As the Sydney Swans farewell the decade, Swans Media revisits arguably the club’s 10-most thrilling games of the last 10 years.

2010 elimination final

Former Swan Trent Dennis-Lane was the star of the show as Sydney edged Carlton in a five-point heart-stopper in a 2010 elimination final. The Western Australian levelled the scores at 86-apiece with a goal on the run at the 13-minute mark of the final term, but it was his heroics with just over three-and-a-half minutes left that dealt the match-winning blow. As Sydney clung to a six-point lead in the ANZ Stadium clash, Carlton’s Dennis Armfield swooped on the footy deep in the Swans’ forward 50 and sped towards the right-forward pocket – and it was then that Dennis-Lane pounced. The youngster laid a brilliant chase-down tackle to pin him for holding the ball and – in just his seventh game – had the poise under serious pressure to slot the set shot off a tight angle. A goal and a behind to the Blues followed but it wasn’t enough to claw back the deficit, the Swans stealing a 14.15 (99) to 13.16 (94) win to send the 41,596-strong crowd into raptures.

Round 13, 2012

In Sydney’s clash with Geelong at the SCG in Round 13, 2012, the Swans led by 35 points at quarter-time, 29 points at the long break and 24 points at three-quarter time, but the away side then pounced. The Cats booted four consecutive goals and hit the lead for the first time in the game at the 13-minute mark of the last quarter. Star Sydney midfielder Kieren Jack nailed a classy snap on the run from 50 metres out as the Swans reclaimed the lead, but momentum again shifted when gun Cats forward Tom Hawkins snapped truly. Enter Andrejs Everitt. The big-framed Swan was only on the ground because a ginger Adam Goodes had been substituted off in the final term, but he clunked the footy late in the game and slotted the set shot from 48 metres out, Sydney winning 12.8 (80) to 11.8 (74).

2012 Grand Final

Sydney played in a host of thrilling games in the decade but the 2012 premiership triumph over Hawthorn is undoubtedly the most treasured. Two of the quickest footballers in the AFL sent the MCG crowd into overdrive in the opening term, Sydney’s Lewis Jetta taking four bounces as he tore up the wing with Cyril Rioli in hot pursuit. Channel 7 commentator Dennis Cometti labelled it “a main event in any stadium in the world”. In a match full of dramatic momentum swings, just one point separated the two sides at the final change. The Hawks then snared the opening two goals of the last term, but the Swans would launch one more onslaught in pursuit of their fifth flag in history. John Longmire’s men stormed to four unanswered goals from the 12-minute mark, Dan Hannebery igniting the rout, Jack adding a second major on the back of exceptional gut running, an injured Goodes snapping a goal from a stoppage and Nick Malceski sealing victory. Swans fans will never forget the moment Malceski snapped a goal from congestion to put the Swans 10 points ahead with 40 seconds on the clock, his teammates swamping him as the 99,683-strong crowd erupted.

Round 8, 2013

Sydney recorded just two draws in the decade and registered the most recent against Fremantle at the SCG in Round 8, 2013. Two goals to Ben McGlynn and a Jetta six-pointer put the Swans 27 points ahead at the 11-minute mark of the final term, but the Dockers then surged. Rising superstar Nat Fyfe kick-started the comeback with a deadeye set shot from the 50-metre arc, before another three Fremantle goals and a handful of behinds drew scores level at 70-apiece with just over two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the match. Fremantle’s Michael Johnson took a set shot from outside 50 in the shadows of the final siren, but a leaping Sam Reid marked the footy at the goalmouth to deny a last-gasp Dockers victory.

Round 14, 2017

The look on Longmire’s face in the SCG coaches’ box said it all. It appeared that not even a miracle could save the Swans as they trailed the Bombers by 19 points with just over four-and-a-half minutes on the clock in Round 14, 2017, but a miracle was exactly what the footy gods delivered. Oliver Florent cut the deficit to 13 points when he soccered a goal and the margin was down to six when Nic Newman snapped truly. The equation was then simple as play stopped for a boundary throw-in deep in Sydney’s forward line with just 24 seconds remaining: one goal would deliver a one-point win. Enter Gary Rohan. Sam Naismith and Tom Bellchambers grappled in the ruck, the ball spilled over the back, Dane Rampe slammed the ball on the outside of his boot and Rohan took a contested grab in the goal square. When the speedster slotted the set shot after the siren to hand Sydney an 11.20 (86) to 12.13 (85) victory, it ensured the Swans – whose season had begun with six consecutive defeats – remained a chance to play finals footy.

