As we inch towards the 13th edition of the Sydney Derby, it’s worth taking a moment to understand the story so far between the GIANTS and the Swans.
When the GIANTS entered the competition in 2012, the Swans were already at the top of the tree and went on to win the premiership that year, upsetting Hawthorn in one of the best Grand Finals of the modern era.
While the GIANTS languished at the bottom of the ladder, winning just three games in the first two season, the Swans were the toast of the town (and the football world) as they went from strength to strength.
The GIANTS were bashed every time they took on the Swans and round 16, 2013 was a low point as the Swans piled on 24 goals to defeat the GIANTS by 129-points in the expansion club’s first ever outing at the SCG.
Many questioned where the new kids on the block were heading following that defeat, with the GIANTS labelled the ugly step sister of football north of the Murray.
But didn’t that all change quickly the next time they two teams met in round one, 2014 following a busy off-season for both clubs based in the harbour city.
With hulking ruckman Shane Mumford having traded in the red and white of the Swans for the orange and charcoal of the GIANTS and high priced recruit Buddy Franklin partnering with Kurt Tippett in the Swans forward line, many expected the pain to continue for the Western Sydney club.
But with Leon Cameron at the helm for the first time, and a freak thunderstorm hitting Spotless Stadium, it was the competition's new-comers that announced their arrival on the AFL stage by overrunning the Swans by 32 points.
The Swans took back control of the White Ribbon Cup (that the two clubs play for in support of Australia’s only national, male led campaign to end violence against women) later that year and held it until mid 2016 when the GIANTS capped off their 100th game in the league with a convincing 42 point win in front of a full house at Spotless Stadium.
This was the same night that for Swan-turned-GIANT Paul Waterhouse won $100,000 via the Toyo Tires Kick for Cash competition, but that’s another story all together.
The rivalry reached new heights later in 2016 when the GIANTS lined up against their cross-town rivals in their first-ever final in front of a crowd of more than 60,000 at ANZ Stadium.
The GIANTS were at their scintillating best that day, running out winners by 36 points to see them advance straight to the preliminary final.
There was plenty of niggle in that game from both sides, with the game itself, the characters involved and the venue all adding an intriguing chapter to the history of the derby.
The only derby of 2017 so far saw the GIANTS fail to touch the footy until the Swans had already piled on four goals.
In front of a hostile crowd at the SCG, the GIANTS showed a new-found maturity to settle and work their way into the game before eventually winning by 42 points.
There is so much on the line this Saturday night for both teams. The Swans are in the eight for the first time, while the GIANTS are desperate for a win after back-to-back draws.
“It is real now,” said coach Leon Cameron on Monday when reflecting on the rivalry.
“There has been layers added to it each year I think and the main one is that we’ve stepped up to the mark and started playing a more consistent brand and it’ll be real on Saturday.
“When the 22 run out against each other, there will not be a lot of love between each other and both sides are striving to get the four points that everyone wants every weekend.”
Be there for Sydney Derby XIII – you don’t want to miss what happens next.
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