High-flying Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles to resume rivalry in Friday night blockbuster

BETWEEN 2005 and 2007 the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles’ clashes were the Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier of the AFL. On Friday night, their heavyweight rivalry resumes.

Brett Kirk and Dean Cox once great rivals in the 2005,06 Premiership era now on same side coaching against the Eagles in this Friday nights big game. Picture. Phil Hillyard

A DECADE ago, matches between Sydney and West Coast were akin to a Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier bout.

Between 2005 and 2007, every game between the pair was worthy of a grand final, and two of them were.

Remarkably, each of the six matches played between the 2005 qualifying final in Perth and round one in 2007 at ANZ Stadium were decided by less than a kick.

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On Friday night at the SCG the top-of-the ladder Eagles and third-placed Swans will look to rekindle that amazing rivalry and Sydney might have a slight edge.

Two of the great protagonists of that era, Dean Cox and Brett Kirk, will be sitting in the Swans’ coaching box.

Dean Cox and a dejected Brett Kirk after the 2006 grand final.

Kirk was captain courageous for Sydney from the front and Cox was the greatest ruckman of the time leading the charge for West Coast.

“They were hard fought, man on man and contested which is why the battles were so great,” Cox told the Daily Telegraph.

“They (the Swans) prided themselves in that part of the game and so did we. We went head to head at it every time.”

Kirk led a midfield which included Jude Bolton, Luke Ablett and Amon Buchanan. He called them the bashed-up Cortinas taking on the Eagles’ Ferraris of Chris Judd, Daniel Kerr and Ben Cousins.

“It was a fierce rivalry,” Kirk said.

“Their midfield group were so good and pound for pound we knew we couldn’t beat them if we allowed them to play to their strength. We wanted to get them into a scrap and get them down into the trenches, that’s where those tight margins came from.”

It worked about half the time for the Swans who split the grand finals and the qualifying finals one all.

Kirk and Cox once great rivals, but now they’re on the same side. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Cox was a key part of the Ferrari midfield as he reinvented modern ruckwork. He says the Swans weren’t all battlers doing their best.

“Both sides had their strengths and were able to nullify it into a real battle,” Cox said.

“They had quality players all over the ground, Barry Hall, Micky O’Loughin and Nick Davis in the forward line were greats and they had Adam Goodes who could run through there as well. The thing I admired from afar was the Swans always played their role and did it to perfection.”

Cox now sits in the Swans coaches box trying to add another W against his old team to go with their round one victory in Perth — the Eagles only loss this year. Now with a view from the inside the big man can see plenty of similarities to the Swans of ‘05 and ‘06.

Michael O'Loughlin celebrates the winning goal in the 2006 qualifying final in Perth. Pic: Phil Hillyard

“Kirky was a big part of the culture at the Swans along with Paul Roos and the legacy is still there,” Cox said.

“They were very successful and that brand has stayed on the field and off the field. What they stood for and how they challenged each other it still stands today.”

John Longmire was an assistant coach in the rivalry years ago and hopes Friday night’s instalment will recapture the excitement of 12 years ago.

“They were some of the biggest games these clubs have played in,” Longmire said.

“It was great for football and great to be a part of. It was nerve wracking at times, but to get the game back here with a couple of teams that are high on the ladder and playing on Friday night is exciting. We know we have the job very much in front of us and we’re playing the best team in the competition.”

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Originally published as High-flying Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles to resume rivalry in Friday night blockbuster