Last Saturday night's Swans Hall of Fame saw a brilliant collection of footage compiled into four separate eras of the Club's history, titled Blood Line.
- South Melbourne football club is established.
- An amalgamation with nearby Albert Park sees the Club adopt its first red and white playing strip. The Club remains know as South Melbourne.
- South Melbourne is a dominant club in the Victorian Football Association, winning premierships in 1881 and 1885, before a string of three consecutive titles between 1889-1891.
- South Melbourne join the breakaway VFL group.
- Hot tempered star recruit Bill Ghent is suspended for 20 weeks, including the entire 1905 season. In 1906 he is banned for life.
- ‘The Southerners’ as the team is called, win the 1909 premiership against Carlton. Swans Hall of Famer Vic Belcher is the star.
- Midfielder Bruce Sloss is named Champion of the Colony - the forerunner to the Brownlow medal.
- The team ceases playing as many members enlist in the armed forces as World War I commences.
- With the war coming to an end, South Melbourne defeat Collingwood to claim the 1918 premiership.
Click here to play Blood Line - Era 1 (1874-1918)
Era Two - 1919 - 1945
- A recruiting drive from South Melbourne during the 1920’s sees Roy Cazaly join the Club from St Kilda.
- Ted Johnson tops the Club goal kicking for six consecutive years.
- A new grandstand is erected at Lake Oval in 1926.
- The Great Depression puts a strain on all playing lists as men move away to find stable employment.
- South Melbourne casts its recruiting net Australia wide, and in particular, to Western Australia. An influx of recruits from Western Australia sees local journalists depict the Club as a Swan - the Black Swan being the emblem for Western Australia. It is believed this is the origins of South Melbourne’s Swans emblem.
- The playing strip is changed and the red ‘V’ jumper is introduced.
- Bob Pratt and the flamboyant Laurie Nash are the headline acts at South Melbourne during this period.
- The Swans claim their third premiership in 1933 with a 42 point win over Richmond.
- In 1935, star forward Bob Pratt is hit by a truck on the eve of the Grand Final. The team is unable to perform without their superstar and lose the match.
- Swans Hall of Fame inductee Len Thomas is among the Club’s first casualties of World War II.
- In 1940 Herb Matthews becomes the Club’s first Brownlow medal winner.
- The end of World War II sees the VFL finals series labelled ‘the victory series’. The Swans lose the Grand Final to Carlton in a match that becomes known as the infamous ‘blood bath’.
Click here to play Blood Line - Era 2 (1919-1945)
Era Three - 1946 - 1981
- Ron Clegg wins the 1949 Brownlow Medal, while the addition of future Brownlow Medalist Fred Goldsmith strengthened the squad.
- Bill Gunn captains the Club and win’s the Club’s goalkicking in 1956, the same year a rover named Bob Skilton was promoted to the senior team from the fourths.
- Future Swans Team of the Century full back John Heriot arrives at the Club via the zone, but the Club consistently struggles and lingers in the bottom half of the ladder during the 50’s and 60’s
- The old grandstand at Lake Oval burns down in the early stages of the 1960’s
- Bob Skilton becomes one of only four players to win three Brownlow Medals in 1959 (when he tied with St Kilda’s Verdun Howell), 1963, and 1968.
- The Swans gain the services of classy half-forward Graeme John from East Perth, who would later become a coach and administrator following his playing days.
- On the verge of the 1970’s, the Swans land three major coups when they acquire Port Melbourne centreman Peter Bedford (who would become a Bloods Legend, Club captain, and Brownlow Medalist), legendary coach Norm Smith, and Rick Quade.
- Graham Teasdale joins South Melbourne from Richmond and takes out the 1977 Brownlow medal by 14 votes.
- Off field, the Club struggles for financial stability and faces bankruptcy. The VFL is keen to relocate a team to Sydney - a notion which is met with anger from some supporters.
- As captain Barry Round ties for the 1981 Brownlow medal, the decision is made for the Club to move north to Sydney.
Click here to play Blood Line - Era 3 (1946-1981)
Era Four - 1982 - Present
- The Swans play their first match as the Sydney Swans under captain Barry Round and new coach Ricky Quade.
- Tony Morwood and Stephen Wright two hallmark players in the inaugural squad.
- Warwick Capper joins the Swans and becomes only the second player in the Club’s history to boot 100 goals in a season.
- The team adopts the current Opera House inspired guernsey.
- QBE Insurance commences its partnership with the Swans as a major the sponsor, saving the Club from financial turmoil.
- Paul Kelly debuts and goes on to become Club captain and a Brownlow medallist.
- Ron Barassi is announced as coach half way through the 1993 season.
- When Barassi steps down, Rodney Eade named as his replacement.
- The Swans pull off one of the biggest recruiting coups in history when they secure spearhead Tony Lockett. Paul Roos also joins the Club from Fitzroy in 1995.
- Led by new recruits Lockett and Roos along with captain Paul Kelly the Club reaches 1996 Grand Final but are defeated by North Melbourne.
- Paul Roos replaces Rodney Eade as coach, while Stuart Maxfield takes the captaincy reigns with the retirement of Paul Kelly.
- The Swans claim the 2005 premiership with a thrilling win over the West Coast Eagles, breaking a 72 year drought for the Club.
- John Longmire takes the senior coaching role when Paul Roos steps down at the end of 2010.
Click here to play Blood Line - Era 4 (1982-Present)
