Isaac Heeney and Harry Cunningham will join Sydney Derby royalty on Sunday afternoon as the Sydney Showgrounds hosts derby #28.
They will become the 10th and 11th players – and the 5th and 6th Swans – to play in 20 games between the two Sydney-based AFL clubs.
They will join a Derby Honour Roll headed by two of seven survivors from derby #1 in Round 1, 2012, when the Swans won by 63 points at the Olympic Stadium in the first outing for the AFL’s 18th franchise.
Sydney’s Luke Parker and GWS’ Callan Ward, former captains of their respective clubs, have each played 24 derbies. This is two more than two other players from derby #1 – Sydney’s Josh Kennedy and GWS’ Lachie Whitfield.
Sydney’s Jake Lloyd and GWS’ Josh Kelly have played 21 derbies, with Sydney’s Dane Rampe and GWS pair Toby Greene and Nick Haynes at 20.
QBE Sydney Swans Academy product Caiden Cleary, named on Thursday night to play his first game on Saturday afternoon, will be the sixth Swan to debut in the derby after Harry Cunningham (2012), Dane Rampe (2013), James Rose (2015), Lewis Melican (2017) and Zac Foot (2020).
A 182cm midfielder drafted from Sydney University after playing junior football at Glebe and the Newtown Swans, Cleary represented the Allies in the 2023 Under 18 Championships.
He was drafted at pick #24 in the 2023 National Draft when the Swans matched a bid from Collingwood, and he will be the first member of the Swans’ 2023 draft crop to play in the AFL.
Cleary will wear jumper #33, which has been worn most often for the club by Greg Lambert (167 games from 1966-79) and more recently by Marc Sheather (3 games in 2023) and Ryley Stoddard (6 games from 2018-20).
Saturday's Sydney Derby XXVIII comes after a momentous week at the club with 150th birthday celebrations and a new membership record of 70,740.
Visit the Match Day Hub for everything you need to know ahead of Round 15.
