This Friday night, when Jake Lloyd steps onto the SCG for Round 16 against the Western Bulldogs, he’ll also be creating a bit of history, moving into sixth place for the all-time games played for the Sydney Swans.
Two-time Club Champion Lloyd will play his 287th game to overtake two-time Premiership player, Norm Smith Medallist and All-Australian Ryan O’Keefe who finished his career on 286 games.
Hailing from Horsham in Western Victoria, Lloyd debuted in 2014 after being picked up in the Rookie draft the year before. When Lloyd joined the team, the club appointed O’Keefe as his mentor, though the two never played a game together before O’Keefe announced his retirement at age 33.
Over his 15-year career in the red and white, O'Keefe was known for his unrelenting work rate and dedication to preparation and training. His honour roll reflects that, with Club Champion acknowledging the impact his work ethic has had on his performance.
“If I put in more work than my opposition, I have a mental edge. Everyone sees what happens on the weekend, but it's all the hours and all the little extras that you do while no one is looking that make the difference.”
Jake Lloyd unmistakably shares O’Keefe’s grit, determination and resilience. Known for his durability and reliability with the ball, his consistency from week to week and year to year has stacked up into an impressive playing record.
Lloyd became the quickest Swan to 100 games and with 6,674 disposals in his 286 games and two Bob Skilton medals to his name coming off the Rookie list, his story is a remarkable one.
Jake’s dad, Tony Lloyd, who trained his son in a shed at their property in Horsham in his junior days, describes seeing the same disciplined mindset that O'Keefe talked about, in his son.
“When it gets tough, he’s got that head resilience where he can just push through: push through harder things, harder times … it’s alright to build your body strong, but you’ve got to build your mind strong as well.”
Lloyd’s ascent on the leaderboard serves as a reminder of the enduring dedication and mental resilience passed from one generation of players to the next – celebrating the courage and commitment of the Bloods spirit.
Lloyd's long-time teammate Dane Rampe is the only other current Sydney player in the Swans top 10 all-time games played list. A calf injury has sidelined the former Swans captain over the past month and hindered the pair moving up the list on a closer timeline. With a return in sight, Rampe (280 games) could also surpass O'Keefe in 2026.
Sydney Swans All-Time Games Top 10
372 Adam Goodes
325 Jude Bolton
325 Jarrad McVeigh
303 Michael O'Loughlin
293 Luke Parker
287 Jake Lloyd
286 Ryan O'Keefe
280 Dane Rampe
277 Josh Kennedy
260 John Rantall
