The best-on-ground honour awarded after every regular-season Sydney Derby clash was named in tribute to the admired resilience of Sydney Swans great Brett Kirk.
And the man behind the Brett Kirk Medal says resilience is a quality on which the Swans are built.
The Swans will meet the Giants at the SCG in Sydney Derby XVII on Saturday night – and after Callum Mills (Round 3) and Lance Franklin (Round 22) claimed the 2018 medals, the prestigious award is again up for the taking.
“Resilience is about having a never-give-up attitude and it’s something that’s been strong at our club for a long time,” Kirk told Swans Media.
“There have been a lot of times throughout our history where we could have gone under and there have been so many people, whether financially, on the field or off the field, who have been able to really dig in to get us where we are today. Resilience is something that’s strong in our foundations and will continue to be driven by the leaders of our footy club.
“As a whole it’s what our leaders do and it’s what they’re trying to instil in the younger guys who come through. Early on when players walk in through the doors it’s known pretty quickly what we stand for. To survive in an AFL club you need to have courage and resilience and there’s no doubt our leaders drive it hard.”
Kirk played 241 games for the Swans in the years spanning 1999-2010.
The boy from Albury retired as a premiership hero, a Sydney co-captain, an All Australian, a dual Bob Skilton Medallist and a Swans Life Member, while he’s since been inducted into the Swans Hall of Fame.
The club great is now guiding Sydney’s midfield brigade as an assistant coach alongside Dean Cox, and he says the Swans’ focus is sharp ahead of Saturday’s cross-city duel.
“After last week we need good buy-in from our 22 and we know it’s not going to come down to one or two guys to get us over the line,” Kirk said.
“GWS are a very talented squad that bats really deep, so we will just need to get it done in the midfield and give our forwards enough supply.”
