It’s a fair bet even hardcore Swans fans would have known little about the unheralded trio before 2016 started.

Richards and Hewett, who were both drafted in 2013, had never played as forwards before this season.

Papley at least was familiar with the small forward role, but only joined the Swans in this year’s rookie draft.

Hewett’s AFL career has seen him drafted to the premiership favourites from North Adelaide after leaving the family farm at Port Broughton, 170 kilometres north-west of Adelaide, and playing school football at Prince Alfred College. He has missed only two senior games this year.

Papley has played 19, and his nine goals in the major round has him tied with Adelaide’s marquee forward Eddie Betts as the leading goalkicker in the finals series.

The trio have combined for 59 goals, but perhaps even more importantly in the modern day game, have contributed plenty of ground level pressure, with Hewitt and Papley together laying 146 tackles.

Hewett was recruited as a midfielder and that’s where he served his two-season apprenticeship in the NEAFL before being converted into a forward this year.

“This pre-season I got told that ‘if you want to play senior footy, you’re going to have to play the majority forward’,” Hewett said.

“I was willing to do anything to play senior footy and I worked hard at it, and I’m glad it’s paid off.”

Like his older brother Ted, Richards was recruited as a key defender, but his switch to the forwards was even more recent than Hewitt’s.

He was shunted up forward halfway through the year and kicked 26 goals in six NEAFL games before being elevated to the seniors.

He’s kicked 13 goals in the last nine games, only one of which Sydney have lost.

“I just have a laugh about how my year has turned out , it’s been quite bizarre at times,” Richards said.

“I’ve played my whole career as fullback and never played up forward and they threw me up forward.

“At the time I was pretty cautious, [thinking] ‘I don’t know about this’ [but] looking back, I’m very grateful to to the coaches that made the decision.”

All three have benefited from the experience, wisdom and presence of Swans’ forward spearhead Lance Franklin.

“When he speaks we listen, because what’s coming out of his mouth is always pretty good advice,” Hewett said.

“He’s just a nice person as well and he’s been huge for us this year in a leadership sense, which I think doesn’t get brought up as much as it should and hopefully he does get the credit he deserves as a leader.”

-AAP