SWANS captain Jarrad McVeigh has added fire to the bad blood between the Swans and Giants, saying the AFL's newest team has been disrespectful to the Swans and not earned the right to talk as confidently as it has done.

Ahead of the fourth Sydney derby, at the SCG on Sunday, McVeigh said the Swans had been looking forward to their second clash with the Giants this season following the bitter aftermath to the Swans' 30-point win at ANZ Stadium in Round 1.

McVeigh said the Swans have not forgotten Giants chief executive Dave Matthews' comments labelling the Swans an inaccessible team and accusing them of failing to promote the sport in Sydney.

"It definitely made our radar," McVeigh said.

"For the AFL to put two teams in this city means we've done something for the game over the past 30 years.



"So those comments are very interesting, but the facts are we've done a lot for the growth of the game and for GWS also. We know what it's all about, but maybe that's just them trying to get their name in the paper."

What appeared to start as a staged rivalry has boiled over into something very real, with genuine dislike between the two cross-town camps.

When asked if the Giants had been disrespectful to the Swans, McVeigh said: "Yeah, probably.

"We'll talk about the facts of what we've already done and they can just talk.

"We know what we do as players, like we've done for so many years, and try to spread the word of AFL in this city and the Sydney Swans. That's what we're always trying to do. Build the code and build the brand of the Swans."

Swans players are also understood to have been less than impressed with Giants players' attempts to sledge their cross-town rivals during the physical round one clash.

"They are known as being chirpy out on the field," McVeigh said.

"I guess if you're going to do that you have to back it up and they do back it up. They've been playing quite well.

"Within the four walls of our footy club, we are really keen to get this game under way.

"We knew they would have a crack. They're a talented team. The games we've played against them have been really contested games, high tackles, hard at the ball."

Swans coach John Longmire also labelled Matthews' claims as "disrespectful" earlier this year before they spoke over the phone to clear the air.

Former Swans coach Paul Roos and Giants coach Kevin Sheedy have also butted heads this season, with Sheedy labelling Roos the "Kleenex Kid" over a column Roos wrote in The Daily Telegraph rubbishing the Giants' attempts to call the rivalry the Battle of the Bridge.



The Swans have not lost to the Giants in their three clashes in the AFL, but lost a pre-season clash at Blacktown earlier this year.

Despite admitting friction exists between the two camps, McVeigh said his teammates will put no more effort into winning this week than they did against the Demons last week or their clash with West Coast in Perth in the next round.



"I'm sure in a few years we'll have some good battles," he said.

Originally published as McVeigh stirs up harbour city feud