Sydney Swans

Sydney

Sydney Swans logo
Names
Full name	Sydney Swans Limited
Former name(s)	South Melbourne Football Club (1874–1982) Swans Football Club (1982)
Nickname(s)	Swans, Bloods (previously the Blood Stained Angels)
2015 season
After finals	Semi-finals
Home-and-away season	4th
Leading goalkicker	Lance Franklin (47 goals)
Best and fairest	Josh Kennedy
Club details
Founded	1874 (as South Melbourne Football Club)
Colours	Red  White
Competition	Australian Football League
Coach	John Longmire
Captain(s)	Kieren Jack, Jarrad McVeigh
Premierships	VFL/AFL (5): 1909, 1918, 1933, 2005, 2012 VFA (5): 1881, 1885, 1888, 1889, 1890 South Melbourne in italics.
Ground(s)	Sydney Cricket Ground (capacity: 48,000)
	ANZ Stadium (capacity: 83,500)
Training ground(s)	Sydney Cricket Ground
Other information
Official website	www.sydneyswans.com.au

The Sydney Swans is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club has been based in Sydney since the South Melbourne Football Club was relocated to Sydney in 1982. Sydney was the first club in the competition to be based outside Victoria. The Swans play most home games at the Sydney Cricket Ground, while local derbies and larger games against teams such as Collingwood are played at ANZ Stadium.

The club has proven to be one of the most consistent teams over the last twenty years of AFL football, only failing to make the finals in three seasons since 1995 and boasting a finals winning record of over 50% in the same time period.

The South Melbourne Football Club was founded in 1874 and was strong through the 1880s. It won three premierships in 1909, 1918 and 1933 before experiencing 72 years without a premiership, the longest premiership drought of any club. The club broke the drought in 2005, and has won one more premiership since, in 2012.

South Melbourne history

File:Smfc.png

Old South Melbourne Football Club shield. The motto, "Aut vincere aut mori", is Latin for "either to conquer or to die".

All that remains of the Swans' old Lake Oval ground, a single grandstand built in 1926 which for many years stood in a state of disrepair

Origins: 1874–1876

The inauguration date of the club is officially 19 June 1874, and it adopted the name "South Melbourne Football Club" four weeks later, on 15 July. In 1880, South Melbourne amalgamated with the nearby Albert-park Football Club, which had a senior football history dating back to May 1867 (Albert-park had, in fact, been known as South Melbourne during its first year of existence). Following the amalgamation, the club retained the name South Melbourne, and adopted the club's now familiar red and white colours from Albert-park. Nicknamed the "Southerners", the team was more colourfully known as the "Bloods", in reference to the bright red sash on their white jumpers (the sash was replaced with a red "V” in 1932). The colorful epithet the "Bloodstained Angels" was also in use. The club was based at Lake Oval, also home of the South Melbourne Cricket Club.

VFA era: 1877–1896

South Melbourne was a junior foundation club of the Victorian Football Association in 1877, and attained senior status in 1879; The South Melbourne amalgamation with neighbouring Albert-park Football Club in 1880, formed a club that became the strongest in metropolitan Melbourne. Over its first decade as an amalgamated club, South Melbourne won five VFA premierships – in 1881, 1885 (undefeated), and three-in-a-row in 1888, 1889 and 1890 – and was runner-up to the provincial Geelong Football Club in 1880, 1883 and 1886.

At the end of the 1896 season, Collingwood and South Melbourne finished equal at the top of the VFA's premiership ladder with records of 14–3–1, requiring a playoff match to determine the season's premiership; this was the first time this had occurred in VFA history. The match took place on 3 October 1896 at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground. Collingwood won the match, six goals to five, in front of an estimated crowd of 12,000.

This Grand Final would be the last match South Melbourne would play in the VFA, as the following season they would be one of eight founding clubs forming the breakaway Victorian Football League. The other clubs were St Kilda Football Club, Essendon Football Club, Fitzroy Football Club, Melbourne Football Club, Geelong Football Club, Carlton Football Club and Collingwood Football Club.

VFL entry: 1897–1909

South Melbourne was one of the original founding clubs of the Victorian Football League that was formed in 1897.

Premiership success: 1909–1945

The club had early success and won three VFL premierships in 1909, 1918 and 1933. The club was at its most successful in the 1930s, when key recruits from both Victoria and interstate led to a string of appearances in the finals, including four successive grand final appearances from 1933 to 1936, albeit with only one premiership in 1933. On Grand Final eve, 1935, as the Swans prepared to take on Collingwood, star full-forward Bob Pratt was clipped by a truck moments after stepping off a tram and subsequently missed the match for South. Ironically, the truck driver was a South Melbourne supporter.

It was during this period that the team became known as the Swans, the nickname having been given courtesy of the number of West Australians in the team (Swans being the state emblem of Western Australia). The name stuck, partially due to the association with nearby Albert Park and Lake, also known for its white swans (although there are no longer any non-native white swans and only black, indigenous swans in the lake).

After several years with only limited success, South Melbourne next reached the grand final in 1945. The match, played against Carlton, was to become known as "the Bloodbath", courtesy of the brawl that overshadowed the match, with a total of 9 players being reported by the umpires. Carlton won the match by 28 points, and from then on, South Melbourne struggled.

Struggling times: 1946–1981

In the following years, South Melbourne consistently struggled, as their traditional inner-city recruiting district largely emptied as a result of demographic shifts. The club missed the finals in 1946 and continued to fall such that by 1950 they were second-last on the ladder. They nearly made the finals in 1952, but in the following seventeen years South Melbourne did not finish above eighth position. By the 1960s it was clear that South Melbourne's financial resources would not be capable of allowing them to compete in the growing market for country and interstate players, and their own local zone was never strong enough to compensate for this. The introduction of country zoning failed to help, as the Riverina Football League proved to be one of the least profitable zones.

Between 1945 and 1981, South Melbourne played finals only twice: under legendary coach Norm Smith, South Melbourne finished fourth in 1970, but lost the first semi-final; and, in 1977, the club finished fifth under coach Ian Stewart, but lost the elimination final – but there were three wooden spoons in the intervening period, and between Round 7, 1972 and Round 13, 1973, the team lost 29 consecutive games. By the end of the 1970s South Melbourne had massive debts after struggling for such a long period of time.

Sydney history

Early years in Sydney: 1982–1987

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the VFL was strategically interested in seeing a club based in Sydney, as part of a long-term plan to broaden the appeal of the game in Queensland and New South Wales. The league had started moving a few premiership matches to the Sydney Cricket Ground annually since 1979, and in 1981 was preparing to establish an entirely new, 13th VFL club in Sydney; but these plans halted when the South Melbourne board, recognising the difficulties it faced with viability and financial stability in Melbourne, made the decision to play all 1982 home games in Sydney. On 29 July 1981, the VFL formally accepted the proposal, and paved the way for the Swans to shift to Sydney in 1982.

