Opinion
Why all-Sydney grand final is what AFL deserves and needs
Jonathan Drennan
Sports ReporterSeptember is hailed as the most wonderful time of the year in the AFL, yet in the first week of finals, most of the contests were over long before the final siren sounded.
Four games were served up in week one, and it was left to Sydney to provide a single main course worthy of finals status. Geelong brutally took apart Port Adelaide by 84 points, Hawthorn comfortably quelled the Bulldogs by 37 points and Brisbane led Carlton by a remarkable 60-0 late in the second quarter, before moving down the gears to win by a cool 28 points.
At the SCG on Saturday, the contrast was stark. A six-point thriller played out between two intense rivals showcased everything good about the game. In 2016, the Giants came within six points of beating the Bulldogs in their preliminary final to join the Swans in the grand final.
Eight years on, an all-Sydney grand final has never been more needed. Here’s why.
Familiarity has bred contempt
Despite growing up in the same household, siblings often have directly opposite personalities, which ultimately leads to division and tension. Sitting at the same dinner table together becomes difficult.
The Giants must do things differently to the Swans. They do not have the benefit of years of history and tirelessly spreading the gospel of AFL in a market dominated by generations of rugby league, rugby union and soccer fans.
Toby Greene and the Giants have had to do things differently to their well-heeled city rivals.Credit: AFL Photos
On the field, the Giants have built up one of the most talented rosters in the league, with foundation players like captain Toby Greene and Stephen Coniglio.
These players remember their first days arriving at the club and having meetings at Rooty Hill RSL about what the AFL’s new boys could one day become. Now they have an elite squad that can compete with anyone, and will be sickened at throwing away the opportunity of beating the Swans in the first week of finals.
The confrontation between Swans forward Tom Papley and Greene at the end of the first quarter was the spark needed to make that match explode. The rivalry is not just for the marketing department of the AFL, it is real and heated, leading to thrilling clashes every time they face off in the finals.
Braeden Campbell celebrates scoring a goal against the Giants.Credit: Getty Images
Comic book heroes ready to inspire NSW
In the third quarter, the Swans were looking for inspiration to keep in the contest, and as usual, Isaac Heeney came and delivered with a spectacular mark on the shoulders of Giants defender Jack Buckley.
Sydney’s Isaac Heeney takes a spectacular mark against GWS.Credit: AAP
Buckley showed remarkable sportsmanship and reflexes to grab Heeney’s arm as he hurtled towards the ground, at risk of breaking his arm – or worse, his neck. Heeney was quick to acknowledge Buckley’s action after the game.
Both men are products of NSW, Heeney the young man from Newcastle who could have played elite soccer, cricket or rugby league but found his calling at the Swans academy.
Buckley grew up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and was also in the Swans academy, before falling out of love with the game and turning to basketball.
After school, he slowly found his way back to his first love through Sydney club football at UNSW and eventually earned a slot in the Giants squad as a category B rookie in late 2017. Heeney and Buckley have walked different paths to become valued mainstays in their teams, and represent the possibility of inspiring the next generation of NSW locals to follow in their path into the AFL.
Their differences make them more attractive together
The Giants and Swans have different strengths and weaknesses. The Giants arguably have a better-balanced team overall, with a solid defence marshalled by Buckley and Sam Taylor and a forward line led by Coleman Medallist Jesse Hogan.
The Giants rely on ferocious pressure and tackling to unsettle opponents, and it very nearly worked against the Swans, with academy product Tom Green hoovering up possession for most of the game.
The Swans often need to call upon their vaunted combination of Heeney, Errol Gulden and Chad Warner to spark life into their team after a trademark slow start, triggering a thrilling comeback that keeps the stadium on edge throughout the contest. They have also recruited extremely smartly, bringing in veteran ruckman Brodie Grundy to extract the full potential of the midfield.
In boxing, they say you need a good dance partner to form a great rivalry. The Swans and Giants may not love having their dance card stamped together, but when they do, especially in finals, they provide contests that remind us of the brilliance of Australian football. It is impossible to separate them.
The Giants and Swans face off at the SCG.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
The road to the MCG
There is still a very long and arduous path to the grand final for the AFL’s Sydney contingent. On Saturday, the Giants play host to a Brisbane team turbocharged by Dayne Zorko and Hugh McCluggage.
If the Giants get through the Lions, they then have to work out how to beat the evergreen Geelong team, with Patrick Dangerfield reminding us that his class and ability to turn a game is permanent. The Swans will await the victor of a shattered Port Adelaide and a resurgent Hawthorn, before taking them on under the Friday night lights of the SCG in the preliminary final.
There is no easy way to the MCG in the last week of September, but the prospect of the first all-Sydney grand final remains incredibly compelling for fans of both clubs and neutrals.
The product on the field is perfect, the simmering rivalry will move into a blaze and, more importantly for the code, there is a golden opportunity to grow the game across NSW like never before.
The Swans and the Giants could have the opportunity of a second date in September in far grander surroundings than before, but it is up to both clubs to make this unlikely dream become a reality.
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