EVERY year, when a new AFL season rolls around, the basic goal of most teams is to reach the finals.
The fight for top-eight positions is always fierce and made harder by draft concessions and a salary cap, which are set-up to level the playing field.
Simply reaching the finals is hard enough, but repeatedly making it into September becomes that much harder again.
And that's where the Sydney Swans come in.
Over the past decade, no side has had such a constant presence in the top eight, with so few high draft picks, as the Swans.
In 10 years, the Swans have had just two selections in the top 10 of the NAB AFL Draft - co-captain Jarrad McVeigh in 2002 and Gary Rohan in 2009.
But during those 10 seasons, they have made the finals a total of eight times, resulting in two grand finals and a premiership in 2005.
Only one other side, Collingwood, reached the finals eight times during that stretch.
But, while the Swans waited nine years between top-10 picks, the Magpies had five of them, including the arrivals of Dale Thomas, Scott Pendlebury, Ben Reid and Nathan Brown.
So the Swans have had to do it in other ways, particularly trading with other clubs.
While Barry Hall is perhaps the most notable acquisition during that time, the likes of Ted Richards and Rhyce Shaw were cut loose by other sides and became terrific, first-choice footballers in Sydney.
Shane Mumford, Josh Kennedy, Ben McGlynn and Marty Mattner are others that were enticed to Sydney from rival clubs and blossomed.
On Saturday night, the Swans will embark on yet another finals series when they take on St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.
In a sign of the club's recent success, Adam Goodes and Jude Bolton will both play their 19th finals match on Saturday night, a new record in South Melbourne/Sydney Swans history.
Asked about the Swans' ability to keep making it to September, Goodes paid tribute to everyone involved at the club.
"That's down to our preparation well before we get back for pre-season each year with the trades, the draft … our football club works extremely hard to get the right people here to give us the best opportunity to play finals every year," he said.
"It's a credit to our recruiting, our management for giving us the facilities and the players, and making sure we pick the right people with draft picks.
"It's a huge challenge every year if you want to play finals.
"There's no doubt the competition is evened up with the way draft picks are handed out, so it's a huge honour to be playing finals football.
"We definitely have earned it and we will keep putting players in our team that deserve to be there.
"We'll keep getting players from anywhere and everywhere.
"If they're the best people to play for our footy club, then we'll make sure they come here, learn our culture, learn our trademark and hopefully play finals footy with us."
Without the benefit of high draft picks, the Swans must pick wisely when they do get their turn to choose the best remaining young talent.
It has resulted in players such as 2010 Rising Star Dan Hannebery, pick No. 30 in the 2008 draft, plus others like Sam Reid (No. 38, 2009), Alex Johnson (No. 57, 2010) and Luke Parker (No. 40, 2010) coming on board.
Coach John Longmire is clearly thrilled with the recruiting drive and the club's prospects.
"We've lost a lot of premiership players in the last few years, most recently Kirky (Brett Kirk) last year and (Craig) Bolton this year.
"It was important for us to regenerate the list and we've been doing that for the last couple of years, both through trades and draft choices.
"This week, there might be five or six players that haven't played a finals game run out for us, which is fantastic.
"We should have five players that are 20 or younger, (including) a couple of teenagers playing their first final, and the team gets a real lift out of that."
Parker is the baby of the group at 18, while Reid and Johnson are 19, Rohan and Hannebery are 20 and Craig Bird is 21.
Another key to the club's sustained success is the adherence to the
storied "Bloods culture".
Any form of selfishness is outlawed and every player must buy into a strict team-first policy.
Every player, and even off-field staff, that joins the club quickly becomes aware of the importance of sticking to team rules.
"John (Longmire) and the coaching staff keep it pretty simple and if you play your role each week, you're going to get a call-up the next week," Johnson said.
"The team atmosphere around the club is really good. It's the best culture I've ever been involved with.
"All the boys buy into it and it helps when all the coaches are doing the same as the players.
"That gets results on the weekends."
Goodes perfectly personifies the type of culture the Swans demand.
He has shortened to second favourite with some outlets for a third Brownlow Medal this season.
But when asked about that possibility, Goodes didn't even consider it, instead saying: "Hopefully we're still part of Grand Final week and looking forward to playing someone on Grand Final day.
"I’m really pumped to be playing finals football this year and to be able to lead the group out on Saturday night into enemy territory.
"I know there'll be a lot of Swans supporters there and it's going to be a great atmosphere."
PERFORMANCE OF TEAMS IN PAST 10 SEASONS
TEAM | Finals | Top 10 picks | GFs/Flags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Swans | 8 | 2 | 2/1 |
| Collingwood | 8 | 5 | 4*/1 |
| Adelaide | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Geelong Cats | 7 | 3 | 3/2 |
| St Kilda | 7 | 4 | 3*/0 |
| West Coast Eagles | 7 | 4 | 2/1 |
| Essendon | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| Port Adelaide | 5 | 2 | 2/1 |
| Brisbane Lions | 4 | 6 | 3/2 |
| North Melbourne | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Melbourne | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Western Bulldogs | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Carlton | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| Fremantle | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Richmond | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Gold Coast Suns | 0 | 6 | 0 |