The move caused great internal difficulties, as a group of supporters known as Keep South at South campaigned throughout the rest of 1981 to stop the move; and, at an extraordinary general meeting on 22 September, the group democratically took control of the club's board. However, the new board did not have the power to unilaterally stop the move to Sydney: under the VFL constitution, to rescind the decision that had been made on 29 July required a three-quarters majority in a vote of all twelve clubs, and at a meeting on 14 October it failed to obtain this majority. The new board also lacked the support of the players, the vast majority of whom were in favour of a long-term move to Sydney; in early November, after the board promised that it would try to bring the club back to Melbourne in 1983, the players went on strike, seeking to force the new board commit to Sydney in the long term, as well as seeking payments that the cash-strapped club owed them from the previous season. The board ended up undermining its own position when it accepted a $400,000 loan from the VFL in late November to stay solvent, under the condition that it commit to Sydney for two years. Finally, in early December, the Keep South at South board resigned, and a board in favour of the move to Sydney was installed.

1982 Escort Championships Final	G	B	Total
Swans	13	12	90
North Melbourne	8	10	58
Venue: Waverley Park	Crowd: 20,028

Upon moving, the club played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In 1982, the club was technically a Melbourne-based club which played all of its home games in Sydney; it dropped the name 'South Melbourne' in June 1982, becoming known as simply 'the Swans' for the rest of that season. It was not until 1983 that the club formally moved its operations to Sydney and became the Sydney Swans. Its physical 'home club' was the 'Southern Cross Social Club' at 120a Clovelly Road, Randwick, New South Wales which became bankrupt in 1987; new Sydney Swans Offices were then set up in the Sydney Football Stadium.

File:Sydney80s.png

Sydney 1980s shield logo

On 31 July 1985, for what was thought to be $6.3 million, Geoffrey Edelsten "bought" the Swans; in reality it was $2.9 million in cash with funding and other payments spread over five years. Edelsten resigned as chairman in less than twelve months, but had already made his mark. He immediately recruited former Geelong coach Tom Hafey. Hafey, in turn, used his knowledge of Geelong's contracts to recruit David Bolton, Bernard Toohey and Greg Williams, who would all form a key part of the Sydney side, at a league-determined total fee of $240,000 (less than the $500,000 Geelong demanded and even the $300,000 Sydney offered). The likes of Gerard Healy, Merv Neagle and Paul Morwood were also poached from other clubs, and failed approaches were made to Simon Madden, Terry Daniher, Andrew Bews and Maurice Rioli.

During the Edelsten years, the Swans were seen by the Sydney public as a flamboyant club, typified by the style of its spearhead, Warwick Capper, his long bright blond mullet and bright pink boots made him unmissable on the field and his pink Lamborghini, penchant for fashion models and eccentricity made him notorious off the field – all somewhat fashionable in the 1980s. During Capper's peak years, the Swans had made successive finals appearances for the first time since relocating. His consistently spectacular aerial exploits earned him consecutive Mark of the Year awards while his goalkicking efforts (amassing 103 goals in 1987) made him runner up in the Coleman Medal two years running. The Swans' successive finals appearances saw crowds during this time peak at an average of around 25,000 per game. Edelsten also introduced the "Swanettes", becoming the sole such cheerleading group among VFL teams following the disbandment of Carlton's Blue Birds in 1986. The Swanettes did not get much performance time, owing to the short intervals between quarters of play in the AFL and the lack of space in which they might perform while other activities take place on the field. The Swanettes were soon discontinued and no AFL club has had cheerleaders since then.

In 1987, the Swans scored 201 points against the West Coast Eagles and the following week scored 236 points against the Essendon Football Club. Both games were at the SCG. The Swans are one of the few teams to have scored two scores above 200 points in a row, the feat also being achieved by Geelong in 1992.

Dark times: 1988–1994

The club's form was to slump in the following year.

Losses were in the millions. A group of financial backers including Mike Willessee, Basil Sellers, Peter Weinert and Craig Kimberley purchased the licence and bankrolled the club until 1993, when the AFL stepped in.

Morale at the side plummeted as players were asked to take pay cuts. Legendary coach Tom Hafey was sacked by the club in 1988 after a player-led rebellion at his tough training methods (unusual in the semi-professional days of that era).

Capper was sold to the Brisbane Bears for $400,000 in a desperate attempt to improve the club's finances. Instead, it only led to disastrous on-field performances. Instead of a 100-goal-a-season forward, Sydney's goalkicking was led by defender Bernard Toohey with 29 in 1989, then Jim West with 34 in 1990. Players left the club in droves, including Brownlow Medalist Greg Williams, Bernard Toohey and Barry Mitchell. The careers of stars such as Dennis Carroll, David Bolton, Ian Roberts, Tony Morwood and David Murphy came to an end, while promising young players like Jamie Lawson, Robert Teal and Paul Bryce had their careers cut short by injury.

Attendances consistently dropped below 10,000 when the team performed poorly between 1990 and 1994, with the side winning the wooden spoon in 1992, 1993 and 1994.

The AFL stepped in to save the Swans, offering substantial monetary and management support. The club survived, despite strong rumours in 1992 that it would merge with the Brisbane Bears to form a combined New South Wales/Queensland team, fold altogether, or even move back to South Melbourne. With draft and salary cap concessions in the early 1990s and a series of notable recruits, the team were competitive after the early part of the decade.

During this time, the side was largely held together by two inspirational skippers, both from the Wagga Wagga region of country New South Wales, Dennis Carroll and later the courageous captain Paul Kelly.

Desperate to hang on, the club was keen to enlist the biggest names and identities in the AFL, and recruited legendary coach Ron Barassi who helped save the club from extinction while serving them as coach from Round 7, 1993 to 1995. At roughly the same time, Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton was also recruited, albeit with little on-field impact. On a much brighter side for the Swans, their captain Paul Kelly won the League's highest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal, in 1995.

Tony Lockett and Grand Final return: 1995–2001

A big coup for the club was recruitment of St Kilda Football Club champion Tony "Plugger" Lockett in 1995. Lockett became a cult figure in Sydney, with an instant impact and along with the Super League war in the struggling rival rugby league football code in Australia, helped the Swans to become a powerhouse Sydney icon.

1995 would be Barassi's last year in charge. The Swans won 8 games- as much as they did in the previous three years combined- and finished with a percentage of over 100 (in fact, they have managed such consistently ever since). They were also one of only two teams to defeat the all-conquering Carlton side of that year. Swans great Paul Kelly also won the Brownlow Medal that year. Barassi left an improving team, a club in a much better state than he found them.

1996 AFL Home & Away Season	W	L	D	Total	%
Sydney Swans	16	5	1	66	123.9
	Minor Premiers

Former Hawthorn player Rodney Eade took over the reins in 1996 and after a slow start (they lost their first two games of the season), turned the club around into a competitive force. The Swans ended the minor round on top of the premiership table with 16 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw. In the finals, the Swans won one of the most thrilling AFL preliminary finals in history after Plugger Lockett kicked a behind after the siren to win the game. The Swans lost the grand final to North Melbourne, which had been their first appearance in a grand final since 1945. The game was played in front of 93,102 at the MCG.

