The Sydney Swans were thrilled at Thursday's release of the 2019 AFL fixture and have locked their eyes on a season full of promise.

We run an eye over five SCG games Swans fans will not want to miss.

Round 6: Sydney Swans v GWS, SCG

Saturday, April 27, 7:25pm

Sydney Derby XVII

The Swans and Giants will butt heads in Sydney Derby XVII in the red and white’s first Saturday night home game of the season. The cross-city rivalry has continued to go from strength to strength since the Giants entered the competition in 2011. The Swans claimed victory in the first four Sydney Derbies but the Giants’ coming of age has made for a consistently hot battle in recent history, with the Swans having won 11 of the 16 clashes and the Giants five. Fans have plenty to get excited about as Sydney Derby XVII draws closer, with a host of intense match-ups making for a highly anticipated showdown. Star Sydney forward Lance Franklin will resume hostilities with GWS co-captain Phil Davis, while ever-reliable Swans defender Dane Rampe will lock horns with gun Giants forward Jeremy Cameron. But looming as perhaps the most mouthwatering of the match-ups is the battle of the midfield brigades, with the likes of the home side’s Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker, Isaac Heeney and George Hewett meeting Callan Ward, Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio. 

Round 10: Sydney Swans v Collingwood, SCG

Friday, May 24, 7:50pm

Marn Grook at the SCG

Don’t wait another day to pencil this one into your diary. Marn Grook at the SCG makes for one of the most special events on the Swans’ calendar, with the match honouring the Indigenous roots of Australian football and recognising the treasured contribution of Indigenous players to the game. The Swans will don the stunning Indigenous Guernsey designed by leading NSW artist Cheryl Davison ahead of season 2018, the winning side will be awarded the Marn Grook Trophy and the player judged best on ground will take home the Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal. The Swans and Magpies will open the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round in one of the biggest blockbusters of the season. Sydney clinched a thrilling two-point win when the two clubs last met in Round 20, 2018, a strong indication fans could be set for another heart-stopper.

Round 12: Sydney v West Coast Eagles, SCG

Sunday, June 9, 3:20pm

Intensity is always off the charts when the Swans and Eagles collide. The flame of the fierce modern-day rivalry was lit in the mid-2000s as the two clubs clashed in back-to-back grand finals, with the Swans claiming the 2005 decider by four points and the Eagles sealing the 2006 flag by one. West Coast games record-holder Dean Cox joined Sydney’s coaching panel ahead of season 2018 and his inside knowledge may have pushed the Swans over the line in Round 13. The Swans prevailed in one of their most heated encounters of the season, escaping with a 15-point win at the SCG to knock off the eventual premier. Expect another cut-throat clash as the Swans lace up the boots for their first Sunday game of the season.

Round 14: Sydney Swans v Hawthorn, SCG

Friday, June 21, 7:50pm 

The Swans will face the Eagles and, after a bye in Round 13, go head to head with another arch-rival in the Hawks at the SCG. Sydney and Hawthorn recently squared off in two grand finals in three years, with the Swans clawing a 10-point win in 2012 before the Hawks struck back in 2014. Astonishingly, an average of just six points have separated the two clubs the past five times they’ve met, while the Swans and Hawks posted a win each in 2018. Sydney youngster Ben Ronke bagged seven goals at the MCG as the Swans snared a thrilling eight-point win in Round 8, before the Hawks levelled things up in Round 23.

Sydney young gun Ben Ronke celebrates one of seven goals in the Swans' gripping win over the Hawks in Round 8, 2018.

Round 23: Sydney Swans v St Kilda, SCG

TBC

Pride Game

Sydney and St Kilda will clash in the fourth Pride Game for premiership points in history in the last round of the home-and-away season. As evidenced by Sydney’s official LGBTIQ supporter group, the Rainbow Swans, as well as the Diversity Action Plan (DAP), the LGBTIQ community is of enormous significance to the Club. The DAP is a joint initiative of the Board, staff, players and community leaders and among the four pillars it addresses is LGBTIQ pride.