The Swans have overcome a week plagued by a scandal that saw five players suspended, plunging the club to its lowest depths, to defy the critics for an incredible win against North Melbourne.
Such was the 17.21 (123) to 10.10 (70) win that it brought their inspirational captain Callum Mills to tears, after bravely facing the media scrutiny of a scandal that failed the behavioural standards of his club and the community.
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Round 24
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“I’m so grateful for the fans sticking with us,” a teary Mills told Fox Footy.
And the Swans did not just win. They ran away with victory by 53 points.
After Dean Cox admitted he hadn’t looked at the football aspect of his role on Friday, the Swans produced a miracle of sorts.
Missing the suspended vice-captain Isaac Heeney, Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Chad Warner, the Swans got off to a fast start in the first quarter to lead by 20 points and were never really headed.
The loss of Heeney, Warner and Blakey was of most concern given their All-Australian credentials, but a strategy of rotating the likes of Angus Sheldrick, Tom Papley, Jai Serong and Callum Mills through the midfield worked the oracle.
To underline the inexperience of the side that ran out onto the SCG against the Kangaroos, the first five goalscorers for the Swans each had played less than 10 AFL games this season.
Caiden Cleary, Jesse Dattoli, Tom Hanily, Billy Cootee and Braeden Campbell combined had played 27 matches. Heeney and Warner alone played 44.
There was a walk-out of some fans after the first match of the inaugural double-header with the Swans AFLW, but those that remained witnessed an understrength Swans humble North Melbourne heading into finals, finishing second on the ladder.
And at the final siren, a cheer of “Sydney, Sydney” had the hairs on the back of the neck standing on end of anyone in the ground.
“We came here not knowing what we would get and in many respects the crowd has stayed on to watch (an impressive win),” Gerard Healy commented on Fox Footy.
The two wins for both Sydney sides showed the ‘united’ front discussed so much during the week.
Earlier, club greats, including Jude Bolton, Ryan O’Keefe and officials led by CEO Matt Pavlich, embraced the AFLW women’s team win for more than just the football club. And the same could be said of the men’s team.
A visibly frustrated Alastair Clarkson, who was hoping for the same sort of final-round performance his side produced against Adelaide last year, which created the impetus for nine wins in 2026 and their highest finish since 2019.
He was left with his head in his hands during the match as the Kangaroos missed a golden opportunity to make it 10 wins given the stars missing for Sydney.
Something was missing all match, and it may have been the obvious, with 21-year-old star Harry Sheezel not in Sydney pending surgery on his fractured cheekbone. Averaging more than 30 disposals, the closest a North player came on Sunday was Luke Parker with 26.
THE 3-2-1 (what we learned) …
3. ‘UNBELIEVABLE’: STARS CAN’T HOLD BACK TEARS AS SWANS DO CLUB PROUD
The eyes of the footy world were on the Sydney Swans on Sunday afternoon, after a tumultuous week headlined by heavy scrutiny.
But given the circumstances, there wasn’t a lot more they could have done to repay their fans’ faith and inspire hopes that their premiership chances aren’t dead.
Without the Swans Five for the rest of the season, most pundits ruled Sydney out of premiership contention despite two upcoming home finals.
But with Errol Gulden and Brodie Grundy still waxing in the middle of the ground, and bright signs in the forward half from young guns like Jesse Dattoli and Billy Cootee, the Swans might still be able to do damage in the finals.
“It’s a pretty impressive performance by the Swans,” said 1988 Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy on Fox Footy.
“(They’ve been) unbelievable. I didn’t think they’d win, coming into today. I thought they’d be a little bit too affected.
“But they’ve been anything but. It’s been a terrific representation from the club, the group.”
As the final siren rubber-stamped the Swans’ 53-point win, the 30,000-strong SCG crowd rose to their feet to raucously applaud their team.
Emotional skipper Callum Mills looked back at the crowd with thanks as his teammates celebrated, while superstar Gulden couldn’t hold back his tears.
“They’re on their feet at the SCG,” Fox commentator Jess Webster described. “They haven’t shied away from this venue this afternoon.
“And look at Callum Mills, here … very emotional scenes here at the SCG (after) what has been a dark and very difficult week for the football club.
“The deeper conversations will continue, but for now, they found a football response this afternoon, and they gave their fans something to believe in.”