The Swans then made the finals for four of the next five full years that Rodney Eade was in charge of. In 1998 they finished 3rd on the AFL ladder; despite beating St Kilda in their first final the Swans were then beaten by eventual premiers Adelaide in the semi-final at the SCG.

The 1999 season was a largely uneventful year for the club, the only real highlight being Tony Lockett kicking his record-breaking 1300th goal against Collingwood in Round 10. The 1999 season ended with a 69-point mauling at the hands of minor premiers Essendon.

After missing the finals in 2000, the Swans rebounded to finish 7th in 2001, but were beaten by Hawthorn by 55 points in their elimination final at Colonial Stadium.

Rebuilding and finals return: 2002–2004

Former Swans favourite son Paul Roos was appointed coach midway through the 2002 season, replacing Rodney Eade who was removed after Round 12. Roos had an immediate impact, winning six of the remaining 10 games that year (including the last four of the season), and continued a record as a successful coach with the Swans for the eight full seasons that would follow.

A new home ground in ANZ Stadium (then known as Telstra Stadium) provided increased capacity over the SCG. The Swans' first game played at the Stadium in Round 9, 2002 against Essendon attracted 54,169 spectators. The Sydney Swans v Collingwood match on 23 August 2003 set an attendance record for the largest crowd to watch an AFL game outside of Victoria with an official attendance of 72,393 and was the largest home and away AFL crowd at any stadium for 2003. A preliminary final against the Brisbane Lions in 2003 attracted 71,019 people. The Swans lost all three of those significant matches.

2004 saw an average year for Sydney, however one highlight was when they ended St Kilda's undefeated start to the season in Round 11. The match was notable for Leo Barry's effort in nullifying the impact of St Kilda full-forward and eventual Coleman Medallist Fraser Gehrig, whom Barry restricted to only two possessions for the entire match.

Sydney was able to recruit another St Kilda export in the Lockett mould, Barry Hall. There were obvious parallels to the signing of Lockett (a powerful, tough forward from St Kilda with questions over his discipline and attitude), which left Hall with much to live up to. He flourished in his new surroundings and eventually became a cult figure and club leader in his own right.

As the new century dawned, Sydney implemented a policy of giving up high order draft picks in exchange for players who struggled at other clubs. It was during this era that the Swans picked up the likes of Paul Williams, Barry Hall, Craig Bolton, Darren Jolly, Ted Richards, Peter Everitt, Martin Mattner, Rhyce Shaw, Shane Mumford, Ben McGlynn and Mitch Morton, amongst others, and giving up higher order draft picks meant the Swans missed out on the likes of Daniel Motlop, Nick Dal Santo, James Kelly, Courtenay Dempsey and Sam Lonergan who went to Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Geelong and the latter two to Essendon respectively. This policy is said to have paid off in the Roos era, as they implemented a strict culture of discipline at the club.

Premiership glory: 2005

Main article: 2005 AFL Grand Final

Sydney played the AFL Grand Final on 24 September 2005 against the West Coast Eagles, defeating them by four points, final score 8.10 (58) to West Coast's 7.12 (54). In the last few minutes, the Sydney defence held strong, with Leo Barry marking the ball just before the siren to stop the Eagles' final desperate shot at goal. The premiership was the Swans' first in 72 years and their first since being based in Sydney. It was also the fifth premiership in succession to be won by a team from outside Victoria.

2005 AFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
Sydney Swans	8	10	58
West Coast Eagles	7	12	54
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 91,898

In 2005, the Swans came under enormous public scrutiny, even from AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou for their unorthodox, "boring" defense-oriented tactics that included tightly controlling the tempo of the game and starving the opposition of possession (in fact, seven teams that season had their lowest possession total whilst playing against the Swans). The coach Paul Roos maintained that playing contested football was the style used by all recent premiership winning teams, and felt that it was ironic that the much criticised strategy proved ultimately successful.

On Friday, 30 September 2005 a ticker tape parade down Sydney's George Street was held in honour of the Swans' achievements, which ended with a rally at Town Hall, where Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore presented the team with the key to the city. The flag of the Swans also flew on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the week; the same flag was later given to WA premier Geoff Gallop to fly on top of the state legislature in Perth as part of the friendly wager between Gallop and NSW premier Morris Iemma.

Grand Final loss: 2006

Main article: 2006 AFL Grand Final

The 2006 AFL Grand Final was contested between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 30 September 2006. The West Coast Eagles avenged their 2005 Grand Final defeat by beating the Sydney Swans by one point, only the fourth one-point Grand Final margin in the competition's history.

The rivalry between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles has become one of the great modern rivalries. The six games between the two sides (from the start of the 2005 finals to the first round of 2007 inclusive) were decided by a combined margin of 13 points. Four of those six games were finals, and 2 Grand Finals.

Finals goal: 2007–2010

Sydney finished the 2007 home and away season in 7th place, and advanced to the finals, where they faced and were defeated by Collingwood by 38 points in the elimination final. It was their earliest exit from the finals since 2001 and was a culmination of a mostly disappointing season, as only victories against lesser teams saw them through to a fifth consecutive finals campaign.

The conclusion of the 2007 trade saw the loss of Adam Schneider and Sean Dempster to St Kilda, the delisting of Simon Phillips, Jonathan Simpkin and Luke Vogels, and the gain of Henry Playfair from Geelong and Martin Mattner from Adelaide.

A Sydney Swans banner honouring Amon Buchanon's 100th game as a player Paul Roos' 500th game as player and coach

The Swans spent the middle part of the 2008 season inside the top four, however a late form slump which yielded only three wins in the last nine rounds saw the Swans drop to sixth at the conclusion of the 2008 regular season. Having qualified for the finals for a sixth consecutive season, the Swans defeated North Melbourne in the elimination final before losing to the Western Bulldogs the following week.

2009 saw the club register only eight victories as they failed to reach the finals for the first time since 2002, finishing 12th with a percentage of below 100% for the first time since 1994. Barry Hall, Leo Barry, Jared Crouch, Michael O'Loughlin, Amon Buchanan and Darren Jolly all departed at the conclusion of the season, with Mark Seaby, Daniel Bradshaw and Shane Mumford, among others, joining the club during the trade period.

The 2010 season saw Sydney return to the finals by virtue of a fifth-place finish at the end of the regular season. The club defeated Carlton by five points in the elimination final before losing to the Western Bulldogs in the semi-finals for the second time in three seasons. The loss signalled the end of the Swans coaching career of Paul Roos as well as that of the playing career of Brett Kirk.

John Longmire era: 2011–present

Sydney Swans players run through the banner before the inaugural Sydney Derby on 24 March 2012.

Former North Melbourne premiership-winning forward John Longmire took over as coach of the Swans as part of a succession plan initiated by Paul Roos in 2009 prior to the beginning of the 2011 season. He led the club to a seventh-place finish at the end of the regular season, therefore qualifying for the finals for the 13th time in the past 16 seasons. The Swans defeated St Kilda in an elimination final at Docklands Stadium before losing to Hawthorn in the semi-finals the following week.

