Sydney heads to Melbourne for the first time this season for Sunday’s Round 3 clash with Melbourne at the MCG. While the team will be studying all the Dees players, if stats are anything to go by, then Clayton Oliver should be top of the list.

In six games against the Swans since 2018 Oliver has averaged 30.3 possessions (18.8 contested), 5.5 tackles and 8.0 clearances – and that in a side which has won only twice in that period.

He’s polled four times in the Brownlow Medal in five home-and-away games in the same period for a total of nine votes and was best afield in both Melbourne wins.

Oliver’s nine votes is the most by a Melbourne player against Sydney this century – a more telling statistic given that captain Max Gawn, whose seven medal votes against Sydney is equal second on the same list with former captain David Neitz, will be missing through injury.

The unbeaten Swans will travel south to play a Melbourne side that hammered the Western Bulldogs at the MCG by 50 points in Round 1 but was beaten by 11 points at the Gabba in Round 2 after being 40 down when the lights went out 12 minutes from the end of the game.

Oliver has been the Demons’ leading ball-winner through two rounds with 70 possessions from Christian Petracca (54) and Angus Brayshaw (49), while Ben Brown has been their primary target up forward with eight goals. Next best with four is the suspended Kozzi Pickett, while Bayley Fritsch, who missed Round 1 through injury, has three.

Statistics say the Swans shouldn’t be intimidated by the venue, having beaten Melbourne at headquarters twice last year – by 12 points in Round 12 and 22 points in the final.

All this is part of an excellent head-to-head record against Melbourne since 2000, which gives the Swans a 23-1-9 split from 33 games, including 11-1-4 from 16 games at the MCG.

By Venue

Curiously, the Swans have a better record against Melbourne in Melbourne this century than they do in Sydney. On top of their 72% win ratio at the MCG they are 2-0 at Marvel Stadium for an overall record in Victoria of 13-1-4 from 18 games, but are 6-4 at the SCG and 0-1 at Stadium Australia for an aggregate 6-5 split.

Also, the Swans are 3-0 against the Demons in Canberra, and 1-0 in Cairns, where they played during the Covid season of 2020.

Highs & Lows

If there’s one thing to take from the statistics it is not to expect a high-scoring affair on Sunday. Since 2014 there has been only one triple-figure total from either side –Melbourne’s even 100 at the SCG in 2019. And still, the Swans boast an aggregate percentage against the Dees during this period of 138.7.

The Swans have topped 100 points against the Demons 10 times since 2000, with a high of 23.7 (145) at the MCG in Round 21, 2002, when Barry Hall kicked seven goals and they won by 68 points.

Their biggest win against Melbourne in the same period came in Round 8, 2012 at the SCG, when they kicked 21.12 (138) to 5.7 (37) to win by 101 points.

Kieren Jack, Lewis Jetta, Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker kicked three apiece, while the Brownlow votes went to Jack (33 possessions), Ryan O’Keefe (34 possessions) and Dan Hannebery (33 possessions).

It was the club’s third-biggest win in 213 meetings all-time with the club against which the old South Melbourne played in their very first game at Lake Oval in 1897.

The Swans biggest loss to Melbourne since 2000 is 73 points at the MCG in Round 17, 2010, and their lowest score is 7.18 (60) at the SCG in Round 5, 2005.

Big Ball-Winners

In a pointer to how much the game has changed, in 33 games against Melbourne this century the Swans have recorded just 21 games of 30 possessions or more, and no player has had had more than two. And Melbourne have had just 11 – and Clayton Oliver, with three, is their only multiple.

The Swans biggest game in this era was Luke Parker’s 38 touches at the MCG in Round 15, 2017. The Demons’ best was Oliver’s 35 at the MCG in Round 8, 2021.

Major Goal-Kickers

The Swans have also been dominant around the big sticks, with 15 hauls of four goals or more to the Demons’ 11. Their best was Barry Hall’s eight goals at the MCG in Round 21, 2002. The 2005 premiership captain has been far and away Sydney’s most productive forward against the Dees, with six games of 4+ goals. Mick O’Loughlin had three and Lance Franklin has two.

Melbourne’s best against Sydney since 2000 is six to the credit of David Neitz – four times. Jeff Farmer topped four goals twice, while Tom McDonald’s four in Round 8, 2021 is the Demons only four-goal bag since 2010.

Brownlow Votes

The Swans have enjoyed an overwhelming domination in medal votes against Melbourne since 2000, out-polling them 126-66 in 32 games in which votes were awarded. They’ve picked up three votes a combined 22 times to 10, and in total polled 62 times to 34.

The club’s leading vote-getter in this period is Adam Goodes (13) from Brett Kirk (11), Ryan O’Keefe (10), Luke Parker (9), Barry Hall (8) and Kieren Jack (8). Goodes polled six times against Melbourne and was judged best afield three times.

Clayton Oliver (9), Max Gawn (7) and David Neitz (7) are the only Melbourne players to have polled more than three votes against Sydney since 2000.

A Common Coach

Paul Roos stands tall in the history of both clubs this century, having coached both. He was in charge of the Swans from 2002-10, masterminding the breakthrough premiership of 2005, and Melbourne from 2014-16, playing a key developmental role ahead of their 2020 flag.

Interestingly, Sydney have had just three coaches this century – Rodney Eade, Roos and John Longmire. In the same time Melbourne have had eight coaches – Neale Daniher, Mark Riley, Dean Bailey, Todd VIney, Mark Neeld, Neil Craig, Roos and Simon Goodwin. Riley, VIney and Craig were caretaker coaches after mid-season sackings.

And Common Players

Only one player has played for Sydney and Melbourne since 2000 – Darren Jolly. The 2005 Sydney Swans premiership ruckman began his career 48 games with the Dees (2001-04) before 118 games with the Swans (2005-09) and 71 games with Collingwood (2010-13).

There are also two family connections – Zak Jones played for Sydney against brother Nathan who played for Melbourne, while Kyle Dunkley, son of Sydney 217-gamer Andrew Dunkley, played five games with Melbourne in 2019-20 before spending 2022 on the Swans top-up list. 

Oddly, both clubs have had a Nick Smith. Sydney’s Nick Smith played 211 games and was a standout defender, while Melbourne’s Nick Smith played three games in 2003 and one in 2006.

The other ‘common denominator’ is ex-Sydney ruckman Greg Stafford, a graduate of the Western Suburbs Magpies in the Sydney competition who played 130 games from 1993-2001 before 74 games with Richmond from 2002-06. He is now the Melbourne forward-line coach.