Jake Lloyd made his AFL debut against Fremantle at the SCG in Round 5, 2014. He started as the substitute in a side which included only Luke Parker, Dane Rampe and Harry Cunningham of his 2024 teammates. He replaced Brandon Jack in the third quarter and had four possessions in a 17-point win.

It was the statistical quiet before the storm.

Last Saturday night, in his 226th game and his 97th at ‘home’, he had 22 possessions in a 30-point win over Essendon to become the No.4 possession-winner all-time at ‘headquarters’.

Lloyd took his SCG possession tally to 2407, going past Jarrad McVeigh’s 2401, and now sits behind only Daryn Cresswell (2959), Josh Kennedy (2890) and Luke Parker (2791).

That’s despite ranking 17th on the SCG games list at 97, behind Adam Goodes (143), Michael O’Loughlin (136), Jude Bolton (128), Mark Bayes (125), Cresswell (123), Jarrad McVeigh (122), Paul Kelly (116), Parker (115), Andrew Dunkley (115), Kennedy (110), Leo Barry (103), Stuart Maxfield (102), Ryan O’Keeffe (102), Dennis Carroll (100), Kieren Jack (99), Dane Rampe (99) and Jared Crouch (98).

Completing the top 10 SCG possessions list are Kelly (2359), Jude Bolton (2339), Goodes (2308), Barry Mitchell (2236) and Carroll (1988).

06:15

Highlights: Sydney v Essendon

The Swans and Bombers clash in round two

Goodes has had most wins at the SCG with 94, from O’Loughlin (92) and McVeigh (90), while Tony Lockett (295) has kicked most SCG goals from Lance Franklin (265) and O’Loughlin (246) and Franklin (65) has polled most Brownlow Medal votes at the SCG from Parker (64), Kelly (63) and Kennedy (61).

History says Lloyd is one part of a magnificent rookie draft on 11 December 2012 that over-rode what had been an ‘only just’ return for the Swans in the preceding national draft 19 days earlier.

Originally from Horsham via the North Ballarat Rebels, he was the 86th player chosen among 103 first-time draftees that year, yet ranks fourth for AFL games played by members of the Class of 2012.

At the top of the list is another part of the Swans’ 2012 rookie draft haul – Rampe.

Read more
On the Mark: Jake Lloyd - I have a heap of superstitions

Taken 16 spots later with rookie pick #37 (after there were seven passes), Rampe tops the list at 233 games from the Western Bulldogs’ Jack Macrae, taken with pick #6 in the national draft, and Port Adelaide Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines, taken with pick #7. Both have played 230 games.

With 5521 career possessions, Lloyd ranks third for possessions in the Class of 2012 behind Macrae (6568) and Wines (5795).

Rampe and Lloyd were the prized Swans pick-ups in a 2012 rookie draft that also delivered 2016 grand final team members Xavier Richards (12 games) and Sam Naismith (30), plus Dan Robinson (25), and Brandon Jack (28).

This was after four picks in the 2012 national draft delivered the Swans 82 games – pick #22 Dean Towers (57), #44 Harry Marsh (25), #46 Tim Membrey (1) and #64 Matthew Dick (9). Membrey has since played 161 games for St.Kilda (2015-24), while Dick played six games at Carlton (2015).