The Swans are counting down the top 10 individual performances of 2019, as determined by the votes in the Bob Skilton Medal.

Yesterday, in 10^th place, was the 43-vote haul of Isaac Heeney in Round 3 against Carlton.

Today, in equal 8^th, we have two players who each polled 44 votes.

Equal 8^th Dane Rampe, 44 votes – Round 8 v Essendon at SCG
It was one of the highlights of the Swans season. On a Friday night at the SCG, coming off four consecutive losses, they emerged from a titanic struggle with a five-point win, after Essendon’s David Myers had a long kick to win the game after the siren.

Letting fly from 65m, his kick fell 10m short to conclude a scoreless last six minutes after the Bombers’ Darcy Parish had pulled his side to within a kick. 

And it was typical Dane Rampe. No fuss or fanfare, but a wonderful effort down back. He had 13 possessions – only six teammates had less – but 10 were contested to go with two critical contested marks and eight one-percenters.

He marshalled the defensive group superbly as they withstood a minus 13 inside 50 count, conceding only 10 goals from 54 Bombers thrusts into the scoring zone.

Rampe topped the Club Champion vote count despite going unrecognised by the umpires and ranking fifth in the AFLCA votes with just two, behind Luke Parker (10 votes), Orazio Fantasia (8), George Hewett (5) and Callum Sinclair (3).

Equal 8^th Lance Franklin – 44 votes – Round 12 v West Coast at SCG

In a season cruelled by injury, Lance Franklin saved his best for the defending premiers.

It was vintage Franklin as the Swans, 15^th on the ladder starting the second half of the season with a 3-8 record and no option but to win, belted the West Coast Eagles by 45 points at the SCG in Dane Rampe’s 150^th game. And that, despite playing the entire second half with only one man on the bench.

Franklin kicked a season-high five goals – 5.4 in fact – from a season-high 18 possessions, with a season-high seven marks inside 50m. And he picked up two Brownlow votes to ensure for the 15^th year in a row he featured in the Brownlow count.