From the wave of talented youngsters rolling through to the 300-game milestone of star forward Lance Franklin, Sydney Swans fans have plenty to look forward to as the 2019 campaign draws near.
The 2019 season will also play host to the growing Sydney Derby rivalry, highly cherished Marn Grook at the SCG and annual Pride Game.
Set out below is just some of the highlights of the Swans’ 2019 campaign.
Young guns emerging
Oliver Florent, Will Hayward, Ben Ronke and a host of other youngsters have in recent times announced themselves to the footy world – and a wealth of excitement again surrounds the emerging generation of star Swans on the cusp of the 2019 season. Florent and Ronke both claimed 2018 AFL Rising Star nominations, and five Swans in Ronke, Tom McCartin, Ryley Stoddart, Colin O’Riordan and Darcy Cameron last year made their senior debuts. Seven draftees have recently begun AFL journeys of their own, with Nick Blakey, James Rowbottom, Justin McInerney and Zac Foot signing at the AFL Draft, before Durak Tucker, Harry Reynolds and Sam Wicks signed as rookies.
Buddy Franklin reaching 300-game milestone
Franklin is a two-time premiership-winner, four-time Coleman Medallist and sits eighth on the all-time VFL/AFL goal-kicking leaderboard – and the 31-year-old will tick off another landmark milestone when he runs out for his 300th match in 2019. The towering forward is on track to bring up a triple century as Sydney meets Collingwood in Marn Grook at the SCG in Round 10. Franklin piled up 182 games and 580 goals in Hawthorn colours, and he’s stacked up 108 matches and 337 majors in red and white.
Callum Mills and Sam Naismith return
Two key Sydney cogs will return to action in 2019 in defender Callum Mills and ruckman Sam Naismith. Mills played the opening nine games of the Swans’ 2018 campaign before a broken foot ruled him out for the remainder of the season, while a season-ending ACL rupture rubbed out Naismith on the eve of Round 1. Mills is expected to play alongside youngsters Jake Lloyd and Zak Jones at half-back as well as rotate through the midfield, while Naismith, Callum Sinclair and Darcy Cameron will cover the ruck duties.
A new home
Construction of the future home of the red and white, the Sydney Swans HQ and Community Centre, will get underway in 2019. The development will see the Swans remain in Moore Park in the long term after they recently committed to restore and preserve Sydney’s iconic Royal Hall of Industries building. The centre will be home to the Swans and NSW Swifts, who will strengthen their partnership by joining forces under the one roof. The centre will also be home to the Swans NEAFL team and QBE Sydney Swans boys and girls Academies, while it will provide the necessary capacity and infrastructure to enable the Swans to establish a future Swans women’s team. In reflecting the community focus of the building, it will also become the Sydney headquarters of the GO Foundation and Clontarf Foundation and house an Australian Red Cross Blood Service Donor Centre, the only dedicated blood donation centre in the eastern suburbs.
Cheering on the red and white at the SCG
The Swans will treat fans to 11 SCG home games in 2019, with Adelaide, Melbourne, GWS, Essendon, Collingwood, West Coast, Hawthorn, Gold Coast, Carlton, Geelong and St Kilda all set to travel to the famous venue. The red-and-white faithful again swarmed to the SCG in 2018 to cheer on the Swans – and the club cannot wait to again see every fan show their passion in 2019.