Round 22, 2017

The Swans had won 12 of their last 14 games to climb to fifth on the ladder when they travelled to Adelaide Oval to face the table-topping Crows in Round 22, 2017. Longmire’s team led at every change but fell behind in the final term, Adelaide running in three consecutive goals to shoot nine points ahead. Reid then goaled to reduce the margin to three points and a Papley special with just over four minutes remaining saw the Swans win back the lead, the enigmatic small forward latching on to the Sherrin on the left wing, taking two bounces and threading a six-pointer. Four minutes of cauldron-hot footy followed as a desperate Sydney outfit held on to win 13.5 (83) to 11.14 (80).

Round 4, 2018

Florent’s blistering speed was on show as he tore away to seal a seven-point win for the Swans against the Western Bulldogs in Round 4, 2018. The Swans led the Dogs by a point when Florent found the footy on the left wing with just over 30 seconds remaining, but instead of running the clock down he put the result beyond doubt. Dogs ruckman Tim English tried his best but Florent was too quick, motoring up the field, taking a bounce and finishing a stellar individual goal from 45 metres out. Sydney won the Docklands Stadium fixture 13.8 (86) to 11.13 (79).

Round 17, 2018 

The 25,633 supporters who packed in to Docklands Stadium for Sydney’s match against North Melbourne in Round 17, 2018 were treated to a classic. The lead shifted 11 times in a match that saw decorated Sydney forward Lance Franklin boot his 900th career goal and Sudanese stars Aliir Aliir and Majak Daw square off in an exhilarating battle. The climax of the match eventuated when Aliir – who had been playing on Daw in defence – snuck forward to kick the match-winner, swooping on a crumb and handing the Swans a six-point lead with just under two minutes remaining. Aliir’s first career goal delivered Sydney a 16.8 (104) to 15.8 (98) win.

Round 20, 2018 

Tom McCartin touched the ball just six times in Sydney’s clash with Collingwood at the SCG in Round 20, 2018, but the young Swan’s final touch of the game produced the match-winning blow. The Magpies stole the lead with just over five minutes left when Travis Varcoe goaled on the run, before an astounding McCartin goal ensured Alex Johnson’s first AFL match in 1736 days was one to savour. The towering forward connected a desperate boot with the Sherrin while sprawled across the turf amid a swarm of jumpers, and while the 39,238 onlookers held their collective breath as the vision was reviewed, it would be happy news for Sydney fans. The Swans celebrated Johnson’s comeback game, Harry Cunningham’s 100th AFL match and the 100th anniversary of South Melbourne’s 1918 premiership win over Collingwood with an 11.7 (73) to 10.11 (71) victory.

Round 9, 2019

The Swans recorded one of their most spirited victories in recent history in a thrilling duel with the Roos in Round 9, 2019. The odds were weighted heavily against the Swans ahead of the Hobart clash, with North Melbourne’s games-played average 108.72 and Sydney’s just 64.45. A total of 11 Swans players had played less than 50 AFL games and Sydney was without a host of star talent. Franklin, Jack, Jarrad McVeigh, Josh Kennedy, Heath Grundy and Nick Smith all missed the match due to injury, and hard-running defender Zak Jones left the field injured in the second term and didn’t return. The Swans hit the lead at the four-minute mark of the second quarter and never lost it – they also took a 27-point buffer into the final change – but the Roos were on the charge in the fourth term. While a Papley goal extended the Swans’ lead to 33 points early in the final stanza, the Roos would pile on the next four goals to close the margin to just five points with almost a minute-and-a-half remaining. A relentless North Melbourne side continued to launch attacking raids on Sydney’s defence, but the Swans would cling on to win 11.11 (77) to 10.12 (72).