ROUND 10: MARN GROOK at the SCG
Sydney Swans v North Melbourne
Friday 27 May, 7.50pm, SCG

The Sydney Swans take on ladder leaders North Melbourne tonight for the annual Marn Grook at the SCG clash.   

MARN GROOK AT THE SCG
This year marks the Sydney Swans’ 15th annual Marn Grook match. The Swans first played for the Marn Grook Trophy in 2002, to celebrate the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players to our game. Meaning “game ball”, Marn Grook is the name given to the Aboriginal ball game played with a possum skin ball. The game inspired Australia Rules Football.


GIFT EXCHANGE
As has become a tradition during the AFL’s Indigenous Round, Lance Franklin, on behalf of the Swans, will swap an Indigenous gift with a North Melbourne player. The gift is an Aboriginal fishing spear known as Garrara. It is an important tool to the traditional Aboriginal people of the Sydney area. The Garrara was the main fishing tool used by Aboriginal men to catch fish which was a staple food resource. It was common up until the 1950s for Aboriginal men of the La Perouse Aboriginal community to have two spears and undertake cultural fishing that has taken place for thousands of years.   

GOODES-O’LOUGHLIN MEDAL
The player judged best on ground tonight will be presented with the Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal, to honour the contribution of Swans greats Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin.

Goodes retired last season after 372 games in the red and white. His much-decorated career includes two Brownlow Medals, two AFL premierships (2005 and 2012), three Bob Skilton Medals, the 1999 AFL Rising Star Award, being named in the Indigenous Team of the Century and four All Australian accolades. In 2014, Goodes was named Australian of the Year.

O’Loughlin played 303 games at the Swans from 1995-2009. A member of the Swans’ 2005 premiership team, O’Loughlin won the Swans’ best and fairest award in 1998, is a dual All-Australian and was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century. In 2015 he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Most recently O’Loughlin was the coach of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy.

GO FOUNDATION – OFFICIAL MATCH-DAY CHARITY PARTNER
The Goodes-O’Loughlin (GO) Foundation is the official match-day charity partner. Founded in 2009, the GO Foundation aims to provide opportunities for a brighter future for Indigenous Australians by providing full scholarships to quality schools.

Since its inception, the Sydney Swans have been a proud partner of the foundation and supporter of the outstanding work it does in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Students from the GO Foundation and AFL NSW/ACT Community Programs will form the guard of honour as the Swans run onto the field.

ARRIVE EARLY
Swans fans are encouraged to plan their trip and arrive at the ground early tonight with a double-header scheduled for the Moore Park precinct.  

Most Career Goals – Lance Franklin
Franklin needs three goals to draw level with Barry Hall (746 goals for St Kilda, Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs 1996-2011) in 14th spot overall in VFL/AFL history, having so far kicked 743 goals since his debut in 2005.

SNAPCHAT
Fans will be able to join in the Marn Grook at the SCG celebrations on Friday night by using Snapchat. A special Snapchat filter will be active within the SCG precinct from 6pm on Friday night allowing those attending the game to share in the celebration of Marn Grook. The filter will allow fans to share their great match day experience with their friends as we take on North Melbourne.

AROUND THE GROUND
There is plenty happening around the ground tonight including the Volkswagen Fan Zone, Swans Fan Dome including the Citi Spin2Win wheel, face painting plus much more. The GO Foundation will also have a presence on Driver Ave as will Recognise. Arrive early to get involved.

SOCIAL MEDIA
The match can be followed live on the Sydney Swans’ social media platforms:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

MEMBERSHIP

The Swans membership tally stands at 52,635. It’s not too late to join the team this season. Great membership packages are available now at membership.sydneyswans.com.au