SYDNEY Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy says there was something special about Saturday night's season-opener against new cross-town rivals Greater Western Sydney.

Not only was it the first time two Harbour City clubs had faced each other in an AFL match, the contest at ANZ Stadium signified the start of the 2012 premiership season.

While footballers, and their coaches, often stress the need to prepare the same way for every match and treat them as no different from one another, Kennedy acknowledged there was something different about this round one encounter.

"I think there was a bit of extra excitement, obviously with the launch on Thursday night up in Sydney and whispers going around about ticket sales and all that," Kennedy said after the match.

"I woke up pretty early this morning, I was like a kid on Christmas Day."

The new kids on the block took it up to their older, more experienced opponents in the opening two quarters to trail by 31 points at half-time.

The Giants were then held goalless in the third term as the Swans assumed control, before rebounding to edge the Swans in the last quarter.

Kennedy, who was awarded the Brett Kirk Medal for his match-winning performance, said he expected GWS to come out hard at the opening bounce.

"It felt like they were coming out to prove something," Kennedy said.

"We knew that, we expected that and no surprises really they came out hard and we wanted to match it and then take it up a level in the second half which we were able to do."

Meanwhile, Swans coach John Longmire said his players fumbled the footy and gave away too many free kicks - it was 16-8 the Giants' way at the long break - in the first half, before righting the ship.
 
Longmire said the Giants' intensity and attack at the footy in the opening two quarters was no surprise given their form in the pre-season competition.
 
"I have been saying that any team that comes out and plays in a game of footy, especially with as much talent as they have got, is going to be hard and tough at the footy and that is the way they were," Longmire said.
 
"A 10 goal win is hard to do and I thought at the end of the day it was good to look at the scoreboard and see us 60-odd points in front."
 
Longmire said the club would have a solid week at training before enjoying the weekend off as round one was completed.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs