Sydneyswans.com.au spoke to Development Coach Stuart Maxfield this week about the progress  the Swans’ newest  recruits are making on the training track.
 
Maxfield singled out South Australian recruit Byron Sumner, taken at pick number 54 in the draft, and predicted his likely AFL debut during the 2010 season.

What is it about Byron that has made such an impression on the coaches?
The difference with a lot of new young players is that when they turn up, there’s a huge gap between where they are when they arrive, and how much they need to learn about professionalism before they actually play senior footy. We certainly think as a Club that the gap is getting bigger. But what we noticed with Byron is that he prepared himself and trained a bit harder, he got here a bit earlier so that he was able to begin his main training before the other new players. He surprised us a bit in terms of how he grasped all the concepts that we’re trying to implement at training and in games. He picked up the game plan pretty quickly, and he’s just got great natural instincts - he moves really well, particularly in half-forward and midfield where there’s a lot you need to learn and a lot of decisions to be made in traffic. He’s a smart player, he really stood out at training because he’s been able to grasp what we’re trying to do as a team, but still play with his natural flair as well.

What sort of a role has Byron been earmarked for in the team?
Last year he mainly played across half back and on a wing. Since he’s been here he’s mainly been in a midfield role, and again because there’s so much to learn in those positions at AFL senior level, he’s really picked up what’s going on. You can see now that even as an 18-year-old, he’s got a huge future. He’s good in the midfield, and he’s a smart forward as well. The other thing is that he’s really competitive, you can tell he wants to push himself and he doesn’t like being beaten. I think one of the best things we’ve found out about him is that he listens and he’s a quick learner. He’s able to apply what he has learned almost instantly.
 
What other strengths has Byron shown?
He hasn’t really set a foot wrong since he’s been here, he prepares himself well and is pretty diligent with the way he goes about his training. When you throw something random in to try and test him, he handles it really well. He’s always really composed even when he’s under pressure, and when you ask him a question about a certain aspect of the game, he doesn’t get rattled, he will just have a think about it, and will generally come up with the right answers.
 
You mentioned that if all goes to plan, he’d be a likely candidate for a 2010 debut. What does he need to do in order to be ready for senior footy?
He still needs to attain certain levels of fitness, we need to see him play in the heat of battle against other players. He might be lucky enough to get a run in the pre-season cup game - that’s a good test for the younger guys to see if they can handle that sort of pressure against quality opposition.
 
Could you make comparisons between Byron’s playing style, and that of a current senior player?
I generally don’t like to make too many comparisons, but I think he is sort of a unique player. There’s not too many midfielders around his height, he’s only 174cm, and to succeed at that height you’ve got to have some special attributes. He’s got good pace but he’s a really smart player, so I think that’s what’s going to hold him in good stead for a successful AFL career. He’s going to be able to play small forward, he’s going to be able to play midfield, he’s showing that he can play defence, and in the right match-up he might be able to play down back. So he is going to be that kind of versatile player for us in the future.