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.
#18 - Sydney Swans Team of the Century function, 2003
The Sydney Swans announced the Team of the Century at a lavish function in Sydney on the 8th of August, 2003, on the eve of the club’s round 19 Heritage clash against Hawthorn at the SCG.
The 25-man team was selected from a list of 66 nominees. To qualify for the initial list, a player must have taken to the field for at least 75 games for South Melbourne / Sydney Swans and have either held a leadership role, won a club award, Brownlow Medal, All-Australian or state selection.
Three-time Brownlow medallist Bob Skilton was named captain - and rover - of the Team of the Century, while his deputy as vice-captain, Paul Kelly, was picked in the forward pocket.
Ruckman Jack Bissett - who was appointed South captain-coach in 1933 and guided them to the 1933 premiership and to three more grand finals, from 1934-36 - was named coach of the Team of the Century.
The most recent active player named in the Team was midfielder Daryn Cresswell, who was still playing when he made the interchange bench.
The full Sydney Swans Team of the Century is:
B: John Rantall, John Heriot, Vic Belcher
H/B: Bill Faul, Ron Clegg, Dennis Carroll
C: David Murphy, Greg Williams, Herb Matthews
H/F: Tony Morwood, Laurie Nash, Gerard Healy
F: Bob Pratt, Tony Lockett, Paul Kelly (VC)
Foll: Barry Round, Peter Bedford, Bob Skilton (Capt)
Inter: Bill Williams, Stevie Wright, Daryn Cresswell, Fred Goldsmith, Mark Bayes, Harry Clarke, Mark Tandy
Coach: Jack Bissett
Speaking at the dinner to announce the Team of the Century, Sydney Swans Chairman, Richard Colless said he was overwhelmed by the response to the event and Team of the Century concept.
“When we embarked on the Team of the Century project, we knew the function would be a huge event but the response has been even greater than we could have anticipated,” Colless said.
“Apart from the size of the night, what is extremely pleasing is the fact that almost half of those in attendance came up from Melbourne.
“It is an acknowledgement of this club’s heritage in both Melbourne and Sydney.”
On June 14, 2007, the Sydney Swans held another grand function to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Swans moving north from South Melbourne to Sydney.
Over 1900 people attended the event that not only celebrated the club's successes, but also acknowledged its darker moments, including when it nearly folded on several occasions.
"The club sort of died a number of times; there were false starts, disappointments and adversity. But the club came through and is stronger for it. It built character, not only in people, but in the club as a whole," said then Sydney Swans chief executive, Myles Baron-Hay at the 25th anniversary dinner.
“I think the night gave everyone there an understanding of where we've come from as a club and, in understanding that, understanding the people that have gone before us who toiled against the odds for so long to survive."
On Saturday July 18, 2009, 100 years on from the 1909 South Melbourne victory over Carlton, in which the Swans won their first VFL premiership, the club celebrated its history and those who made it happen at the inaugural Swans Hall Of Fame event, It's In The Blood.
In front of over 1300 people at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium, 20 Club greats and three Bloods Legends - Bob Pratt, Bob Skilton and Paul Kelly - made up the list of the first ever inductees into the Swans Hall of Fame.
“For me, what the night highlighted was the unusual circumstances which this Club has faced, its extraordinary powers of survival, and the unbelievable number of champion players that we have produced,” Colless said at the inaugural Swans Hall of Fame dinner.
“A wonderful aspect of the Hall of Fame concept is that the players not selected in this inaugural intake are not excluded from being inducted over the next few years."
On April 30, 2011, the second, and final stand-alone, Swans Hall of Fame dinner was held at the Bayside Grand Hall of the Sydney Convention Centre. In front of over 750 people, another 27 former champion players and coaches were inducted, and Peter Bedford was elevated to Bloods Legend status alongside Pratt, Skilton and Kelly.
A full list of inductess into the Swans Hall of Fame can be found here.
