The Sydney Swans last clash against Collingwood at the SCG was back in Round 4, 2000 – the game was a thrilling contest with the Magpies unfortunately taking the chocolates by less than one straight kick.
For the next 15 years and 13 games, all Sydney-based clashes have been staged at Homebush’s ANZ Stadium.
That all changes on Friday night when we meet our black and white rivals back at our spiritual home.
As we mark the occasion, sydneyswans.com.au travels back in time to the start of the millennium to reminisce and remember what life was like all those years ago.
Isaac Heeney was a toddler…
Isaac Heeney would have been not long out of nappies and just starting to string some words together when Collingwood last played in front of a SCG crowd.
Our number one pick in the 2014 National Draft was only four-years-old, hard to believe considering Adam Goodes was already two years into his now distinguished career.
Growing up in Newcastle, the logical pathway for Heeney would have been Rugby League but the promising star chose Australian Rules for which the Swans Academy now Sydney Swans Football Club are very thankful.
A total of seven current day Swans were less than five-years-old while 28 players were still a while off high school.
A young Isaac Heeney trains with the Sydney Swans Academy.
Adam Goodes was an up-and-comer…
The Sydney Swans used Pick 43 to secure Goodesy in the 1997 National Draft.
Little did the Club know that this talented North Ballarat Rebel would go on to win two Brownlows, two premierships, three Bob Skilton Medals, four All Australian jumpers and play 366 games to date.
When the Magpies last travelled to the SCG, Goodes was a sprightly 20-year-old who had played only 23 of those games and had it all in front of him.
What a ride it has been for the now (just as sprightly) 35-year-old who’ll on Saturday line up for his 22nd appearance against the Magpies.
Adam Goodes tackles Nathan Buckley who will be coaching the Magpies on Friday night.
Smartphones were an idea on a whiteboard…
It’s safe to say iPhones, Blackberry’s and Samsung Galaxy’s belonged to another galaxy at the start of the new millennium…how times have changed.
Up until two years ago, nearly two-thirds of the Australian population owned a smartphone and with a vast amount of apps, whiz-bang features and range of different devices available that number is increasing as every AFL season rolls by.
Players are in demand more than ever so it is a sure bet that every player (at least 99.99%) owns a mobile phone of the touch screen variety these days.
And with the rise of social media (Facebook was still five years away in 2000) and the ease of which Buddy can tweet to his million-strong fan base or Laids can ‘insta’ another photo of Kevin the Sausage Dog means smartphones are a must have.
Back then the likes of Rowan Warfe, Craig O’Brien and Brett Allison would have been rolling with a Nokia 3315.
Tony Lockett on his mobile phone in 2001 in front of the SCG members stand.
Someone called Fitzy was a Rising Star…
There were a few big names that made the honour roll at the end of the 2000 season:
Rodney Eade was coaching, Paul Kelly was the captain and by the season’s end Andrew Schauble would win the Bob Skilton Medal.
Michael O’Loughlin was our leading goal-kicker with 53 majors, Ben Mathews was our most improved and ‘Captain Courageous’ himself was dubbed Best Clubmen for a second time.
And, finally, a man known as Ryan Fitzgerald (who starred on debut kicking five goals against Adelaide) won the Rising Star Award.