It was during the regular season that the Swans caused the upset of the season, defeating the star-studded Geelong Cats on its home ground, Skilled Stadium, where the home tenant had won its past 29 games in succession, and its past two matches at the ground by a combined margin of 336 points, in Round 23. It was the Swans' first win over the Cats since 2006 and its first win at the ground since Round 8, 1999. The Swans were also the only team to defeat the West Coast Eagles at Patersons Stadium during the regular season. The Swans' victory over Geelong was overshadowed by the news that co-captain Jarrad McVeigh's baby daughter had died in the week leading up to the match, forcing him to miss that match.

2012 AFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
Sydney Swans	14	7	91
Hawthorn	11	15	81
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 99,683
2014 AFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
Sydney Swans	11	8	74
Hawthorn	21	11	137
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 99,454

The 2012 season began for the Swans with the inaugural Sydney Derby against AFL newcomers Greater Western Sydney. After an even and physical first half, Sydney went on to win by 63 points. Subsequent wins over Fremantle, Port Adelaide, North Melbourne and Hawthorn saw the Swans sit second behind West Coast on percentage after Round 5, but the Swans would proceed to lose three of their next four matches before embarking on a nine-match winning streak between Rounds 10 and 19 inclusive. The Swans eventually finished the regular season in third place after losing three of their final four matches, all against their fellow top-four rivals (Collingwood, Hawthorn and Geelong in Rounds 20, 22 and 23 respectively).

The Swans defeated Adelaide by 29 points in their qualifying final at AAMI Stadium, thus earning a week off and a home preliminary final, where they then defeated Collingwood by 26 points to qualify for their first Grand Final since 2006, ending an eleven-match losing streak against the Magpies in the process.

In the Grand Final, the Swans defeated Hawthorn by ten points in front of 99,683 people at the MCG, with Nick Malceski kicking a snap goal with 34 seconds left to seal the Swans' fifth premiership and first since 2005. Ryan O'Keefe was named the Norm Smith Medallist and the Swan's best player in September

The Swans' 2013 season was marred by long-term injuries to many of its key players, namely Adam Goodes, Sam Reid, Lewis Jetta, Rhyce Shaw and Lewis Roberts-Thomson, among others; despite this setback, the team were still able to reach the finals for the fifteenth time in 18 seasons, reaching the preliminary finals where they were defeated by Fremantle at Patersons Stadium, its first loss at the venue since 2009.

The 2014 AFL season began with some difficulties for the Swans. Sydney lost their first game against Greater Western Sydney and then to Collingwood before becoming the first non-South Australian team to win at Adelaide Oval defeating Adelaide by 63 points with Lance Franklin and Luke Parker kicking 4 goals each. After a loss to North Melbourne in Round 4, the Swans' won twelve games in a row, including victories against 2013 Grand Finalists Fremantle and Hawthorn, Geelong by 110 points at the SCG and then ladder leaders Port Adelaide. In Round 17, the Swans defeated Carlton to match a winning streak set three times in club history, the last of which came way back in 1935, and eventually closed out the season with their first minor premiership in 18 years and a club record 17 wins for the season, eclipsing the previous highest of 16, which was achieved on six past occasions in 2012, 1996, 1986, 1945, 1936 and 1935. In 2014 the Swans were minor premiers, and also qualified for the 2014 AFL Grand Final. They defeated Fremantle at home in the first qualifying final in Round one of the finals series and so earned a one-week break. In the first preliminary final the Swans had a convincing win against North Melbourne, which led them to their fourth grand final in 10 years. The 2014 AFL Grand Final was played on Saturday 27 September 2014 in near perfect weather conditions, with Sydney seen as favourites leading up to the match. This was the first time in a finals series that former Hawk player Lance Franklin would play against his former team, one of very few players to have played back to back grand finals for two different teams. The Hawks dominated the game quite early and eventually defeated the Swans 11.8.(74)to 21.11.(137). The 63-point loss was Sydney's biggest ever loss in a grand final and their biggest defeat all season, meaning Hawthorn would become back to back premiers for the second time in their history.

The Sydney Swans warm up before a match in 2013.

The Swans started the 2015 AFL season well, winning their first three, before losing their next 2 games against Fremantle, where they trailed by as many as 8 goals before half-time, and the Western Bulldogs. They won their next 6 leading into the bye, including home wins against Geelong and North Melbourne, and an upset away win against Hawthorn in the grand final replay. The Swans lost their first game after the bye, their 3rd of the season to Richmond at the SCG, 11.11 (77) to 14.11. (95). The Swans rebounded with unconvincing wins against Port Adelaide and Brisbane Lions, before suffering their heaviest defeat for 17 seasons against the Hawks by 89 points. The following week was no better with a road trip to Perth and another loss, this time to the Eagles by 52 points, the scoreline ultimately flattering the Swans. The Swans bounced back against Adelaide with a convincing win 52 point win, but lost their next game to Geelong at Simmonds stadium; a close affair that Geelong blew apart in the 3rd quarter. The Swans won their final 4 games to secure a top 4 finish, against Collingwood, Greater Western Sydney, St Kilda and Gold Coast Suns.

The Swans faced minor premiers Fremantle in the first qualifying final, their first finals match without Franklin, who had withdrawn from the finals due to illness. Ultimately the Swans would go down in a low scoring affair, effectively kicking themselves out of the game after losing Sam Reid to a hamstring injury midway through the 2nd quarter. The following week the Swans were knocked out of the finals in a one-sided contest against North Melbourne, struggling to score throughout the first half with the game effectively over by half-time. For the first time since 2011, the Swans failed to make a preliminary final.

The Swans' continued period of success, in which it has missed the finals only three times since 1995, has led to some criticism about a salary cap concession which the club receives; the concession is in the form of an additional Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), due to the higher cost of living in Sydney compared with any other Australian city. It was, however, announced in March 2014 that this allowance would be scrapped. The trade ban was fought by the club before the 2015 season and a reprieve was won, with the AFL allowing the club to participate in the 2015 AFL draft. There was a catch however, with the league imposing an edict that the club could only recruit players at or below current average wage of $340,000 (adjusted figures for 2015 was $349,000). During the 2015 season, with the Swans team stretched by aging players and injuries, it had become apparent that the trade restrictions that had prevented the Swans from participating in the 2014 draft, had impacted the list. With the trade period looming, Andrew Pridham lobbied the AFL to lift the trade restrictions, labeling the ban as a restraint of trade. In response to continued discussions between the club and league, as well as lobbying by the AFLPA, the league further relaxed the trade restrictions for the Swans during the 2015 AFL Finals. The AFL changed the sanctions so that the Swans could replace a player that leaves the club as either a free agent, or through trade, with another player on a contract up to $450,000 per year. This allowed the Swans to trade for Callum Sinclair in a swap deal, as well as trade a late pick for out-of-contract defender, Michael Talia from the Western Bulldogs.