Gerard Healy added: “Some will make a story of the three or four people who left with placards — the story is the people who are here, the people who are clapping, and the performance of the team.”
Speaking post-game, Mills could barely put his emotions into words.
“I don’t know, to be honest. I’m so grateful for our fans to stick with us, and how we stayed so united as a club this week. I’m really proud of that,” he said.
“They (the fans) do it for us every week, but this week felt a little bit extra special.”
2. BRUTAL SWAN-ROO COLLISION THAT TOLD IMPORTANT TALE
It was the heart-in-mouth moment with mere minutes remaining in the game that prompted several thoughts.
When Sydney’s Tom Hanily clattered into a vulnerable Dylan Stephens to spoil the ball in the Swans’ defensive 50, the first thought was for the Kangaroo’s wellbeing.
After having his head incidentally knocked hard into the SCG turf, Stephens looked dazed before making his way from the ground with help from trainers.
“Hanily, over the top, punches it emphatically over the line! He’s taken out Stephens as well,” Jess Webster said in commentary.
Alastair Lynch said: “(He got) hit hard … (Stephens) goes back with the flight of the ball, which is always a nervewracking moment. Hanily comes over the top; good spoil.”
Gerard Healy added: “Courage from both players, there.”
The next thought was for the possible Match Review ramifications for Hanily, if Stephens was in fact concussed. But upon replay, it quickly became clear the 21-year-old’s eyes were only for the ball.
The final thought was for the admirable level of desperation shown by the fringe Swan in what was a meaningless — in the wider context — scenario.
With the result far beyond doubt at the SCG, in a game that didn’t have any ladder ramifications for Sydney, there would have been little expectation of Hanily to go airborne and risk his own safety to desperately spoil.
But there are suddenly spots up for grabs in Dean Cox’s finals-bound team.
Hanily was one of five Sydney inclusions at selection on Friday night, and he can sniff a firm spot in this team.
Because, with two home finals upcoming, Cox and his coaching staff need lesser likes to step up if the Swans are to still challenge in September.
Hanily, a Gippsland Power product taken in the 2024 midseason draft, kicked 1.2 from 13 disposals with five score involvements and four tackles in a modest statline.
But it’s team-first efforts such as that fourth-quarter spoil that will have Cox’s match committee taking considerable notice.
And Hanily wasn’t the only unsung Swan to step up to the plate on Sunday.
Nine-gamer Billy Cootee kicked three goals from 16 possessions and had six score involvements, while emerging young forward Jesse Dattoli tallied 21 disposals, eight score involvements, a goal and three clearances.
This is a deep Swans team, and even without Heeney, Warner, Blakey, Jordon and Bice, they still have options to consider for the postseason.
‘CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN’: COX ON PRE-GAME MESSAGE TO PLAYERS
Speaking to Fox Footy’s Alexia Pesce pre-game, senior coach Dean Cox gave an insight into the team’s preparation for Sunday.
“It’s been a really tough week. From our point of view, now, it’s about ‘control what you can’,” Cox said.
“We’ve looked at North in the last couple of days, and hopefully the boys put in a strong effort.
“I feel ready now. I spent the last day and a half looking at them, (and) I’ve got assistants behind me who’ve spent a lot of time on the way that North have played.
“We’ve tried to pass that onto our players, and hopefully they can execute.”
Fox Footy commentary commentator Jess Webster said pre-game: “It certainly has been a difficult week, and at the heart of it is a serious allegation and police investigation that we must respect.
“The Sydney Football Club won’t resolve the events of this week in four quarters of football out there.
“But they can take a positive step in the right direction to try and restore some pride and respect in this football club today.”
Sydney Swans Hall of Famer and 1988 Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy was “angered” by the week’s revelation after the “full gamut of emotions”.
“It’s been one of the tougher weeks, I’ve got to say, both for the Swans and for footy,” Healy said.
“You run through the full gamut of emotions. Initially just total disbelief, and then concern for the alleged victims, and then, really, anger set in.
“Lost opportunity for the club, the players, the supporters, and ultimately, sadness.
“But I’ve got to say, I was buoyed last night when I saw that Swans chairman Andrew Pridham had declared that he is going to call for a club review into the incident, to see how they can get better as a club, the role they played in it, and where they got it wrong.
“They’re going to review it as a club and own it as a club.”
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