitness (as in his tank) has always been a clear weakness, but it's worth remembering that his injury history would've effected how much he could work on that fitness. Interrupted pre-seasons are the worst thing can happen to a player trying to build a fitness block. You look at someone like Errol Gulden who already had a pretty good tank and who, apart from a month or so out in the middle of his first year, has had a clean run all the way through his career to date. It's meant he can just go from strength to strength and get fitter and fitter.

Amartey will never be at Gulden's level of fitness and he doesn't need to be, but if he can just manage to stay free of injuries for even just six months I think that will make a massive difference for him.
 
caesar88 said:
I think there's a bit of unnecessary panic with Amartey. His fitness (as in his tank) has always been a clear weakness, but it's worth remembering that his injury history would've effected how much he could work on that fitness. Interrupted pre-seasons are the worst thing can happen to a player trying to build a fitness block. You look at someone like Errol Gulden who already had a pretty good tank and who, apart from a month or so out in the middle of his first year, has had a clean run all the way through his career to date. It's meant he can just go from strength to strength and get fitter and fitter.

Amartey will never be at Gulden's level of fitness and he doesn't need to be, but if he can just manage to stay free of injuries for even just six months I think that will make a massive difference for him.
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I think Joel tailing off in games is also related (and proportional) to the swans fading out .
He just struggles to get involved when the style of the game evolves.
 

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Troystenvic said:
Would love to see him clunk a bunch more grabs. Good at getting himself into a marking position and drops sitters. Get that right and he could be a very poor man's Goodes
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Goodes was an athletic freak - I still remember him rucking against giants like Cox and winning the tap and bursting out of the middle kicking to Hall. (Before he did his knee)
 
Pretty big question marks hanging over Amartey leading into finals. Has kicked bags against lesser opposition but has been largely unsighted against quality opposition.

Apart from one game where he had a couple of influential plays in the 4th, he generally becomes invisible in 4th quarters.

I'm not expecting him to play a huge role but would be ecstatic if he did. If he averaged a goal a game (depending on how far we go) he would have done his job imo. Anything more is a bonus.
 
This is all a bit overstated. Thought his contest in the last quarter of the win against GWS was one of the important factors in that victory.
 
Deccas said:
This is all a bit overstated. Thought his contest in the last quarter of the win against GWS was one of the important factors in that victory.
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I think that was the only match where he had a significant impact on the game in a 4th quarter. I think he had a couple of really important pieces of play that set us up for the win.

But outside of that, I haven't seen him have any sort of an impact. Combined with the fact that his goals have tended to come in a flurry early on in the game and then he goes goalless for the rest of the game. It paints a picture of someone who may not have the same level of fitness as his opponent. And therefore. As the game wears on he's likely to be less effective winning his one on one's.

That's what concerns me the most, because in finals, there are a bunch of one on one contests that have a huge impact on whether a team gains momentum against their opponents or capitalises on their opportunities during a period of dominance before their opponent evens the contest or goes on a run themselves.

Players taking marks in the F50 and kicking the goal or taking an important mark along the wing to get the ball moving forward are critical. And I can't say I have a huge amount of confidence in Amartey being that person consistently. McLean is a different story for me.
 

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Hopefully gets a good run with injury over the next few years. Needs continuity to improve his game in terms of learning the craft but also in building his fitness and endurance.

There's a huge range in terms of what Amartey's ceiling and floor are. Could range from a dangerous forward who will give opposition coaches a headache finding a match up, and someone who can kick bags of 6 goals on a semi-ocassional basis, to a flash in the pan who never got going because his body couldn't handle the rigours of top line footy.
 