Club symbols

Guernsey

The jumper is white with a red back and a red yoke with a silhouette of the Sydney Opera House at the point of the yoke. The Opera House design was first used at the start of the 1987 season, replacing the traditional red "V" on white design. Until 1991, the back of the jumper was white with the yoke only extending to the back of the shoulders and each side of the jumper had a red vertical stripe. The current predominantly red design appeared at the start of the 1992 season. The club's major sponsor is QBE Insurance. In 2004 the club added the initials 'SMFC' in white lettering at the back of the collar to honour the club's past as South Melbourne Football Club. The move was welcomed by Melbourne-based fans. The clash guernsey is a predominantly white version of the home guernsey, including a white back, but it is rarely used, since Melbourne, Gold Coast and Brisbane are the only clubs with which there is a clash.

International Sports Clothing have manufactured the Swans' apparel since 2010, replacing long-time sponsor Puma SE.

Mascot

Syd 'Swannie' Skilton, Sydney Swans Mascot Manor mascot

The Sydney Swans' mascot for the AFL's Mascot Manor is Syd 'Swannie' Skilton. He is named after Swans legend Bob Skilton. The actual mascot at Sydney's home games is, however, still known as Cyggy (as in cygnet).

Supporter base

As the only AFL club in Sydney prior to the 2012 entry of Greater Western Sydney, the Swans have a large population base to draw on. In 2006, following the first premiership in 72 years, the club achieved a record membership and the biggest since 1999. There is still a healthy Melbourne following for the Swans, particularly a revival in the late 1990s. The club experiences good support when the team plays in Melbourne and many also make the long trip to Sydney for home games as well. The club recently celebrated in 2007 their 25th anniversary since relocating from South Melbourne, with parties hosted both in Sydney and their former home.

Some famous fans include movie star Nicole Kidman, singers Shannon Noll, Delta Goodrem, Australian band Human Nature, Australian duo The Presets, radio personalities Peter Stubbs and Adam Spencer, television personality Ian "Dicko" Dickson, media personalities Sandra Sully, Neil Cordy and John Mangos, former cricket legend Glenn McGrath, television presenter Tom Williams, musician Holly Throsby, politician Malcolm Turnbull, Philadelphia Eagles punter Mat McBriar, sports journalist Tony Squires, television actress Cornelia Frances and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, amongst others.

Year	Members	Finishing position²	Average Home crowd
1982		7th	15,993
1983		11th	12,025
1984	2,750	10th	12,497
1985	2,777	10th	10,137
1986	4,927	4th	25,819
1987	3,594	4th	22,032
1988	2,516	7th	12,311
1989	2,631	7th	12,317
1990	2,624	13th	9,178
1991	2,907	12th	11,521
1992	3,020	15th	9,881
1993	3,097	15th	9,423
1994	3,327	15th	9,813
1995	6,088	12th	15,949
1996	9,525	2nd	24,996
1997	22,109	7th	36,612
1998	31,089	5th	31,549
1999	31,175	8th	30,586
2000	30,177	10th	25,308
2001	28,022	7th	27,556
2002	27,755	11th	25,270
2003	21,270	3rd	32,244
2004	25,010	5th	30,964
2005	24,955	1st	31,516
2006	30,382	2nd	32,877¹
2007	28,764	7th	35,632¹
2008	26,721	6th	32,834
2009	26,269	12th	30,506
2010	28,671	5th	31,586
2011	27,106	6th	26,615
2012	29,873	1st	27,663
2013	36,358	4th	29,104
2014	40,126	2nd	32,579
2015	48,836	6th	32,217

¹following finals matches

Rivalries

Greater Western Sydney

The introduction of the GWS Giants to the AFL in 2012 has resulted in the formation of the Sydney Derby. The Swans compete against their cross-city rivals twice every season. The best performed player from every derby match is awarded the Brett Kirk Medal.

Hawthorn

The Swans have created a recent rivalry with Hawthorn due to the two teams contesting the 2012 and 2014 Grand Finals, with the Swans winning the 2012 Grand Final by 10 points. Hawthorn would, however, exact revenge and beat the Swans by 63 points. The signing of Lance Franklin by the Sydney Swans in 2013 only added fuel to the fire. Between the two clubs, they have won six premierships since 2005.

West Coast Eagles

See also: Sydney–West Coast AFL rivalry

Barry Hall and Darren Glass

The Swans developed a famous modern rivalry against the Perth-based West Coast Eagles between 2005 and 2007, when six consecutive games between the two teams, including two Qualifying Finals and two Grand Finals, were decided by less than a goal. The rivalry was highlighted by Sydney's four-point win against West Coast in the 2005 Grand Final, and West Coast's one-point win against Sydney in the 2006 Grand Final.

Brisbane Lions

Sydney and the Brisbane Lions have built up as strong rivalry, due to the sporting and political rivalry between the two state of Queensland and New South Wales

Prior to the entry of the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney football clubs in 2011 and 2012 respectively, the Swans shared a strong rivalry with the Brisbane Lions, based on the ongoing sporting and political rivalry between the two states New South Wales and Queensland. Between them, the two clubs have won five premierships since 2001.

St Kilda

The Swans share a historical rivalry with St Kilda which dates back to the club's time in South Melbourne. The rivalry was a local derby, as South Melbourne played at the Lake Oval on the opposite side of Melbourne's Albert Park Lake to St Kilda's old home ground, Junction Oval. Because the Swans and the Saints used to be towards the bottom of the ladder on a regular basis after the Second World War up until St Kilda's move away from the Junction Oval, clashes between both sides used to be played for the "Lake Premiership".

VFL and AFL premierships

Premiers

• 1909 (as South Melbourne) – defeated Carlton 4.14 (38) to 4.12 (36)
• 1918 (as South Melbourne) – defeated Collingwood 9.8 (62) to 7.15 (57)
• 1933 (as South Melbourne) – defeated Richmond 9.17 (71) to 4.5 (29)
• 2005 (as Sydney Swans) – defeated West Coast 8.10 (58) to 7.12 (54)
• 2012 (as Sydney Swans) – defeated Hawthorn 14.7 (91) to 11.15 (81)

Defeated in grand finals

• 1899 (as South Melbourne) – defeated by Fitzroy 3.9 (27) to 3.8 (26)
• 1907 (as South Melbourne) – defeated by Carlton 6.14 (50) to 6.9 (45)
• 1912 (as South Melbourne) – defeated by Essendon 5.17 (47) to 4.9 (33)
• 1914 (as South Melbourne) – defeated by Carlton 6.9 (45) to 4.15 (39)
• 1934 (as South Melbourne) – defeated by Richmond 19.14 (128) to 12.17 (89)
• 1935 (as South Melbourne) – defeated by Collingwood 11.12 (78) to 7.16 (58)
• 1936 (as South Melbourne) – defeated by Collingwood 11.23 (89) to 10.18 (78)
• 1945 (as South Melbourne) – defeated by Carlton 15.13 (103) to 10.15 (75)
• 1996 (as Sydney Swans) – defeated by North Melbourne 19.17 (131) to 13.10 (88); first grand final appearance after relocation
• 2006 (as Sydney Swans) – defeated by West Coast 12.13 (85) to 12.12 (84)
• 2014 (as Sydney Swans) – defeated by Hawthorn 21.11 (137) to 11.8 (74)

