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.

#27 - 300 gamers: Michael O’Loughlin, 2009 and Adam Goodes, 2011

Two months after the Swans finished the 1994 season as wooden spooners, they gained the services of Central District teenager Michael O’Loughlin via pick number 40 in the National Draft. Originally reluctant to move to Sydney from South Australia, O’Loughlin weathered a difficult start to his career and played 12 games in his debut season, earning a Rising Star nomination in the process.

“Back in those early days I didn’t know whether I’d be here for a year or two or whatever,” O’Loughlin said. “I came here as a pretty shy person.”

Known for his speed, strength, agility and an uncanny knack to make the impossible look easy, which earned him the nickname ‘Magic’, O’Loughlin broke John Rantall’s club games record of 260 games in round 14, 2007 against Fremantle at the SCG.

O’Loughlin put in a vintage performance in the game finishing with 17 touches and two goals, including a vital goal after the three-quarter time siren, as the Swans went on to record a crucial 28-point win against the Dockers.

The match was also notable as dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes played his 200th game. Goodes, who came to the club at pick 43 in the 1997 National Draft, had followed a similar path to O’Loughlin and after a slow start to his career where he didn’t play a game in his first season, became one of the league’s most celebrated players claiming the game’s highest individual honour in 2003 and 2006.

After announcing that he would retire at the end of the season, O’Loughlin became the first player in the club’s history to play 300 games when he took to the MCG against Richmond in round 19, 2009. O’Loughlin was presented with a jumper by Rantall in the rooms before the game in front of many former greats of the club, and then broke through the banner with his two children, Taya and James.

The Swans united on the occasion to produce a dominant performance over the Tigers, running out 55-point winners. Goodes was outstanding and put on a show in honour of his mate racking up 25 touches and four goals, as did Brett Kirk who finished with as many tackles as he had possessions - 14. O’Loughlin was also pretty impressive himself, fittingly finishing with 19 disposals and two goals.

"That's what our club's about, that emotion," O'Loughlin said after the game.

"That's why we won the Grand Final (in 2005) because we had so much respect and pride in each other and I'm just exhausted now and humbled and thank God I came to this club."

O’Loughlin retired as the Swans’ games record on 303 games at the SCG in round 22, 2009.

In last year’s semi-final loss to Hawthorn at the MCG, Goodes became just the second Swan to reach the coveted 300-game mark, and the fastest player in the league’s history to reach the milestone from debut.

Unfortunately, the side couldn’t repeat the result of O’Loughlin’s 300th game, as the Hawks bundled the Swans out of the premiership race by 36 points. The co-captain led from the front in the semi gathering 20 touches and booting three goals, to continue on his amazing 2011 season which saw him win his third Bob Skilton Medal and named All-Australian for the fourth time.

Goodes broke O’Loughlin’s games record against Hawthorn in Launceston in round five this year, inspiring his team mates with three goals as the Swans came from 20 points down at half-time to win, again fittingly, by 37 points.

“To have two players who have played over 300 games for his football club and in the same era is quite remarkable,” Goodes said leading into the round five game.

“Also the closeness between us as brothers, cousins and team mates makes it just a special moment.”

The Swans' 2005 premiership players are two of only four indigenous players in the league’s history to have played 300 games, and in 2005 both were named on the ground in the Indigenous Team of the Century.