Am I the only one on here that doesn't have any love for Amarty? He played well against an undersized, inexperienced Hawks defense but apart from that most games he has been average. He would be the last person on the team I'd pick to take a set shot, and with Grundy potentially coming who likes to play only ruck, I don't see a spot in the team for him. If he doesn't improve in the off-season, he's a depth player in my mind

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KLN1387 said:
Am I the only one on here that doesn't have any love for Amarty? He played well against an undersized, inexperienced Hawks defense but apart from that most games he has been average. He would be the last person on the team I'd pick to take a set shot, and with Grundy potentially coming who likes to play only ruck, I don't see a spot in the team for him. If he doesn't improve in the off-season, he's a depth player in my mind

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No, not the only one, I'm with you.
 
KLN1387 said:
Am I the only one on here that doesn't have any love for Amarty? He played well against an undersized, inexperienced Hawks defense but apart from that most games he has been average. He would be the last person on the team I'd pick to take a set shot, and with Grundy potentially coming who likes to play only ruck, I don't see a spot in the team for him. If he doesn't improve in the off-season, he's a depth player in my mind

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I feel he’s been a little unlucky, but in this business you really need to take your opportunities and also have luck on your side.

Compared to the other young forwards, he doesn’t seem to offer something tangible that can’t be found elsewhere. McLean takes big marks and is always in the game, whether it’s as a link up or a strong presence up forward. Logan is agile, he plays more like Buddy (in terms of style) than a traditional stay at home forward. His field kicking is very good and he brings others in to the game even if he’s not kicking goals. Not to mention he can play small and crumb goals if necessary.

Amartey has talent, for sure, but he drifts and can go by unnoticed for large chunks of time. Rightly or wrongly, next season is make or break for him at the Swans. Especially if the other two really come along and if Buller shows something in the seniors.


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DeathlyAccurate said:
I feel he’s been a little unlucky, but in this business you really need to take your opportunities and also have luck on your side.

Compared to the other young forwards, he doesn’t seem to offer something tangible that can’t be found elsewhere. McLean takes big marks and is always in the game, whether it’s as a link up or a strong presence up forward. Logan is agile, he plays more like Buddy (in terms of style) than a traditional stay at home forward. His field kicking is very good and he brings others in to the game even if he’s not kicking goals. Not to mention he can play small and crumb goals if necessary.

Amartey has talent, for sure, but he drifts and can go by unnoticed for large chunks of time. Rightly or wrongly, next season is make or break for him at the Swans. Especially if the other two really come along and if Buller shows something in the seniors.


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I remember a couple or 3 years ago McLean came back after Christmas and ran PBs in the 2km and made people sit up and take notice of the work that he had put in. He has steadily kicked on from then.
Something like that needs to happen with Joel I think or he will sink into reserves until someone else comes along. Assumes Buller kicks on of course.
 
Kiama Chris said:
I remember a couple or 3 years ago McLean came back after Christmas and ran PBs in the 2km and made people sit up and take notice of the work that he had put in. He has steadily kicked on from then.
Something like that needs to happen with Joel I think or he will sink into reserves until someone else comes along. Assumes Buller kicks on of course.
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totally agree. For me his off season is even more important than his pre-season. The Sports Science folk have to set him a tailored program to rigorously complete. We can’t select someone who is gassed after a quarter or a half.
 
Grand Uncle Horace said:
totally agree. For me his off season is even more important than his pre-season. The Sports Science folk have to set him a tailored program to rigorously complete. We can’t select someone who is gassed after a quarter or a half.
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They've done that this season by managing his gametime, resting him from games & having a tailored training program. Think Horse mentioned it's something similar to Buddy's. They've realised he's a unique power athlete who is susceptible to injuries, so they've altered his training.

He doesn't have the aerobic capacity of Mclean or McDonald but he beats them on athleticism, especially acceleration in putting on defensive pressure. That combined with his contested marking, has lead to the coaches giving him multiple opportunities.

I'm hoping he can improve a bit on his endurance (having an injury free pre-season will be cruicial) but it's his synergy with the other forwards which will determine how many games he plays next year imo.

Buller & him are competing for the 3rd tall spot.
 
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