How’s this for a fact, since 2003 the Sydney Swans have only missed the finals once, in 2009. They are the only side who have achieved that.

They also have won two premierships in that time, in 2005 and 2012.

Have they been lucky in achieving what they have? Not at all. Only now people have started to take notice of how the Swans win games playing sensible, percentage, and pressure football.

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They have been doing this for years, even without someone who can kick a bag every few weeks (Barry Hall and Daniel Bradshaw aside).

Sure it helps knowing you have someone who can have a big presence up forward but they can survive without one and still win enough games to make the finals.

They don’t have a huge superstar onballer who takes over the game every week, they have players who do well for their system of contested ball, high defensive pressure and accountability required to take down teams who have more ‘talented’ players, like Hawthorn in last year’s decider.

They were the trendsetters in lots of contested ball and multiple stoppages since 2005. Funnily enough Ross Lyon, who has had St Kilda and Fremantle play like this, was a Swans midfield coach under former coach Paul Roos from 2004-2007.

Since it started it came under fire but it has its positives and since then has become a big part of AFL football.

Of course the Swans have needed not only the right players for this to work but players with the right attitude, which comes under ‘you will find your way in the system or out of the system’. in other words no immature or silly people.



You only have to look at some players with attitude over the years – like Jason Akermanis, Aaron Edwards and Brendon Fevola – to see how they can create problems at clubs and possibly careers.

The Sydney Swans cleaned out Barry Hall after giving him a second chance following the Brent Staker punch but he became too much to handle so it was over for his Swans journey.

The Swans are a second chance club though, having done really well with picking up players whose original clubs did not want.

Josh Kennedy, Shane Mumford, Ben Mcglynn, Ted Richards, Mitch Morton, Craig Bolton, Rhyce Shaw, Barry Hall, Daniel Bradshaw, Kurt Tippett, Andrejs Everitt, Martin Mattner, Mark Seaby, Peter Everitt and Tony Armstrong are players who most have had success or at least played a decent role for the Swans.

Once you walk in however you have to earn the respect of your fellow teammates to stay in the Swans group. They have leaders that command respect already and make smart decisions, both on and off the field, like Adam Goodes, Ryan O’Keefe, Jared Mcveigh, Jude Bolton and Nick Malceski.

You rarely hear about the Swans in Sydney causing trouble at nightclubs or being arrogant. Some people say it’s because AFL is not popular there like it is in Melbourne, and that has something to do with it, but the Sydney Swans are like one big family that bleeds red and white success.

They want to follow team rules and be the bench mark for each other and the rest of the competition, they have always known they do not have the strongest list on paper but they continue to churn out results and stick to their values at all costs.

This has bonded the football club together since its darker days in the 80s and 90s.



They have had the right people being around since Paul Roos started out and eventually gave the coaching baton to John Longmire after years of observing what the Sydney Swans are about.

They play with a passion to follow the Swans way all the time, play the percentages, tackle, win the contested ball, know who your man is and always keep your head up, no matter what the score is.

Only now has the football world really woken up to what Sydney do week in and week out every year. Is it a surprise at how consistent they have been, despite playing in the eras of some great sides like the Brisbane Lions, West Coast, Geelong and Hawthorn? No.

Since the Start of 2003 to the beginning of Round 15 this year (including finals matches) overall they have won 163 matches, drawn four and lost 100 matches.

The results speak for themselves.