Since the Swans set up base in Sydney in 1982 a total of 351 players have worn red and white for the first time. They are players from #1103 to #1453 on the all-time list, including 127 imports from opposition clubs.

Of the 224 AFL debutants only 40 were aged 22 or older. And of them, only five played 100 games and only three topped 200 games. And only one hailed from suburban Clovelly in Sydney via Newington College, the UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs, and VFL club Williamstown, and debuted 12 years less 23 days ago on 30 March 2013.

It was Round 1, Sydney v GWS Giants at the Olympic Stadium, and starting on the interchange bench wearing for the visitors jumper #43 was Dane Rampe.

On Friday night, when the Swans begin the 2025 AFL season against Hawthorn at the SCG, Rampe will be part of opening night – just as he has been every year since then.

Going on 35 and now entrenched in jumper #24, Rampe will play his 13th consecutive season-opener to join the elite of the club’s elite.

05:39

"A club that gives so much to its people" - Lloyd

A special feature on Jake Lloyd, who will celebrate his 250th game in the red and white on Friday night against Hawthorn.

In 44 years in which the Swans have been based at the SCG only three players have done likewise. Games record-holder Adam Goodes played 16 in a row, and Jude Bolton and Josh Kennedy 13 in a row. Jarrad McVeigh also played the opening game of the season 13 times but missed three times in his 16-year career.

From such an inauspicious beginning, it’s been a remarkable achievement for Rampe to better the efforts of the other four 22-plus debutants of the Sydney era.

Who were they? There was a Canadian and a Tasmanian who played 100-plus games, and the first half of a couldabeen father/son and a captain turned coach from Albury, who topped 200 games.

Canadian Mike Pyke is the oldest debutant of the Sydney era to play 100 games. He was 25 years 40 days in his first game and played 110 games. Robbie Fox, from Burnie via VFL club Coburg and on the injured list this week, was 23 years 349 days and is at 105 games.

01:13

Announcing our debutants for Opening Round

Go behind the scenes as Swans senior coach Dean Cox announces to the playing group our two debutants for our Opening Round clash with Hawthorn.

Andrew Dunkley, a Gippsland boy who had played in Launceston, is the couldabeen father/son man, with his son Josh a Bulldogs and Brisbane premiership player.  Dunkley was 23 years 288 days on debut and played 217 games.

And the Albury junior who captained the Swans and is now in a coaching/welfare role at the club, was 22 years 286 days in the first of his 241 games.

But Rampe, 22 years 301 days old on debut, has superseded them all. On Friday night he’ll go past Mark Browning to sit outright 11th on the Swans games list at 252 and has Heath Grundy and Kieren Jack (256) and John Rantall (260) in easy reach.

In the Sydney era, Goodes (16) has played most season-openers from Bolton, Kennedy and McVeigh (13), Rampe, Grundy, Luke Parker and Harry Cunningham (12), Mark Bayes, Leo Barry and Ryan O’Keefe (11), Kirk, Jack, Daryn Cresswell, Paul Kelly, Michael O’Loughlin and Ted Richards (10), with Isaac Heeney and Jake Lloyd set for their 10th.

Taylor Adams, who was the GWS starting sub in Rampe’s debut in 2013, is set to play the 11th season-opener of his career and his first in Swans colors.

All this comes as the Swans go in with a League-high unbeaten streak in the game which, although no more valuable than any other game and quickly confined to history, has a curious fascination with football people.

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Hanily tells his parents about his debut

Go behind the scenes as Tom Hanily calls his parents to let them know that he will debut in our Opening Round clash with Hawthorn.

The Swans have won the first game of the new season in each of the last five years – against different clubs at different venues.

They beat Adelaide by three points at Adelaide Oval in 2020 before accounting for Brisbane by 31 points at the Gabba in 2021 and GWS at the Olympic Stadium by 20 points in 2022. Then it was Gold Coast by 49 points at Carrara in 2023 and Melbourne by 22 points at the SCG last year.

Port have had four wins in the same corresponding period, Collingwood, Essendon, GWS, Hawthorn and Melbourne three, and Carlton and Richmond two wins and a draw. Fremantle, Geelong, Gold Coast, North, St Kilda and the Bulldogs have won two, and Adelaide, Brisbane and West Coast one.

Since Sydney beat Melbourne by 29 points at the SCG in Round 1, 1982 to begin the Sydney era the club has had 23 wins, a draw, and 19 losses in its opening game of the season. They’ve gone 8-3 at the SCG and 5-2 at the Olympic Stadium.

The club record for post possessions in a Round 1 (or Opening Round) game in the Sydney era is 43 by Greg Williams in a win over Carlton at Princes Park in 1990.

The club record for goals in a Round 1 (or Opening Round) game in the same period is nine shared by Bernie Evans in a 110-point win over St Kilda at Moorabbin in 1985, and Warwick Capper in a 91-point win over Collingwood at Victoria Park in 1987.

Luke Parker holds the equivalent record for most possessions and most goals in a season-opener in Sydney – he notched up 40 disposals in an 80-point SCG win over Collingwood in 2016 and kicked five goals in a 20-point win over GWS at the Olympic Stadium in 2022.

The Swans will host Hawthorn at the SCG on Friday, March 7. View the Match Day Hub for all the key and important game day information.