Footy. Is. Back.
After nearly six months, 25 weeks and 174 days – the wait is finally over!
And what a game to kick things off with the Swans taking on Collingwood in a round one showdown.
We also start the season at our spiritual home, the SCG, for the first time since 2005 – an omen perhaps?
There are fresh faces and a renewed vitality ahead of what’s hopefully a big and successful season ahead.
Fresh faces
The Sydney Swans will birth three debutants in the same game for the first time in 26 years when Callum Mills, Tom Papley and George Hewett run out onto the SCG on Saturday night.
Not since Round 1, 1990, has three or more AFL newbies played together in the red and white. In that game Paul Kelly, Shane Fell, Brad Tunbridge and Jim West all debuted.
Joining the trio will be experienced recruits Callum Sinclair and Michael Talia.
It marks the ongoing transition from the old guard to the new in the wake of the departure of nearly 1000 games worth of experience during off-season.
Tom Papley impressed during the NAB Challenge to fight his way into Saturday's Round 1 side.
Buddy's back
He has been around for a couple of years now but after an extended layoff from footy, Lance Franklin may as well be a new recruit.
Following what has been deemed his best and most complete pre-season at the Swans, the star forward is fit and firing ahead of Saturday night’s clash against the Magpies. His inclusion is a boost, both for the Swans’ chances at the SCG and for footy in general.
His presence in the forward half will be warmly welcomed and should take the load off ruck duo Kurt Tippett and Callum Sinclair while Dean Towers will also benefit from having the spearhead back.
Sitting on 706 goals, Franklin only needs one more to draw level with Collingwood’s Dick Lee (1906-22) into 20th spot on the all-time goal-kickers’ list. The next on the list is Carlton’s Harry Vallence (1926-38) with 722 goals.
Swans notch game 350 at the SCG
Dating back to South Melbourne’s first game at the SCG (in Round 12, 1980), the Sydney Swans have played a total of 349 matches at the famous venue.
Two-hundred-and-four have been wins, 143 have been losses, two have ended in a draw and eight have been won/lost by the narrowest of margins, the most famous being Tony Lockett’s behind in the 1996 Preliminary Final against Essendon.
The SCG has also played host to five finals, arguably the most famous of those being the come-from-behind semi-final win against Geelong in 2005 where Nick Davis kicked four last quarter goals to will us over the line.
We say arguably because all but one have been settled by less than one straight kick.
Tony Lockett reflects in the rooms after kicking the Sydney Swans into the 1996 Grand Final.
The Kennedy Legacy
The Kennedy name is synonymous in AFL circles.
Gun midfielder Josh Kennedy continuing a bloodline which started with his grandfather John and continued with his father John Jnr.
Kennedy is due to play his 159th career game on Saturday night. Combined with his father’s 241 appearances for Hawthorn, they’ll notch 400 combined games and will become the 15th father-son pair in the game’s history to reach this mark.
The list also includes Kennedy’s grandfather with John Kennedy Snr (164 matches) achieving the feat in combination with John Kennedy Jnr.
Josh Kennedy's 159th game on Saturday will mark a significant milestone in the Kennedy-AFL/VFL story.
