In the lead-up to the Swans round 8 home match against Melbourne, which will celebrate the Club’s 30 years in Sydney, sydneyswans.com.au is collating the 30 Defining Moments of the Swans in Sydney in chronological order.

The 30 Defining Moments have been selected by Sydney Swans Chairman, Richard Colless, Deputy Chairman, Andrew McMaster, and Swans Hall of Fame inductee and former Club captain, coach, and director, Rick Quade.

#10 - Paul Roos’ 300th AFL game, 1996

In 13 seasons and 269 games with Fitzroy, Paul Roos established himself as one of the silkiest and skilled players in the competition.

After making his debut for the Lions, ironically, against the Sydney Swans at the SCG in 1982, Roos finished runner-up to Greg Williams and Robert DiPierdomenico in the 1986 Brownlow Medal, was a four-time All Australian, five-time best and fairest, and club captain for six years during his playing days at Fitzroy.

Roos moved north to Sydney to play for the Swans after been selected with pick number one in the 1995 pre-season draft, and made his debut in the red and white at centre-half back that same year in the round one loss to Footscray. 

30 games later, and after starting the 1996 season with six wins, three losses and a draw, the Swans faced the current premiership favourites North Melbourne at Princes Park in Roos’ 300th AFL game.

The Swans went into the round 11 clash riding high on the back of consecutive wins over the Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy and were in fifth position on the AFL ladder, but the Kangaroos had won three games in a row and had only lost two of their first ten games as they sat atop the ladder.

The game also saw future Swans Hall of Fame inductee Stuart Maxfield play his 100th AFL game. Maxfield had joined the Swans prior to the 1996 season after 89 games with Richmond over six seasons.

The Swans had to overcome a fast North Melbourne start, as the Kangaroos took a 16-point lead to the first change. Led by Roos and forward Troy Luff, the visitors fought back strongly in the second quarter, kicking six goals to one to reverse the margin to 16 points in the Swans favour at half time.

After an extremely quiet first half which only netted one goal, Swans champion full-forward Tony Lockett cut loose in the final two quarters. A swoop on a loose ball and snap goal for his second in the third quarter opened the floodgates for Lockett, who went on to kick nine second half goals to take his tally to ten for the match and 30 goals in the last three games.

The Swans completely dominated in the second half and went on to thrash North Melbourne by 79 points to hold their position at fifth on the ladder, just a game-and-a-half behind the top placed Carlton.

In his 300th game, Roos was outstanding and finished as the leading possession-getter on the ground with 18 kicks, 12 handballs, 11 marks, and two goals. In fading light, Roos was chaired off the ground by his team mates in an phenomenal outpouring of red and white elation.

Former coach Ron Barassi, who had been succeeded by four-time Hawthorn premiership player Rodney Eade in 1996, said the historic win over North Melbourne gave credibility to the new-look Swans.

“It was a great win … and it was one of the games that showed everyone that the Swans were quite a good side,” he said.

For Roos and the Swans, the win was one of many highlights in a brilliant 1996 season for the club.