Players and staff

Current squad

Sydney Swans
Senior list						Rookie list		Coaching staff
1 James Rose 2 Alex Johnson 3 Jarrad McVeigh (c) 4 Daniel Hannebery 5 Isaac Heeney 6 Tom Mitchell 7 Harry Cunningham 8 Kurt Tippett 9 Abe Davis 10 Zak Jones 11 Jeremy Laidler 12 Josh Kennedy 13 Toby Nankervis 14 Callum Mills 15 Kieren Jack (c) 16 Gary Rohan 17 Jack Hiscox 18 Callum Sinclair 19 Tom Derickx		20 Sam Reid 21 Ben McGlynn 22 Dean Towers 23 Lance Franklin 24 Dane Rampe 25 Ted Richards 26 Luke Parker 27 Dan Robinson 29 George Hewett 30 Tyrone Leonardis 32 Michael Talia 33 Brandon Jack 34 Jordan Dawson 35 Sam Naismith 36 Aliir Aliir 39 Heath Grundy 40 Nicholas Smith 42 Xavier Richards 44 Jake Lloyd				28 Nic Newman 31 Harrison Marsh 38 Colin O'Riordan 41 Tom Papley 43 Lewis Melican 45 Jordan Foote (B) 46 Sam Murray 47 Kyle Galloway		Head coach John Longmire Assistant coaches Stuart Dew (senior assistant/midfield) Henry Playfair (defense) Josh Francou (stoppages) Brett Kirk (forwards) Steven Taubert (ruck) John Blakey (coaching director/head of development) Jared Crouch (senior development) Nick Davis (development) Rhyce Shaw (NEAFL coach) Legend: (c) Captain (vc) Vice captain Long-term injury list 8px Upgraded rookie(s) (vet) Veterans list (B) Category B rookie Updated: 29 November 2015 Source(s): Players, Coaching staff

Officials

• Chairman: Andrew Pridham
• Directors:
  • Andrew McMaster (Deputy chairman)
  • Rob Morgan
  • Alexandra Goodfellow
  • Greg Paramor
  • Robert Pascoe
  • Lynn Ralph
  • Brian Tyson
  • Brad Seymour
• Chief Executive: Andrew Ireland
• general manager – Football: Tom Harley
• Player Welfare & Development: Dennis Carroll

Reserves team

Main article: Australian Football League reserves affiliations

The Swans currently field a reserves team in the North East Australian Football League. Previously a reserves team was first created for South Melbourne in 1919 and continued to compete in the Victorian reserves competition until 1999 despite the team relocating to Sydney in 1982. The team enjoyed little success in the Victorian competition; it was the only reserves team never to win a premiership, and its best performances were losing Grand Finals in 1927, 1956 and 1980. In 2000 the Swans entered a reserves team in the Sydney AFL competition but withdrew prior to the finals series because the club felt the difference in standard was too greatly in favour of the Swans. Between 2001–2002 the Swans affiliated themselves with the Port Melbourne Football Club in the VFL while also starting a new stand-alone team named the Redbacks in the Sydney AFL competition. Little success resulted and the Swans entered a stand-alone reserves team in the AFL Canberra competition in 2003 which resulted in four consecutive premierships between 2005–2008. In 2011 the Swans reserves team joined the North East Australian Football League with the rest of the AFL Canberra competition and now have regular matches against AFL reserve teams from the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants. The team plays home games at the Sydney Cricket Ground and will often play as a curtain raiser to senior AFL games.

In 2011 the Swans reserves finished the home and away season with the Eastern Conference minor premiership. In the Eastern Conference Grand Final Ainslie caused a major upset when they defeated the Swans by 52 points. The team suffered the same fate in 2012 when Queanbeyan defeated them by 30 points in the Eastern Conference Grand Final.

Premierships (4)
Year	Competition	Opponent	Score	Venue
2005	AFL Canberra	Belconnen	12.8 (80) – 8.15 (63)	Manuka Oval
2006	AFL Canberra	Belconnen	10.16 (76) – 6.7 (43)	Manuka Oval
2007	AFL Canberra	Queanbeyan	18.14 (122) – 14.10 (94)	Manuka Oval
2008	AFL Canberra	Belconnen	11.4 (70) – 9.15 (69)	Manuka Oval

Runners-up (4)
Year	Competition	Opponent	Score	Venue
1927	VFL Reserves	Carlton	11.9 (75) – 12.22 (94)	MCG
1956	VFL Reserves	Melbourne	10.12 (72) – 16.14 (110)	MCG
1980	VFL Reserves	Geelong	19.12 (126) – 24.15 (159)	MCG
2013	NEAFL	Brisbane Lions	10.13 (73) – 12.9 (81)	Graham Rd Oval

^a Competed as South Melbourne.

