Sydney Swans members and fans continued to show their love for the team and for the SCG with a record crowd attending the Round 17 blockbuster match against Hawthorn.

Nothing beats the atmosphere of the full house at the SCG, and Thursday night was no exception with over 40,000 fans packing the stands.

The crowd of 42,314 was the third largest ever to an AFL match at the SCG and the highest at the venue since 1997.

Only two home games against Geelong in 1997 (46,168) and 1996 (44,047) have drawn a higher attendance.

Sydney Swans' Head of Consumer Business, Natalie Fagg, said fans had shown they were enjoying watching the high quality of football, surrounded by their friends, family and fellow supporters.

“It is clear that our fans are enjoying being a part of the success that our side is having this season, sharing the ride with the team and the Swans footy family,” she said.

“The quality of the matches and the experience of being here live for all the big moments has been reflected in a great response from our fans.

“With an average crowd of 33,642 this season we are on track to break our record for the highest average home attendance since 2003.”

Sydney has three home matches remaining in 2016 season against Carlton (Round 18), Port Adelaide (Round 20) and Richmond (Round 23).