The stats said it all … 11 marks, 11 kicks, 10 goals, one behind. Sydney defeats Collingwood by 36 points at the MCG. Guess who?

It was Tony Lockett of course. The one and only ‘Plugger’. Round 7, 1998 and the headline story in this week’s edition of the Remember When series when we recount some of the best Round 7 moments of the Sydney Swans’ 40-year history in Sydney.

Individually it wasn’t Lockett’s biggest haul or best performance, but it typified the extraordinary power and presence of the big fella on the biggest of stages – a rare Friday night against Collingwood in front of a crowd of 57,894 at the MCG.

The Swans sat on top of the ladder under coach Rodney Eade as they travelled south to take on the fifth-placed Magpies under Tony Shaw.

Making his long-awaited debut for the Swans as a late replacement was 20-year-old Jared Crouch, who had been drafted with pick #8 in the 1995 National Draft.

Little did anyone know at the time that the diminutive speedster from Norwood in the SANFL, later a 2005 premiership player and now on the Swans coaching staff, was about to begin the greatest AFL game streak from debut in history. And that it would be eight years and 194 games before Crouch missed his first game.

Crouch, who would go on to be one of only seven 200-gamers to come out of the 1995 draft, had 12 possessions as Sydney, down by 12 points at quarter time, added 6.1 to 1.3 in the second term to take charge and win 18.7 (115) to 12.7 (79).

It was Plugger’s day despite a dickey left knee which became a problem as the afternoon wore on.

In his 242^nd game overall and his 59^th game for the Swans Lockett started on Collingwood’s Mark Richardson, and after proving too quick and agile for him he found himself opposed to 18-game Queenslander Mal Michael.

It was his first meeting with Michael, later to become a triple premiership player with the Brisbane Lions, and a forerunner to a much bigger moment the pair would share 13 months later at the SCG, when Michael manned the mark as Lockett kicked his 1300^th AFL goal to break the all-time record.

Later rewarded with three Brownlow Medal votes despite Leigh Matthews’ suggestion in commentary that it was “the easiest 10 goals you’ll ever see”, Lockett bagged the 20^th of his 22 hauls of 10 or more goals in a game, and his third last.

He would follow with 11 goals a fortnight later against Hawthorn and 12 in Round 16 against Port Adelaide as he closed in on his sixth 100-goal season and his fourth Coleman Medal.

The Swans memorable win in front of one of the club’s biggest home-and-away crowds in history was built on individual victories in the respective goal squares. While Lockett dominated at one end fullback Andrew Dunkley did a superb job at the other end to hold Collingwood spearhead Sav Rocca goalless.

Historians, too, had a field day with what was a rare Friday night appearance for the Swans at the MCG, noting that at last, after 62 years, they had finally avenged their 1936 grand final loss to Collingwood at headquarters.

That the Swans had not played the Pies at the MCG in that time only underlined what a special night it was for long-time South Melbourne fans in Melbourne and the club’s growing army of supporters in the Harbour City.

2006 – Paul Williams’ 300^th

For 10 years Paul Williams was an enemy of the Swans. Originally from North Hobart, he’d played 189 games with Collingwood before heading to Sydney in the 2000 trade period. But he quickly won over the Sydney fans, claiming the 2001-02 Bob Skilton Medal and 2003 All-Australian selection before playing a key role in the 2005 premiership side.

Inducted into the Swans Hall of Fame in 2013, Williams enjoyed a special moment in Round 7, 2006 when at 33 he became the 45^th player in AFL history to reach 300 games.

It was a triple century celebration like no other when the Swans obliterated Richmond at Docklands by 118 points – the biggest 300^th game margin in AFL history, the equal ninth-biggest win in Swans history, and the club’s biggest over the Tigers.

Barry Hall kicked five goals to lead with Ryan O’Keefe, who earned three Brownlow Medal votes for 24 possessions and four goals in his 100^th game.

Sadly, seven weeks later Williams’ magnificent career was over. Having already declared his intention to retire at the end of the season, he brought everything forward after a broken collarbone in his 306^th and final game in Round 14.

2011 – Old Coach v New Coach in Canberra

Canberra’s Manuka Oval had been a regular destination on the Swans travel calendar through the 2000s. They played 12 games there from 2003-2011 against North Melbourne, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs for an aggregate 7-5 record.

Not since their 12^th visit to the national capital in Round 7, 2011 have they been back, but at least if they never again return their last memories of Manuka will be good ones. Especially for John Longmire and Nathan Gordon.

Longmire, 10 years an assistant-coach at the Swans before landing the senior job in 2011, was in charge of just his sixth game against the Bulldogs. And in the opposition coaches box was the man who had lured him to Sydney a decade earlier, Rodney Eade.

Having started his senior coaching career draw-win-win-loss-bye-loss Longmire needed a win to steady things a little. And he got it in a cracking game with the help of a 21-year-old Gordon, a graduate of the East Coast Eagles in the Sydney competition who was in his second season with the club after being taken as a late rookie pick.

The Dogs kicked the first three goals and the Swans five of the next six to lead by five points at halftime. When they added three late majors to lead 9.11 to 6.3 at the last change they looked to be headed for a comfortable win.

Two goals to Danial Giansiracusa for the Dogs made it a contest before Gordon enjoyed a special debut moment when he gathered a smothered shot on goal from teammate Andrejs Everitt in the pocket and snapped truly from close range to kick the steadier. They won 10.13 (73) to 10.5 (65).

It was Gordon’s first goal for the Swans … and his last. He played the following week against Port Adelaide but was de-listed at the end of the season before a 21-game stint at Richmond in 2014-15.

Eleven years on Longmire is still in charge of the Swans, but only Josh Kennedy and Sam Reid, who played their 30^th and 7^th games for the club respectively, are still playing.

2021 – Breakout Game for McLean

Hayden McLean had joined the Swans as a pre-season supplementary selection just prior to the 2019 season from the Sandringham Dragons via South Adelaide. He’d played four games in his first season and six in his second, and now has 28.

But one he’ll never forget was Round 7, 2021 when, in his 14^th game, he stood tall under intense pressure to help deliver a heart-stopping two-point win over Geelong at the SCG.

It was a tough contest. Geelong led by 28 points at quarter-time and had the ascendancy for much of the day. And when Luke Dahlhaus soccered one off the ground in the goal square to put  the Cats nine points up 23 minutes into the final term things looked grim for the home side.

But James Rowbottom slotted a 45m beauty from near the boundary line to give his side a chance, and then Tom Papley kicked the winning goal 90 seconds from time.

Finding space on the end of a long dump kick forward, he gathered possession in the pocket, fired a handpass to Callum Sinclair while being tackled by Tom Atkins, and ran on to receive a return handball from Sinclair and snap truly on his left.

While it was the winning score the game was far from over. In the closing seconds Geelong forward Jeremy Cameron took what he thought was a mark next to the behind post.

In contentious circumstances the game stopped momentarily before players realised the umpire had called ‘not 15m – play on’ to deny Cameron one last opportunity and allow the Sydney defence to shut things down and claim a 14.6 (90) to 12.16 (88) win.

Ollie Florent was judged best afield, picking up three Brownlow Medal votes for his 26 possessions and two goals, but the unheralded hero for the Swans was McLean.

Standing tall in an undersized Sydney forward line, he pulled down three contested marks and kicked a career-best four goals to earn the first Brownlow vote of his young career.