Honour roll

Year	Posn	Coach	Captain	Best & Fairest	Leading goalkicker (goals)
1932		Johnny Leonard	Johnny Leonard	Bill Faul	Bob Pratt (71)
1933	1	Jack Bissett	Jack Bissett	Harry Clarke	Bob Pratt (109)
1934	2	Jack Bissett	Jack Bissett	Terry Brain	Bob Pratt (150)
1935	2	Jack Bissett	Jack Bissett	Ron Hillis	Bob Pratt (103)
1936	2	Jack Bissett	Jack Bissett	Herbie Matthews	Bob Pratt (64)
1937	9	Roy Cazaly	Laurie Nash	Herbie Matthews	Laurie Nash (37)
1938	12	Roy Cazaly	Herbie Matthews	Len Thomas	Roy Moore (34)
1939	12	Herbie Matthews	Herbie Matthews	Herbie Matthews	Bob Pratt (72)
1940	10	Herbie Matthews	Herbie Matthews	Herbie Matthews	Lou Reiffel (33)
1941	8	Joe Kelly	Herbie Matthews	Reg Ritchie	Jack Graham (33)
1942	3	Joe Kelly	Herbie Matthews	Jim Cleary	Lindsay White (80)
1943	8	Joe Kelly	Herbie Matthews	Herbie Matthews	Charlie Culph (35)
1944	7	Joe Kelly	Herbie Matthews	Jim Cleary	Ron Hartridge (31)
1945	2	William Adams	Herbie Matthews	Jack Graham	Laurie Nash (56)
1946	7	William Adams	Jack Graham	Bill Williams	Harry Mears (32)
1947	8	William Adams	Jack Graham	Bill Williams	Bill Williams (38)
1948	10	William Adams, Jack Hale	Jack Graham	Ron Clegg	Jack Graham (32)
1949	10	Jack Hale	Bert Lucas	Ron Clegg	Dick Jones (27)
1950	11	Gordon Lane	Gordon Lane	Bill Williams	Gordon Lane (47)
1951	8	Gordon Lane	Gordon Lane	Ron Clegg	Bill Williams (41)
1952	5	Gordon Lane	Gordon Lane	Keith Schaefer	Gordon Lane (33)
1953	8	Laurie Nash	Ron Clegg	Jim Taylor	Ian Gillett (34)
1954	10	Herbie Matthews	Ron Clegg	Eddie Lane	Eddie Lane (28)
1955	10	Herbie Matthews	Bill Gunn	Ian Gillett	Eddie Lane (36)
1956	9	Herbie Matthews	Ian Gillett	Jim Dorgan	Bill Gunn (28)
1957	10	Herbie Matthews	Ron Clegg	Jim Taylor	Fred Goldsmith (43)
1958	9	Ron Clegg	Ron Clegg	Bob Skilton	Max Oaten (34)
1959	9	Ron Clegg	Ron Clegg	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton (60)
1960	8	Bill Faul	Ron Clegg	Frank Johnson	Max Oaten (39)
1961	11	Bill Faul	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton	Brian McGowan (38)
1962	12	Noel McMahen	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton (36)
1963	11	Noel McMahen	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton (36)
1964	11	Noel McMahen	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton	Max Papley (25)
1965	8	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton	Bob Kingston (48)
1966	8	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton	Max Papley	Austin Robertson, Jr. (60)
1967	9	Alan Miller	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton	John Sudholz (35)
1968	9	Alan Miller	Bob Skilton	Bob Skilton	John Sudholz (36)
1969	9	Norm Smith	Bob Skilton	Peter Bedford	John Sudholz (35)
1970	4	Norm Smith	Bob Skilton	Peter Bedford	John Sudholz (62)
1971	12	Norm Smith	Bob Skilton	Peter Bedford	Peter Bedford (44)
1972	11	Norm Smith	John Rantall	Russell Cook	Peter Bedford (28)
1973	12	Graeme John	Peter Bedford	Peter Bedford	Peter Bedford (52)
1974	9	Graeme John	Peter Bedford	Norm Goss, Jr.	Norm Goss, Jr. (37)
1975	12	Graeme John	Peter Bedford	Peter Bedford	Graham Teasdale (38)
1976	8	Ian Stewart	Peter Bedford	Rick Quade	Robert Dean (37)
1977	5	Ian Stewart	Rick Quade	Graham Teasdale	Graham Teasdale (38)
1978	8	Des Tuddenham	Rick Quade	John Murphy	John Murphy (31)
1979	10	Ian Stewart	Rick Quade	Barry Round	Tony Morwood (56)
1980	6	Ian Stewart	Barry Round	David Ackerly	John Roberts (67)
1981	9	Ian Stewart	Barry Round	Barry Round	John Roberts (51)
19821	7	Rick Quade	Barry Round	David Ackerly	Tony Morwood (45)
1983	11	Rick Quade	Barry Round	Mark Browning	Craig Braddy (48)
1984	10	Rick Quade, Bob Hammond	Barry Round, Mark Browning	Bernie Evans	Warwick Capper (39)
1985	10	John Northey	Mark Browning	Stephen Wright	Warwick Capper (45)
1986	4	Tom Hafey	Dennis Carroll	Gerard Healy	Warwick Capper (92)
1987	4	Tom Hafey	Dennis Carroll	Gerard Healy	Warwick Capper (103)
1988	7	Tom Hafey	Dennis Carroll	Gerard Healy	Barry Mitchell (35)
1989	7	Col Kinnear	Dennis Carroll	Mark Bayes	Bernard Toohey (27)
1990	13	Col Kinnear	Dennis Carroll	Stephen Wright	Jim West (34)
1991	12	Col Kinnear	Dennis Carroll	Barry Mitchell	Jason Love (52)
1992	15	Gary Buckenara	Dennis Carroll	Paul Kelly	Simon Minton-Connell (60)
1993	15	Gary Buckenara, Brett Scott, Ron Barassi	Paul Kelly	Paul Kelly	Simon Minton-Connell (41)
1994	15	Ron Barassi	Paul Kelly	Daryn Creswell	Simon Minton-Connell (68)
1995	12	Ron Barassi	Paul Kelly	Tony Lockett	Tony Lockett (110)
1996	2	Rodney Eade	Paul Kelly	Paul Kelly	Tony Lockett (121)
1997	7	Rodney Eade	Paul Kelly	Paul Kelly	Tony Lockett (37)
1998	5	Rodney Eade	Paul Kelly	Michael O'Loughlin	Tony Lockett (109)
1999	8	Rodney Eade	Paul Kelly	Wayne Schwass	Tony Lockett (82)
2000	10	Rodney Eade	Paul Kelly	Andrew Schauble	Michael O'Loughlin (53)
2001	7	Rodney Eade	Paul Kelly	Paul Williams	Michael O'Loughlin (35)
2002	11	Rodney Eade, Paul Roos	Paul Kelly	Paul Williams	Barry Hall (55)
2003	4	Paul Roos	Stuart Maxfield	Adam Goodes	Barry Hall (64)
2004	5	Paul Roos	Stuart Maxfield	Barry Hall	Barry Hall (74)
2005	1	Paul Roos	Stuart Maxfield²	Brett Kirk	Barry Hall (80)
2006	2	Paul Roos	Barry Hall, Brett Kirk and Leo Barry	Adam Goodes	Barry Hall (78)
2007	7	Paul Roos	Barry Hall, Brett Kirk and Leo Barry	Brett Kirk	Barry Hall (44)
2008	6	Paul Roos	Brett Kirk, Leo Barry and Craig Bolton	Jarrad McVeigh	Barry Hall (41)
2009	12	Paul Roos	Brett Kirk, Adam Goodes and Craig Bolton	Ryan O'Keefe	Adam Goodes (38)
2010	5	Paul Roos	Brett Kirk, Adam Goodes and Craig Bolton	Kieren Jack	Adam Goodes (44)
2011	6	John Longmire	Adam Goodes and Jarrad McVeigh	Adam Goodes	Adam Goodes (41)
2012	1	John Longmire	Adam Goodes and Jarrad McVeigh	Josh Kennedy	Lewis Jetta (45)
2013	4	John Longmire	Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh	Jarrad McVeigh	Kurt Tippett (35)
2014	2	John Longmire	Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh	Luke Parker	Lance Franklin (79)

¹: Relocated to Sydney
²: Six rounds into the 2005 season, Stuart Maxfield ended his playing career due to chronic injury. Six players rotated as captain throughout the rest of the season: Brett Kirk (Rounds 7, 8, 19 and 20), Leo Barry (Rounds 9, 10, 21 and 22), Barry Hall (Rounds 11, 12 and the entire finals series), Ben Mathews (Rounds 13 and 14), Adam Goodes (Rounds 15 and 16) and Jude Bolton (Rounds 17 and 18).

Team records

For the records of every player to play for the club, see List of Sydney Swans players.

• Most games – Adam Goodes (372)
• Most goals – Bob Pratt (681)
• Most goals in match – Tony Lockett (16), Round 19, 1995 v Fitzroy at Western Oval
• Most goals in a season – Bob Pratt (150) in 1934
• Most games coached – Paul Roos (202)
• Highest score – 36.20 (236) vs Essendon 11.7 (73), Round 17, 1987
• Lowest score – South Melbourne 0.5 (5) vs Carlton 3.6 (24), Round 8, 1899
• Lowest score since 1919 – South Melbourne 1.9 (15) vs Geelong 8.9 (57), Round 16, 1964
• Highest losing score – South Melbourne 24.10 (154) vs Melbourne 24.23 (167), Round 1, 1979
• Lowest winning score – South Melbourne 2.3 (15) vs Melbourne 1.7 (13), Round 6, 1898
• Lowest winning score since 1919 – South Melbourne 4.15 (39) vs Fitzroy 4.12 (36), Round 4, 1919
  • Since 1920 – South Melbourne 5.11 (41) vs St. Kilda 5.9 (39), Round 16, 1948
• Greatest Winning Margin – (171 points) – South Melbourne 29.15 (189) vs St. Kilda 2.6 (18), Round 12, 1919
• Greatest Losing Margin – (165 points) – South Melbourne 2.7 (19) vs Essendon 28.16 (184), Round 18, 1964

As of 2015, the Sydney Swans have not lost a match by more than 100 points since Round 10, 1998.

Individual awards

Best and Fairest

See Bob Skilton Medal

Brownlow Medal winners

Despite its lack of success, South Melbourne/Sydney has provided more Brownlow Medal winners (14) than any other club.

South Melbourne

• Herbie Matthews (1940)
• Ron Clegg (1949)
• Fred Goldsmith (1955)
• Bob Skilton (1959, 1963 & 1968)
• Peter Bedford (1970)
• Graham Teasdale (1977)
• Barry Round (1981) (co-winner)

Sydney

• Greg Williams (1986 co-winner)
• Gerard Healy (1988)
• Paul Kelly (1995)
• Adam Goodes (2003 co-winner & 2006)

Norm Smith Medal winners

The Norm Smith Medal is awarded to the player judged best-on-ground in the AFL Grand Final:

• Ryan O'Keefe (2012)

Leigh Matthews Trophy winners

• Gerard Healy (1988)

Coleman Medal winners

• Tony Lockett (1996, 1998)
• Lance Franklin (2014)

AFL Rising Star winners

• Adam Goodes (1999)
• Dan Hannebery (2010)

Mark of the Year winners

• Warwick Capper (1986, 1987)

Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees

• Bob Skilton (Legend)
• Roy Cazaly (Legend)
• Bob Pratt (Legend)
• Tony Lockett (Legend)
• Herbie Matthews
• Mark Tandy
• Vic Belcher
• Laurie Nash
• Ron Clegg
• Peter Bedford
• John Rantall
• Barry Round
• Greg Williams
• Gerard Healy
• Paul Roos
• Paul Kelly
• Michael O'Loughlin
• Austin Robertson Jr.

Team of the Century

Sydney announced its team of the century on 8 August 2003:

Sydney Swans Team of the Century
B:	John Rantall	John Heriot	Vic Belcher
HB:	Bill Faul	Ron Clegg	Dennis Carroll
C:	David Murphy	Greg Williams	Herbie Matthews
HF:	Tony Morwood	Laurie Nash	Gerard Healy
F:	Bob Pratt	Tony Lockett	Paul Kelly (Vice-Captain)
Foll:	Barry Round	Peter Bedford	Bob Skilton (Captain)
Int:	Bill Williams	Stephen Wright	Daryn Cresswell
	Fred Goldsmith	Mark Bayes	Harry Clarke, Mark Tandy
Coach:	Jack Bissett

Corporate

Administration

Directors:

• Andrew Pridham chairman (2013–present)
• Jason Ball
• Andrew McMaster
• Robert Morgan
• Greg Paramor
• Rob Pascoe
• Lynn Ralph
• Brian Tyson

CEOs:

• Andrew Ireland (Current)
• Myles Baron-Hay (2004–2009)
• Phil Mullen
• Colin Seery
• Kelvin Templeton
• Jordan Sembel

Supported charities

• Wally Jackson Research Fund
• Sydney Australian Football Foundation (SAFF)

Media Coverage

Print

The Sydney Swans receive regular exposure from Sydney's two major daily newspapers, The Daily Telegraph, the Sydney Morning Herald and their respective counterpart publications, The Sunday Telegraph and The Sun-Herald. Articles about the Swans can occasionally be found in local community newspapers, free magazines and Sydney street press publications.

Radio

The Sydney Swans are sponsored by radio station Triple M which broadcasts all of its games, including finals, live. Occasionally, 702 ABC Sydney may cover Swans matches if they are played on a Saturday afternoon, regardless of where they are playing. If they play in Sydney during that time schedule, appropriately 702 ABC Sydney will cover the match. Matches played at other times and days are broadcast on the ABC NewsRadio station's analogue AM/FM frequencies for listeners in Sydney, Newcastle, the NSW Central Coast and Canberra. Most Swans matches can be heard by listeners in the Riverina region of N.S.W. via the ABC Riverina – Wagga Wagga (2RVR) service, on the 675 AM frequency. Match coverage can be heard anywhere in the world via live streaming at the official AFL website or by downloading the AFL app for smartphones such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy.

Television

From 2002 – 2011 Network Ten would televise all Swans games played in Melbourne and outside of N.S.W. live, but on a half-hour delay when played in Sydney for Sydney viewers and via affiliated stations in N.S.W and Canberra. In past and recent years the Seven Network would broadcast Swans games to viewers in Sydney and most of N.S.W. and Canberra via the Prime TV network (now branded as Prime7). Matches were telecast either live, on a 30–90-minute delayed broadcast or late-night replay. Commencing 2002 all their games were broadcast live or on same day delay by Subscription television provider Foxtel across Australia on either the Fox Footy Channel or Fox Sports channels.

From 2012 – 2016, the AFL commenced a new broadcast deal requiring the Seven Network and their affiliate station Prime7 to broadcast all Sydney Swans (and Greater Western Sydney Giants) games live to viewers in Sydney and most of regional New South Wales and Canberra. These games are screened on the 7mate channel in these regions. Foxtel also signed a new broadcast deal for the 2012 – 2016 seasons which included screening all AFL matches (including all Swans games) live across Australia on their Fox Sports and Fox Footy channels.

See also

• List of former and current Swans' players' entries
• List of South Melbourne/Sydney Football Club coaches (includes their W/L records)
• Australian rules football in New South Wales
• Lake Oval – former home of the Swans
• North East Australian Football League – Sydney Swans reserves fields a team in this competition.

External links

• Official website of the AFL
• Official website of the Sydney Swans Football Club
• "Around the Grounds" web documentary about the Lakeside Oval

Preceded by Carlton Collingwood Richmond Port Adelaide Geelong

VFL/AFL Premiers 1909 1918 1933 2005 2012

Succeeded by Collingwood Collingwood Richmond West Coast Hawthorn

South Melbourne/Sydney Swans VFL/AFL Premiership Teams